Gabriel Romero, the old fellow who drives…
source date: 1891
availability: public-domain

of the past, railroad cars have superceded the prairie schooner and the car- rion crow, on the trail, no longer revels upon the decaying flesh of an overworked ox or mule that fell from exhaustion upon the unfenced expanse west of the Missouri river and east of Santa Fe. Gabriel Romero, the old fellow who drives two burros about town laden with amole root for sale, was made glad yesterday by Uncle Sam allowing him a pension of $8 per month, dating from July 29, 1890. He was a brave soldier in his day and was wounded in the head at the battle of Valverde. He also once saved a federal garrison from destruction by rushing into a powder magazine and extinguished a spark when the other troops near at hand, in- cluding the lieutenant in command, had fled for fear of their lives. Jose de la Cruz Naranjo, of Santa Cruz, another old soldier, has also been allowed a similar amount on account of disabili- ties contracted while in the country’s service. Both of these pensions were secured through Attorney B. M. Read, the latter being the sixth pension he has succeeded in getting for old sol- diers here under the new pension act. — New Mexican.