Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-10
Heading for the San Fernan-
do Promised Land.
Squatters Going by Hundreds
to Lankershim'S Ranch.
The Country Dotted with Tents and
Frameworks of New Houses.
The Excitement Becoming Intehse-The
Story of the Claims of the Squatters.
A String of People on Their Way
After Claims-Mr. Lankershim
Takes the Matter COolly.

People passing along Spring street at its
intersection with Main yesterday, must
have noticed that the Allen block pos
sessed peculiar attraction for large
number of men, who were continually
passing upstairs and down and hanging
about the doorway. Upstairs the crowd
was found to concentrate itself in the
rooms occupied by Grove 4 Wilkinson,
the searchers of titles.
The men were part of the company
which has been formed to settle upon
and contest the claim OF the Lanker-
SHIN Land company to certain part of
the tract claimed by that company
about San Fernando.
A HERALD reporter yesterday encount-
cred this crowd in his efforts to see and
talk with Mr.. Grove, the best informed
man relative to the matter in the COM
pany, and the one who discovered the
facts upon which the company acted in
laying claim to the land. When seen,
Mr.. Grove proved too busy TO talk very
much, but turned the reporter over to
a well informed member of the COM
pany who was ready and willing to talk
about the great plan. The conversation
was about like this
''How long has this company been
formed?"
"About two months-that is to say
the original company was formed then.
Thirty-ive members formed the first
company, each member being assessed
81. Later lis others Joined the COM
pany, who were each assessed $15. The
money from the first assessment was
used to send Mr.. Grove north to look up
the papers relative to the Lankershim
title to the disputed territory, and to
hire surveyor to 60 over the land and
verify our discoveries"
How did you come to form the COM
pany?"
"Well, the illegal possession of the
land by the Lankershin company has
been an open secret for some years.
Men have frequently settled upon the
land, but when elected have made no
resistance, simply because they were
not financially able to cope with wealthy
pany have made sure they were right
before they went ahead, and now they
are prepared to stand together, to en-
plov frst-class legal talent to support
their claims and unitedly to accomplish
what the individuals have failed to do"
"How large number of claims are
there that the company believes are
open for settlement"
"You can figure it out for yourself.
The Lankershim patent is only for 62,-
600 acres. The land they claim is 12O,-
600 acres. OF this, therefore, there are
$4,000 acres which are really open to
settlement. OF course, some of this
land is not much good, bat the bulk of
it is well worth $3.50 per acre.
''But will not undisputed possession
for twenty years give Mr.. Lankershim a
title to the land?"
He says so, see by the HERALD this
morning, but he knows better. The
land is government land, and squatters
could be elected from it at any time.
We count on this fact for some assist
ance"
"United States District Attorney Cole
to whom our committee communicated
its discoveries, was very much interest
ed, and sent north for United States
land inspector at once. The inspector
is expected to arrive any day now, and
if he discovers that Mr.. Grove and our
surveyor are correct in their discoveries,
the government will attend to the legal
ejectment OF Mr.. Lankershim from the
land, and our expenses will be light.
The Southern Pacific railroad is inter-
ested, also, and their attorneys in San
Francisco are engaged in looking over
Ehn ok I,A
are correct, as we know we are, the
railroad company will lay claim to every
alternate section, and are interested to
that extent"
"Where does this land lie ?'
"Well, taking the old Mission as a
center, as it very nearly is, the land is
an irregular triangle, the long side
formed by the Los Angeles river. Mr..
Lankershim, however, claims a triangle
equally as large on the other side of the
river"
Are you sure of your position in this
matter-that is, are you sure that you
can establish what you claim ?"
"Oh, yes. We have had good legal
advice, and know pretty well what we
are about. OF course our present settle
ment on the land does not amount to
anything, as the land has not been sur
veyed and thrown open to settlement,
but if we can establish the fact that
Lankershim is Illegally in possession of
government land, we can soon secure its
being thrown open for settlement, and
we will stand the first chance at it. In
spite of Mr.. Lankershim's assertion,
there are settlers upon this tract who
have been there for years. 90 long, in
fact, that they have orchards in bearing.
These men would not have attempted
to stay there if they had not believed
and known that they had right there.
Oh, yes, we are sure we are right in the
matter"
The majority OF the men connected
with the company are good, sensible
looking men, mostly ranchers and fruit
growers. One of them, in answer to
query, replied:
"We intend to settle upon and i'm
prove the land. For my own part, as
soon as / secure possession intend to
set out my entire quarter section in fruit