It Happened...in Santa Fe
by Lorraine Carr
John Meigs took me on a tour of Lamy and through the Legal Tender, the remodeled Pink Garder, which is now being reconstructed to depict an era that will feature Western elegance at its best. Artist Meigs, doing the interior design, has scouted our nation for antiques and original paintings that will reflect the wonderful era of Western mining. The old bar will remain. It has been extended several feet on each end to accommodate larger crowds. This old relic was brought from Mexico City in the early 80's to Santa Fe by mule train. The bar will be a picture gallery hung to the ceiling with original paintings, chromolithographs and two large paintings of the Grand Canyon done by Moran.
The main dining room will be papered with a brown-black pattern over silver foil. The original chandelier will remain, using gas flame lights with cut crystal pendants from Czechoslovakia. The unique little stage on which the can-can girls cut capers at the turn of the century has been removed. The steaks and trout will be prepared right before your eyes. The salad bar is a handsome old antique buffet that was located in Lubbock (Texas).
Legal Tender will feature an extensive collection of original 19th Century paintings from the Victorian-Edwardian school, French mirrors, bronzes, marbles, velvet drapes and 16 opera chairs from the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. There will be a series of prints of Western railroads. There is also to be a gallery of noted men who visited Lamy in the early days. ...President U.S. Grant, President Rutherford Hayes, General Sherman and General Sheridan. Also a photograph of Bishop Lamy for whom the village was named. Legal Tender will be a museum of the Old West.
Goldie Petrolle of Santa Fe is designing the uniforms to be worn by the waitresses. These will be long black skirts and white blouses. The girls will wear black and white bows in their hair. Miss Petrolle is also doing elegant drapes of rich velvet found in the new French Quarter of old New Orleans.
The service is a sort of help yourself. You will need only a platter and a coffee mug. You will mix your own salad from the salad bar, cut your own freshly baked bread. There will be three choices of steaks, beef shish kabob, trout and giant prawns, also a baked potato.
Opening for the Legal Tender is Jan. 25 (1969). Skiers are invited to come in ski togs, businessmen in business suits, legislators come as you are even if you are wearing a buttoned up fighting jacket. There will be no floor shows and no dancing.
John Medigs, designer of the interior of Legal Tender, lived for seven years at the Old Palace Hotel in San Francisco. While there he painted many of the old mansions in that city. Pat Long, from the Bay Area, is foreman of construction for the remodeling. John Meigs lived in Hawaii for 12 years. It was in Hawaii that he first met Peter Hurd. It was our New Mexico artist who persuaded him to come to New Mexico.
The Albuquerque Journal, January 1, 1969