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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Johnito
The Men I have Met in Baja
Johnito
I first met ?Johnito, little John, in the early 70?s at a ranch east of Tecate in the Rumorosa. Little John did not talk much even though he could
make himself understood in three languages: Spanish, Pima Indian, and a bit of English. I never saw him touch another human being but he could be
very eloquent with nothing but a nod of his head, a squint, or a shrug of his slight shoulders. A large man he was not but he had led a very full
life.
One day when we were using machetes to clear manzanita and lay in a good supply of firewood for the coming winter. He began to talk about his
younger years in the Mexicali Valley Area. This all started because I asked him how old he was. He tilted his head, squinted at me, laughed that
soundless laugh of his and said that he didn?t rightly know how old he was but he did have a newspaper article dated October 1892 that talked about
him winning Rodeo events at a ranch north of Calexico?so he figured that he had to be about 90 or 92 years old now. This as he consistently chopped
more firewood than me.. This always peeed me off because I was about 35 years old, outweighed him by at least 60 pounds and at 6?2?? stood almost a
foot taller than him. That newspaper was the only thing in the world that he had to prove that he even existed. He had never driven a car nor ever
had a drivers license. He could not prove whether he was a Mexican or an American.
Eddie Leon, my father-in-law, used to buy him his food and a quart of pure alcohol twice a month at the pharmacy in Tecate. Johnito was always up
before the sun and sitting with his old wooded chair leaned back against the adobe wall of his casita and sipping his coffee. It was a while before I
understood that he always got up at 4 o?clock, made his coffee, poured his old blue and white enamel cup half full of the pure alcohol and then
stirred in his coffee and sipped it until the sun came up. I asked him about this and he smiled that toothless grin of his and explained that years
ago a doctor had told him that because of his bronco riding that he was crippled up with arthritis. He said that the doctor had prescribed the
coffee and 186 proof alcohol to get him moving in the morning. What an understatement by the doctor. He dragged his right foot as he walked because
of a crushed ankle that was caused by a bull stomping on it after goring him in the side. Another time a horse ran into a tree trying to dislodge him
from the saddle. His left forearm was broken in two places. It never healed properly and his arm always pointed away from his body at a very
disconcerting angle.
While we worked together he always seemed to relax and open up a bit. When I asked him about his family he said that he had never known one. He had
never married but he had taken up with a nice lady across the border from Yuma and grinning he had commented that they had used each other rather well
for a couple of years before she decided to marry a farmer.
When I asked how he had lost his eye he told me that he had been in a cantina one night when a gringo came in and began to abuse him by calling him a
greaser and a stupid Indian. He had lived with this sort of slur for most of his life but this time he couldn?t take it anymore and he hit the guy.
The guy was twice his size, not hard to do, and the fight ended with the gringo having a broken nose. Johnito grinned as he relived the fight and
ended the story by saying that his eye had been gouged out and his mangled arm had been broken again.
One of the last stories he told me was of gathering wild honey and taking it to the Klauber Store in Campo to trade for Levi?s and other things that
were in short supply in Baja.
Laughing, he told me that in those days the rurales -- the Mexican border patrol? mounted?patrolled the border area to keep the Mexicans from crossing
the border to trade with the gringo?s. He always thought it was funny that now it was the gringo?s patrolling the border to keep the Mexicans out.
He always said that the Ruarles did a much better job because they always waited to catch the people as they came back with gold or trade goods which
were then traded in exchange for allowing them to get back into their own country.
Once he invited me into his casita to see the newspaper story about his rodeo riding. His home consisted of two rooms?a tack room with all of the
tools of the ranch and his room which included a rough wood and rawhide bed covered with a few thin covers, a brick cook stove with an old chunk of
metal on the top to heat his coffee and food. His coffee pot, a cup, one fork, two spoons, a skillet, his machete, and a single peg driven into the
wall where he hung his clothes. That was it! If he wanted water he walked down to the well and if he had a need for a ?bathroom? he walked to the
outhouse that was nestled behind a big old oak tree about 50 feet from his front door. All the comforts of home.
This is where he lived until he died at something over 100 years of age. He was still laying in the firewood the day before he died.
A very large little man and so much fun to talk?really listen to. A real man with a wonderful message here. He never complained about anything?just
lowered his head and plowed ahead.
? 2004
[Edited on 10-18-2005 by Baja Bernie]
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Neal Johns
Super Nomad
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Nice Baja post, Bernie. Well written too; Time for another book?
Yes!
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Dave
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Bernie, That's one fine piece of writing.
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Dave/Neil
Is this the guy before the Rabbi got a hold of him or later when he got some sense in his head. Half priced ham indeed.
Thanks!
When do you re-open???? We'll be down for a quick trip with friends on the 26th and I thought I would drop the money off for the tickets then if you
are open.
