|
CAROLINE ATWILL MCMAKIN WAS A YOUNGER FRIEND
OF EULALIA "SISTER" BOURNE
Joan: When you first met her she must have been at Sasco -did
you say she was at Sasco or Sasabe?
Caroline: Sasabe.
Joan: Yeah, Sasabe. No, Sasco is at Red Rock, more out this way.
Caroline: She was at Sasabe.
Joan: Sasabe, at San Fernando School in Sasabe.
Caroline: And I visited her there, and at Sierrita. Most of the
time when I knew her, when I started staying at the ranch, she
was at Sierrita
Joan: That was after her Little Cowpuncher school,,,
Caroline: After Sasabe
Joan: Yeah, they didn't do a newspaper from Sierrita, I don't
know why,
Caroline: Hmm. I don't know why either.
Joan: But they did one from San Fernando school from Sasabe. And
so, you went to that school when school was in session, or did
you visit her when she was actually teaching there, or?
Caroline: No, it was in session when she was teaching there, and
I think she lived in the school
Joan: Yes.
Caroline:
the schoolhouse. Yeah, I stayed there with her.
CAROLINE'S MEMORIES OF "SISTER" BOURNE
Caroline: She was certainly a hard worker. She was. To get up
there on Friday night and work all weekend, and take off and then
go to school and work all week - but she loved the ranch.
Joan: She did have a sister I think who....
Caroline: She had four sisters.
Joan: Yeah, but I think one lived with her. Ruby, I think, maybe?
Caroline: Ruby is the only one I knew. Ruby's the one who came
to the ranch, and I knew Ruby but I didn't know
I knew
Sabrey and Bernice lived in California I think, and the other
sister - where she lived, I can't remember. But Ruby is the only
one that liked the ranch, and she was the only one that I met,
and she came there to the ranch sometimes.
IN HER BOOK, "WOMAN IN LEVI'S" BOURNE REFERRED TO CAROLINE
AS ONE OF HER "DAUGHTERS"
"SISTER" BOURNE (MIDDLE) IS PRESENTED WITH LEVI'S CLOTHES
BY THE UA PRESS DIRECTOR. THE LEVI STRAUSS COMPANY CONGRATULATES
BOURNE ON HER BOOK.
Joan: Then, you were called her "daughters", you four
girls who came out and spent time on the weekend
Caroline: Oh, well, that was during the war. During the war we
were all dating cadets from Ryan Field... so they were in training
there, so they had a fifty mile radius that they did not go beyond,
but anyway her ranch was no more than fifty miles. So we would
all decide to go to the ranch for the weekend, and then the boys
would come in. There were five -there were four - girls and five
of the guys. So we would go off for the weekend in her pick-up.
So there were, that would be seven or nine of us, plus Sister.
So we would just go out for the weekend. And we would just tell
her we were coming when she came through town. And she said, "You
know, you girls, I wish you'd bring just one that could ride horseback.
You bring all these guys that have never seen a horse." (laughs)
And so we'd go out for the weekend, and go back with her on Monday
morning.
BOURNE SENT OUT CHRISTMAS CARDS WITH HER PICTURE ON THEM.
Joan: how big a person was she? Can you describe what she looked
like, and what size she was?
Caroline: Well, she was about the same build I was - we were both
very thin -and I guess about my height too.
Joan: Which is about?
Caroline: Ah, about five and a half then. Well, maybe she wasn't
as tall as I was, but she was very slender. And uh, I never saw
her in a dress. So when I saw the picture, you know that was in
the book. Wasn't it "Nine Months is a Year" that shows
that picture? I don't know when that was taken - I guess it was
taken then - but I never saw her in a dress. She was always very
well-dressed, but not in a dress. But she was just the most remarkable
person, just, uh, I really did admire her. She could swear and
she had a temper.
Joan: We've learned that she had at least four husbands.
Caroline: Yeah, I think there was four, instead of five, because
I can't remember any other than four. She talked very little about
them - except that Jack Ryland, the last one.
Joan: So she was mostly alone during the years that you went out
to the ranch?
Caroline: Oh, yeah, I never knew her when she was married. She
kept collecting all these people that came - both old men and
young - to help her. But she was a really colorful character.
She just had such a big heart, and generous and never had any
money 'cause she had given it away to help somebody else. She
had to teach to keep the ranch going. The ranch never made any
money. She had to buy hay and, you know. It never was profitable.
I don't think it ever was. I don't think she ever made money.
But she loved the ranch and determined to keep it -at any cost.
Joan: Did you get the feeling she loved teaching as well? Or was
that just to make money?
Caroline: Oh, no. She loved it because she loved the children.
She loved the children. No, she loved teaching. And they were
cute little kids...I bet you could count the children on one hand...They
were all little Mexican children. They were good and they loved
Sister.
EULALIA BOURNE BELIEVED THAT CHILDREN OUGHT TO BE PAID FOR GOING
TO SCHOOL, AND ALTHOUGH STATE LAW REQUIRED IT AT THE TIME, SHE
DID NOT OUTLAW THE USE OF SPANISH IN HER SCHOOLS.
EULALIA BOURNE DIED ON HER RANCH IN 1984. SHE WAS 87 YEARS OLD.
RETURN TO THE TRANSCRIPTS HOMEPAGE
|