Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-05-27
Sam Erannan's Grant.

From an interview with Mr..
Sam Brannan, IN relation to his
land grant in Sonora, Mexico, pub
lished in the Tucson Journal of the
25th Instant, we make the follow
ing extract:
AS the forr1er career Of Mr.. Bran.
nan il so closely identified with
that Of California, any extended
review Of bis life is entirely unnec.
essary. Suffice it TO say that, ar
riving in San Francisco thirty. five
years ago, he made SO good use of
his opportunities as to acquire
u very large fortune. During
the Invasion of Mexico by the
French. Mr.. Brannan aided the
Mexican Government with men,
money and arms, and the recent
extensiv. grant of land to him was
in recognition of such services. Mr..
Brannan has been for the past Is
mouths resident Of the City of
Mexico, aud is now en- route to San
Francisco TO complete his arrange
ments f,r taking possession Of and
improving and developing his
grant, which was confirmed to him
by an xct of the Mexican Congress
approved on the 23d day of Febru-
ary last. 1t CONSISTS Of forty.two
| square leagues of land at any point
which Mr.. BraIuan may select in
that portion of Souora which lies
between the Yaqni and Mayo riv-
ers. This grant Is to be supple
mented by an additional forty.two
| square leagues as suOu as Mr.. Bran
nan shall have settled up the fist
portion, N akiug u total Of 76O
square mills of teTritory-a & ,od
sized principality Of itse +. To THIS
has been added II franchise to con
struot railroad from any point
I within the grant to any point on
any railroad from E Pasu to Quay.
mas that may be selected by Mir.
Brauuau, the franchise TO exist for
90 years.
| rhis section constitutes what has
been known for years a. the Ysqui
country, aud 1t Is justly regarded
IA the richest pOrLiOn of SunDru.
Within its conine are some of The
fabulously rich silver mines, which
yielded so much revenue to the
Spaniards prior to the earlier por.
ton of this century. 1t is richly
wooded and watered, contains very
foe grazing and agricultural lands,
and is CONCEDED, by those most
c0nver5ant with the resources of
our neighboring State, TO be the
| Uurdpf nF n 10 Nav
leo. During the years lSl9-20 this
section was Invaded by the Apa-
ches, and a series of frightful mas.
sacres followed, which depopulated
it of all inhabitants save the in
vaders. The Apaches afterward
moved further north, and this
country was taken possession of by
the Yaquis. Fear of incurring the
hostility of the latter Indians has
heretofore kept the Mexicans from
settling in SO desirable country,
but it Is now virtually unoccupied
even by the former, as the Yaquis
are now pretty we'll scattered
throughout other portions of So.
nora. The location of this section
is about two hundred and fifty
miles east of the port of Guaymas.
Briefly stated, Mr.. Brauuan's
plans, AS detailed to the Journal
representative, are as follows: A
party Of surveyors and engineers
has already left the City OF Mexico
to commence operations on the
grant, and another will be dis
patched from San Francisco as soon
as Mr.. Brannan reaches that city.
That accomplished he will return
to Tucson for second visit, this
point being regarded by him as the
most eligl BILE Tor II base of opera.
| lions. AS an iDcentive to colopiZ
alton by Americans, Mr.. Brannap
purposes donating to each settler
100 acres OF land and building lot
in u central city which Is to be
founded aud which will be called
Sonora Mining property will
Of course be located according to
the laws of Sonora. The Mexican
Congress, as special privileges to
aid Mr.. Brannan in cOlOniZiug his
grant, inserted a clause in the act
admitting all household and other
necessary goods of Immigrants alb.
solutely free of duty, with immuni.
ty from taxation and from military
duty for period of ten years, even
going go far AS 20 require no post
age on letters to anu from settlers.
Mr.. Branpan expects most of his
colonists to come from California,
Nevade and Oregon, though acces.
sions to the ranks are looked foi
from other countries. He has al.
ready had hdvices TO the effect that
20 Mexican families from OtheI
portions of Sonora only await the
completion of the survey 10 move
iniO The neW cOuntrV