Neal a yes from the only guy on this board who is older than me is very gratifying.
I am testing the waters with the last couple of stories I have written to see if anyone wants to buy the book. Never make money but that is not the
fun that sharing Baja with others is to me.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Keri
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Great story Bernie
Enjoyed it. Sounds to me like you guys were great friends. k
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Location: Sunset Beach
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Well someone asked for something Baja and I believe that this sure is.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Diver
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Good story Bernie
Kinda hits home for me;
Our 90 year old neighbor still chops his own firewood and mows his lawn etc. He still lives in the little house that he built himself in the '30's. He
also re-roofed our house before we bought it, when he was almost 70.
Unfortunately his health is finally failing.
He's an amazing man and I will miss him.
.
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Baja Bernie
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Diver
Bet a lot of people will miss the old guy. Course I gotta believe that because I am of the age he was when he roofed your house.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Braulio
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Bernie - good stuff - unfortunately we're losing these links to Baja's past pretty fast.
One of my favorite reading topics is the era of the filibusters in Mexico - I imagine Johnito would have had some stories about that.
If you're interested in accounts of indigenous people in the Tecate area you might consider checking out the following:
Delfina Cuero: her autobiography, an account of her last years, and her ethnobotanic contributions - by Florence Shipek.
It's a pretty short book ( a little over a hundred pages - lots of photos).
It's available at Amazon etc.
I think the original was written in the late 60's or early 70's.
Delfina was a Diegue?o Indian - her people were driven out of the San Diego area and set up around Tecate - she spoke Kumeyaay - a lot of her
ancestors still live on either side of the border around Tecate - one of her grandsons was one of the first Presidente Municipal's of Tecate.
The author/editor passed away just a couple years ago - I'd recommend pretty much anything written by her if you're interested in more academic
ethohistorical stuff from the Tecate area.
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Baja Bernie
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Braulio
Just ordered the book--thanks--always looking to collect some of the history that, as you point out is rapidly being lost on Baja.
Thanks much---anyone else with recommendations please speak up as they could end up in my next book.
Please don't laugh and don't take this wrong but I already have a chapter based on our friend JR and his wanderings in Baja--could be one of my best
yet.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Braulio
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Please don't laugh and don't take this wrong but I already have a chapter based on our friend JR and his wanderings in Baja--could be one of my best
yet. |
So what are you planning on writing - a directory of all the internet cafes on the peninsula?
As far as the book goes Shipek kind of weaves Defina's life story in with some of her recipes/botanical cures - it might sound like a strange format -
but it works. It's really one of the few first hand accounts I read of that era and region.
Florence Shipek did tend to be kind of a leftist - imho - in some of her writings anyway - but maybe you have to in order to be an advocate for a
people that have been steamrollered. Her academic writings are well-researched.
Provecho.
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jrbaja
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Bernie
Seems as if the moderators are at it again. I mentioned the fact that we have never discussed my wanderings in Baja. And that if you are interested
in facts, I am available.
Seems a little odd that someone would delete that, especially since it's me you want to write about. But then, this is the m.o. of the nomads
board. Random, biased deletions out of spite!
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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JR
Thank you but between your numerous posts and our in personal conversations I believe I have the persona that I wish to portray pretty well down. If
I need anything further I will not hesitate to contact you. You will be a model but your name will be changed to protect the innocent.
Sorry, But I did not understand anything you said about things being deleted.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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jrbaja
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Oh I see,
Real Life in the mind of Bernie.
Hopefully you will include the racist, bigoted, self centered, P-nche gringo, anti-american, drunk, trailer trash, drug addicted, bribing the
Mexicans to make friends, ruining Baja with bamboo, never post anything besides attacking, gringo enclave living, POS that I am frequently accused of
by the Nomad "group".
Or it just wouldn't be fair!
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jrbaja
Hopefully you will include the racist, bigoted, self centered, P-nche gringo, anti-american, drunk, trailer trash, drug addicted, bribing the Mexicans
to make friends, ruining Baja with bamboo, never post anything besides attacking, gringo enclave living, POS that I am frequently accused of by the
Nomad "group". |
JR, Bernie said one chapter.
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TacoFeliz
Nomad
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Thanks for the story Bernie. Looking forward to your next book. 
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
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That shouldabout
sum it up then.
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losfrailes
Senior Nomad
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Location: Ejido San Lucas near Santa Rosalia
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How come all the negative rhetoric after someone has posted a really interesting story about something they felt was good enough to share. Shame on
the naysayer(s).
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Frank
Senior Nomad
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Location: San Diego
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Bernie, let me know when the ink is dry!
JR, when is your book coming out? I would buy that!
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Location: Sunset Beach
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Brauilo
Just finished the book you recommended. Short but sweet. I plan on working some of the stuff there in a chapter I have already done on Bruja's. The
addition will make it live a bit more.
Gracias,
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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