Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-08-16


rear; and when his turn comes to use it,
he cuts its bank with his hoe and the
hye-gylng water quickly fills his first
square OF earth to the depth OF few
inches, then, as the ground all slopes
gently down toward the river, the water
moves quietly on from cross-ridge to cross
ridge, leaving the square behind it so
thoroughly soaked that under the warm
sun Of New Mexico they vi | produce lux
uriantly of whatever may be required of
them. From the nature of his cultivation
his land must extend from the acequia
downward as the land slopes; and so
farms that look all out of shape to the
eastern man are the almost universal Gus
tom here. And they are more apt to grow
narrower rather than wider, for if a man
who owns strip POO Yards wide and one
quarter OF mile long dies, leaving four
children, then each of them, without will
or deed but simply because everyone SO
understands it, becomes the owner of one
fourth OF it, that is, OF strip of the full
length and fifty yards in width. Again,
the owner OF lot LII may on marriage ac-
quire with his wife lot XIV. Then he
goes on cultivating the two without SEEM
Ing W Try W seV Ills iloluihsS coilsolluaIeu'
vi course the owners can not make en-
tries under the land laws for land in such
shapes. Their not living on the lands
would also prevent entry.
The owners OF all the farm lots up and
down the river, live together about the
plaza, lin which they can quickly rally
IN case of an Indian attack, the regula-
tons requiring every man to be supplied
with arms and horses tor the common de-
fence. Ohlteuly they dlg the acequla ana 40
other work Tor the common good, unit
~ they rear the village church ana NAM
tain Its worship. sometimes the settle
ment was established by formal grant,
which gave to 1t also the land tor ten or
twenty miles on either side OF it: In
such cases 1t is specified that TINS is Tor
the common benefit OF the settlers, by
furnishing them pasture land and wood
land, and Tor those who should aiterward
JON themselves to the new settlement.
The idea OF the Mexican people always
was that the large tract gave the settle
ment room to grow, and that any new
conner, or boy comlngof age, who wanted
piece OF land out OF the common stock
to cultivate, would have it, and could 90
on to improve 1t by taking out new
ditch or otherwise.
In view of these facts, | think that
every one living III this community at
the time that it was transferred to
ehe uhlteu States had certain
interest III tne outlying laIus, anu
that they did not belong ex-
cluslVely 10 the helrs or assigns OF tle one
or more setIIers mentioned III lhe ofigl-
nal papers. l also thlnk That every
member OF such community, no matter
now poor ne may ne, was ihcluueu IN
me provision OF the treaty Oh Guadalupe
1ldago,. mat MexlGans electlhg 10 De,
come cltlzehs OF the United States 'shali
De projected IN the Tree enjoyment OF
their liberty and property In order to
protect them IN their properly IN land,
and to avoid taking 1t away from them
and throwing 1t into the mass OF It's own
property, the pubic DOMAIN, 1t was
necessary tor the United States to deter
NINE what the property OF each one was.
tnat ma. slouiu .'ato ooeii 1one as onn1.
ao =. wa" % n d.;ft 0ohe am tha '' oiI
it' nomsiaor ~ a. tba Wa1ioan n,sto m" -
tha s;nhts 'l nf nav nav cnn,ors who io as ",
t t,o n,er.S " 'o,,,r,itT oont;ry Jo ~
.nui''9uv J tS \" onrn o:s uon.nu1 I'll, ~
iun' l any ''"' et p ,SH moh iiV H.
up ;ro.;o Va '.s Ln ~ ;ato. u - tho o
outT'n law" vs. t las ar in'e''' III 'ii'
0u.i' 'N' '"Ao' u INV B. "-''
Inc question as TO "hat each man n
OWLS sllouiu We setIieu az onoe; Aue
whole prosperity OF new Mexico depends
upon IL; Inc graVest eVlls nave Already
resulted supposed lhterests III COM
munity grants nave peen rought up
and under them large tracts nave beeh
fenced, ana poor men nave louno tnem-
serves substantially shuG up on their lafm
lots and thereoy reduced 10 the greatest
ols1ess. "hefe they coulu get living
from the 1arm lou, comDlned Win the nero
OF goats ana sheep lVlhg on tne com,
mon pastures, anu WIN Ile privilege VI
the common tloper lanos' they can hot
get IL IRON Inc larni lots aiohe. Inc re-
SUIT ID WOE spfeau suneIIhe, restiessness
ana trouble, WHICH threatens the peace
Oh tne community.
think that the remedy for this is sur
veys, combined with authority given the
land offices to issue patents to each man
for what belongs to him.
The deputy surveyor, going to such a
community and telling the people that
he has come to assist them in getting title
to their homes, would he rendered every
assistance. Let every farm lot of long
occupancy be surveyed and shown on
the township plat as belonging to it's
owner.
Then if it be an unconfrmed commu-
nifty grant with outlying lands, assign to
each one wood lot, say of the same
size as his farm lot, in payment for his
inchoate right in these outlying lands.