100 years ago in Gallup

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — Some things never change.

A little over a century ago, an irate citizen of Gallup wrote a letter to “The McKinley County,” the dominant paper in Gallup at that time complaining that he couldn’t trust elected officials of the city.

The man, who only signed his letter as “a man up a tree” said he felt the paper was putting forth a “useless expenditure of time and energy” as well as a “useless consumption of paper and ink” to write editorials calling upon for the present town board and mayor to correct the problems facing the town.

“Those of us who were here last spring (1906) during the town election know only too well of the promises made by the present incumbents in the event they were elected. They promised this and they promised that.

“What has been the results? Can anyone point to any improvement of a public nature that have been made in the town of Gallup during the past year outside perhaps of the extension of a pipe line on the north side of the railroad track and a little work on the ditch west of town.

“Our sidewalks were never in a worst condition and with the exception of one first-class crossing that has been erected in front of the mayor’s own house, nothing has been done in the way of improving the sidewalks of the town. The present town council, including Mayor Lanigan, are dead ones as far as public improvements are concerned.

“Mark my predictions, there will be nothing done. Five little words tell the whole story.”