The Mesilla Valley independent. [volume] (Mesilla, N.M.) 1877-1879, 1877-09-22
FROM


Sept. 6, 1877.
EDToRs fSpEpESpExl:
-SIA-4--IEny you- fttrst issue, you published
n letter signed by one Andrew Boyle, re-
-f;:te'rffha upon the character oi John s ehisum,
Of which ke took no notice, and no one, to
or knowledge, has taken pains to contradict
or refute. the calumnies and falsehoods which
It contained, except one item which impli-
catel Maj. Vim. Brady, our sheriff The
Majer promptly and emphstically denied
tbs; portion of Boyles statement, leaving a
liz between him and Lewis Paxton TO swal-
low an,i digest. The whole letter, in spirit
anil in fact, IS as devoid Of truth as the lie
which has bern nailed
The tone OF the letter and the impression
which it Is intended to convey, Is that Chisum
wishes 10 maaePeiize two or three hundred
miles Of the Pecos river for his stock range,
opposing immigration, prosecuting new
coiners and using every endeavor to drive
them from the country. This slander we
| dnd, is being industriously circulated hy
Chisun's enemies, most of whom are in
delfsd to him for their substance, and are
using these subtitle means to prejudice public
sentiment against him for no other reason
than that he objects to their longer preyihg
! upon him, kiiiing, driving Of and sailing
his stock.
We, the undersigned, arrived st Chisum's
| rancho, South Spring river, about the ni.idle
! Of March, fast, and camped at its mouth.
aiQnt four miles distant. We had stock,
wagons, farming implements. see4ls, ese.-,bHt
were out of money and provisions. We were
forced to 90 to work and put in a crop to
supply ourselves with provisions for the
coming ssisass ] sstHr. re Io1nd that we were on
Chisuln's hog rancho, and feared that VIC
would Interfere with him. We visited the
ranch and consulted with Mr.. Chisum, who
received us cordially, welcomed Us cheer
fully, and told Us to go on with our planting.
| that his hogs should not interfere with Us,
/ and moved them 70 Bosque Grande We
] soon found that We could not tako out our
aeequias in time TO get in crops, and sgAin
1 consulted Chisnm. He Immediately offered
4 us all the land VIC wanted on his acequia,
I plenty Of water, all the breadstuffs and other
1 provisions We required, in short, free access
to his store and supplies, on our own time;
assisted Us to purchase land ana houses, and
! 10 build new dwellings remarking that hard
working, honest men Werc the class of people
he liked 70 see come to tins section, anal
when he saw such people7wiise were honest.
! r Struggling 10 do for themselves, he con.
sidered it his duty to assist them, not with
's-'''- alone, but with means. Aud tins he
,adily done, notwithstanding th :
= l4evtn families Of Us, consisting Of
~ f'foug persons 10 feed and clothe.
P'''' no inducemcnt held out to him
% pa.. @'.-.. lat wo would pay him what We owed
t,sf essf - soon as Te could produce ii and no
Security but our word, offered or required.
We ask you, Messrs. Editors, what we
coEla<do less than TO defend Mr.. Chisum
against these foul aspersions upon his char.
actes and disposition, when We are twenty
/ four living witnesses that he is liberal, gen.
erous and KIND hearted TO alI honest men, a
We know he is antagonistical and unrclent
rag towards thieves We have never heard
4 single pcrson with II putation Tor hnnesti
in our midst, speak ol thisum except II
teylNg pf prsi ard eraiiia.ie.