And now for the story...
Here is the explosive story - never before revealed - of the discovery of a clean-burning, renewable energy source literally right under our noses. This is the story of Frijolene.
It all began innocently enough with Gordo’s double green bean burrito. Gordo was a skilled cook and he loved his special-recipe burritos. Here he is savoring his favorite snack while preparing lunch for the crew of the Apache Wells coke plant. Little did he know that forces beyond his control would suddenly propel him to fame and lead to the discovery a new fuel source.
After feeding the crew lunch and helping himself to a second burrito, Gordo walked home to take a short siesta. Along the way, he stopped at a nearby outhouse to take care of his personal needs.
Eyewitness testimony in the historical record isn’t clear what happened next. Perhaps Gordo lit the stub of a cigar left by another patron to extract the last few puffs. This detail has been lost in time. What the records do show is that the outhouse suddenly exploded with a tremendous BOOM, leaving a smoking crater behind. Sadly, Gordo and the outhouse were nowhere to be found.
Word of Gordo’s dramatic disappearance was met with wonder and mystery by the local folk. News spread to Dr. Vladimir Litinsky, the brilliant scholar and mining engineer employed by the Estrella Copper Co. It was Dr. Litinsky who had discovered how to efficiently process the complex copper ore from the Cielo Mine only a few years before. When he heard of the strange incident of the exploding outhouse, his scientific curiosity was piqued. Clearly, the explosion was due to powerful emissions from the frijoles (beans) that Gordo had consumed before his untimely accident. Perhaps something in Gordo’s ‘special recipe’ added to the explosive nature of the blast. Dr. Litinsky had an idea, and had to perform tests to prove out his theory.
The hole was filled, Gordo memorialized, and life returned to normal for the sleepy town. However, Dr. Litinsky was busy modifying a two-hole outhouse with strange equipment and tanks. The locals always thought he was a bit strange, but since his clever discoveries had helped the mining company and town in the past, they tolerated his eccentric traits. The initial tests were successful, leading Dr. Litinsky to file for a patent with the US Patent Office. Almost overnight, several small processing plants were constructed to harness the power of what he named Frijolene (pronounced FREE-HOE-LEAN). Here is the co-op plant under construction at San Lorenzo.
Here is a rare view of the small co-op plant under construction in San Lorenzo. It is a simple yet mysterious affair, with a steel storage tank and nondescript wood shed. Inga, Dr. Litinsky’s laboratory assistant, demonstrates where the filler pipe will be located when the plant is finished. Members of the co-op are sworn to secrecy about how Frijolene was made, and the mystery remains to this day.
Soon, the successful Frijolene Co-Op enabled the townsfolk along the E&SG to contribute, and to receive free bottled fuel for their cooking stoves, gas lamps and other needs.
Shipped in its specially-labeled tank cars, Frijolene also provided an alternate fuel source for this mines, greatly lessening the need for charcoal, coke or fuel oil. The energy provided by a pint of Frijolene was far greater than even gasoline.
As demand continued to grow, the Arroyo Verde & Western invested in some modern tank cars to ship Frijolene to other customers in the region.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was when Gordo returned to town weeks later, somewhat thinner and dazed from his experience. Turns out he (and the outhouse) were propelled into the next county, but nobody there would believe his story. Gordo, with humility equal to his waistline, suggested the fuel be named GordoGas, but Dr. Litinsky simply offered him a month’s supply of burritos to shut him up thank him for his contribution. Here he is seen restoring his health with another burrito, while chatting with Rosa. This story has a happy ending, it’s gratifying to know everything came out alright in the end!
