The Van Buren press., 1875-08-17
CAPT. vALLIEREs MILLIONS.
The Discovery Made in the New Orleans
Land Office.

The discovery Made In the New Orleans
Land Office.
A Spanish Grant Of Six Million Acres
of Land In Arkansas ana Missouri
Forty Heirs Interested In
the Vast Property.
An interesting suit against the United
States has been begun in the United
States Court in the Western District of
Missouri, by the heirs Of Don Joseph
Valiere, q captain of Spanish regiment
stationed at the post Of Arkansas in
1893. The suit 10 for six millions OF
acres of land in Arkansas and Missouri,
worth Sl5 600, 900, and the complaint
has been recently served on the United
States District Attorney in St Louis, by
Counsellor VIM, II Duryea Of Brook
lyn. the solicitor for the plaintiffs
In 1882, La Sale descended the Mis-
siss:ppi river as one W its earliest ex.
plorers. and claimed all Of the country
drained by the rivers that swelled the
Father Of Waters, in behalf OF his native
country, France. The right Of discovery,
when reduced to possession, was receg.
nized by the Law OF nations as right Of
ownership, and by the settling Of the
French in the newly discovered country In
1899, all ofthe country extending along
the Mississippi river. as far ~ the British
possessions, became = French province,
which was called Louisiana In 1852, the
French ceded to Spain all of the terrific
ry west Of the Mississippi river, includ.
ing the Island OF New Orleans, and re-
tanned the province Of East and West
Florida, which embraced oil Of the land
east Of the river but in 1881 Spain oh
tanned possession Of this tract, and all Of
the vast country was governed by vice
roy or general, who was vested
by the King of Spain with the power OF
making concessions of the royal lands to
his subjects. to promote agriculture, and
also as reward fer meritorious services
rendered by the officers Of the King .
army.
CAPT. vALDlEkE's GRANT
In 1893 Baron de Carondelet. who was
Governor General, received petition
from Capt. Don Joseph vallierc. cap.
tain of one OF The stationary regiments
in the province. asking for tract Of
land along the White river in the Dis
trict of Arkansas. As Was the custom
with the Spanish Governors in the css.
sion of lands to subjects, an order Of
survey was sent 10 Don Carlos Trudeau,
the royal and private surveyor Of the
province, to survey the lands Of the
grantee. This original order, dated June
IL, 1898. has been found in one Of the
musty old tones in the New Orleans
land Office, under the title of" Register
dc los Primeros Decretos de concession
de TERRA " The order Is ~ follows:
trito de Arkansas naa porclon ue .,r.,n s,.u-
ada sobrc el Rio Blancs extendisndo desde
los Rio Norte Grande. v cibalos. hasta el 0ri-
glen lie dicho Rio Blanco diez legass en- pro-
fundidad. Baron DE CARoNDELET.
Under this order Charles Trudeau, the
Surveyor General surveyed tract Of
land, beginning at the junction OF the
White river with the great North Fork,
in the upper part of Arkansas, and ex
tending ten Spanish leagues, or about
forty miles, on each bank Of the White
river, winding up through the southern
part OF Missouri, and then cxte ding to
the west and south west, ending At the
source Of the extreme westerly branch Of
the White river in tbs western part of Ar
kansas. The tract is made up OF
SIX MILLIONS OF ACRES.
and on the map of to day takes in Ozark
Douglass, Stone. Barry, Christian. and
Tancy counties in Missouri, and about q
dozen counties in Arkansas, making q
tract so miles wide and 1910 miles long.
The report of Charles Trudcau was filed
in October, 1903, in the Surveyor Gene
rails Otllce in New Orleans, accompanied
by a map. representing the tractfrom the
junction Of the Rio Norte Grande and
the Rio Cibolos, extending westward
along the Rio Banco, including large
part of the Rio Tosque. Don Joseph
valliere received the grant Of six mil.
lions Of acres, and six years later, In
1899, he died ntestate, possessed OF the
largest lot of real estate ever owned BY
a royal subject His heirs, whoever they
were at that time, il they knew anything
of his vast wealth, did not attempt to
make the land theirs In isur years At.
ter Valliere's death the land was receded
back to France, and Faancc in December
of the same year, 1903. ceded all of the
province Of Louisiana to the United
States for and in consideration Of Sl5,.
0OO. 900. The Intendant Of Louisians
under the order Of the Captain General
Of Cuba, who, after the cession Of thu
lands to France, had control Of the prov
inces, sent the records to Havana, ant
they were stored among the royal ar
chives.
HOW TEH RECORD WAS FOUND.
Nearly forty years after the death o
Don Joseph Valliere, a gentleman, wh'
was able to read Spanish, while search
ing the records in the Land Office ant
Surveyor General Office in New Orlean
for another grant, found the entry Of tn
land in Don Joseph Valliere's name. A
that time the United States gave the lan'
warrants at s1.25 an acre, and at this Is
innate the heirs OF the old Spanish cap
tain we're worth e7.500.000 He kne,
descendants Of Val.iere, and told them .
their vast possession. In lS4l Achills
Godin, James Brooks, Matilda Brooks
James Scull, Manette Scull. John Dodge
Elliencth Dodge, Francis w. Vaugint
Odisl Vaugine, Greed Taylor, Paul Vau
CINE, Harriet Vaugine. Francis Nailiers
and Julie Vallierc, at that time the onl
| -.....:.,.- T. L.;r, nc Nan Iasonh Vailiorf