Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-07
rr,I[s, LAND OPERATION.

rrEINS' LAND OPERATION.
An Immense Tract in New Mexico Ter
-y chat Has Been the Scene Of
,rr-.j Mot. Desperate Adventure, and
ror.-.lI J0bbery.
r-fsraa-v. 1871, says Trinidad COLD
r-...--1 tire New York Sun, the Mexican
E-r-rraut. wishing to form a barrier IN
81. -r.5n Of the continent now known
New Mexico and Colorado against the
r.z-. Indians Of the North, granted to
charles Bsaubien and Guadalupe Nj
-,-fs n tract Of land 20 miles square,
-rf.- Is now situated in northern New
v.yf.r and southern Colorado. The tract
Contains over 100000 acres. and is rich
En- mineral deposits. Beaubien and Mi
-qrF4 expected 70 cultivate the sugar
Rect but they never did much IN that
line. They were very wealthy men,
and when they moved 10 their new
home. then bowling wilderness,
they took with them a large retlnue
of servants. including men ana women OF
many uatiOualitIe-. The country was full
III =Ivara Indians. and some trouble was
ayuerieucei 40 first, but in the course Of
time the Frauchmen's vast domain be-
came "a sort OF neutral ground, aud to this
extent the purpose of the Mexican Gov
eminent was accomplished. Such Indians
as made their homes on the tract We're
taken into she service Of the Europeans.
ana they acted as police, showing quite
rs much loyalty to their employers as
could DE- expected. Beaubien and Nj
rrlI maintained communication with
Mexico and when not otherwise engaged
they rr0spected for gold and silver. Many
stories are told of the princely style in
which they lived. but their successor so
ar rItstripped them in this respect that
the EiEal owners Of the tract were soon
f-- t-eu.
When John C. Fremont first crossed the
continent he fell in with BeaubIen, who
was at that time lord Of creation in this
vicinity. Miranda having died. and for
several DAYS the two great men We'd with
each other m their efforts to give the
Erauisst entertainments. With Fremont
was Is Young Irishmau named Maxwell,
who acted with the expedition in the ca
rle.ry ~ scout and guide. He was a
tl-.U- fellow. and he quickly made him
s.Ifa-reeI5ie % Beaubien's daughters, of
whom there were many. One of these.
more attractive than the others, finally
c8ruyJ-ed the young adveuturer. and, as
she vt- equally impressed with her sutton.
they were soon married. When the Path
finder resumed his perilOus journey. re-
f-E-lad HT his rest on the Beaubien estate.
la latr Young Maxwell behind him. That
eurerpisug soldier Of fortune became a
H1r.fe with old Beaubien, and. in COM
Tluy with his Young wife, who was a
lVurite daughter. he lived much Of the
time close TO the owner Of the grant.
When Beaubieu died he gave the greater
part lf his property to Maxwell, and the
latter though Uneducated, gained possess
sion Cf the entire estate in the course Of a
few years boy reason Of his shrewdness
and natural business tact. From this
time on the property became known as
the Maxwell grant, and under that title
the strange estate has been made a source
of scandal and fraud iu two continents
and many Of its broad acres have been
drencled ia the blood Of deceived and
murdered men.
Once in ruu possession of his father-in-
laws property Maxwell entered on a life
which. for romance, extravaganza and
0pu.auce, probably has never been equal
ed iU this country. He lived like Baron
0f the Middle Ages surrounded by armed
retainers, and the people for miles around
Were his VassaIs. Having no EQUALS he
made merry with all his subjects on a
grand scale, frequently inviting them all
t3 his house and entertaining them in
princely style. Though naturally keen
In business transactions he came at length
OBJ think his wealth so illimitable that he
grow careless, and his generosity became
MS ruin. Men who came TO borrow money
We're sent TO the bureau to help them
selves, and in the stores which he owned
credit was given to everybody. The gold
and silver produced from his mines were
thrown around his great house prOmis-
cu9usly. He had so much more than he
knew what % 90 with that anybody who
came along ana took the trouble to ask
got almost anything that he wanted. This
IruiigaIty eventually brought him into
financial trouble. and though his in
come was still great. he became Indebted
% some money lenders, who at last
E5ras-ed him % such an extent that he
was forced % give up his lands. Judge
Charles +. Holly, then of this State, was
called In. and, securing a bond on the
property, he first attempted to take the
gold out. but his mining operations did
l'l result as he hoped, and in 1869 he
went to Washington with the idea of dis
posing % the bond to Eastern capitalists.
T.lN- thence TO New York, in company
with George Il. Clark. of Denver. he had
an interview with Wilson Waddingham.
VINO said he thought he could dispose Of
--e grant I'M London. He was so conf
--lL % success that ne was commissioned
% 90 abroad, and in London be organized
q company, with John COllinson as
Iie>il-nt, which was willing TO take the
property mt tl,U0l,O00, but would not 40
So until the title was proved clear and the
outlines boldly defined. This work took
a..dI three years. and it was not until
-'i- lGdt the sale was effected. The
money i9r proving the title, sending Mr..
NallluEuam TO London, paying attor-
l-ys fees etc, was furnished by ex-Sena-
,or Jerome b. Chafee, who, with Senator
t-Ae2tr, had become interested in the
scheme. After the sale had been effected
me profits were divided about as follows:
hl-ly, 100000; ChilcOtt, $4,000; Chaffee,
St.-NlNs Naddingham, 100000 Gov,
Ae-Q5S and other Colorado gentlemen,
W-9 had assisted in clearing up titles,
S2l received fees ranging from $4,000 to
$4,000 each.
A-- English company soon tired Of it's
investment. 1t found that the country
Was nos so well developed OF thicklv
stt-td as had been represented, and it
-tlstired that patent had never been
o1-a-Re1 from the government, and that
Le one knew exactly what the boundaries
u Lle tract were. 1t would be years be-
i-le The Englishmen could realize on their
investment, and they did not care TO wait.
--eL then called upon Waddingham to
yAsEeale them from the position in which
~ Lal placed them. This was agTeeabletO
birmingham. for he knew that every
--e the property was sold there was
money 10 10 for the man or men who negO-
---.i The transfer. He made his plans
~ --- most magnificent scale. First, he
secured the most elaborate and complete
maps ever made in the West. Some
VI --sse were geographical. the others
were geographical and pictorial; gotten
~, DC IS alleged, TO deceive men not con-
l1.salJ with the country. They repre-
sslled country prolific in everything
.-al could be desired. One of the maps
N-9 especially interesting. 1t portrayed
es--tmer going up the CimarrOn river,
--.tl. as is well known, is navigable
--i- Tor logs, and on the steamer were
-.-e~euted great piles of cotton, miner
~ ana beef products. The low lands
"-,- divided between cotton plantations
anu cattle ranges. while the hill and
mountain sides were dotted with miners
a-t l4eir mineral dumps and cabins. At
-z--d-u points along the Cimarron river
m5.e cattle stations, where large steamers
e.'taarged their cargOes and took on cattle
southern seapOrts. The maps were
~ l.i1rs- and, in every respect, We're
-----t interesting, both as works of art
l-. the Imagination. When the maps
sly SLY y--er things were ready, Mr.. Wad-
AAA-ldEu EngurgH the Gnrv-fpnz of EdVCnrd