The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-20
LUCKY JOSE Gotta.
How He riay Rake i'm a
Million.
A LADY HELPED HIM OUT.
The Grandson Of His Grandfather
Taking a Vigorous Fight for
Fortune.


Gotta.
He has waited good many years, and
with his Latin Impotence he has been con-
siderably worried. But all that sort of
thing is soon TO pass away, and should he
get all that he deems TO be due him he will
be able TO hold his head wonderfully high
for mere boy. and look down on ordinary
folks from the d Zzy height OF dollardom.
It's quite story, is Jose's. 1t begins way
back in the early days.
1t was in 1925 that Governor Eschaverra
granted to Manuel and Valentine Gotta a
tract OF land comprising 5000 acres. more or
less. in Ventura County, known as San An
tonic Abad, and upon which the town of
Nordhoff now stands.
A few years later the adjoining land was
granted TO Fernando Tico, and was called
by him Ojay.
La 1887 the revolutionary Governor Alva-
RADIO was holding forth in Santa Barbara,
and Tico, having been of some service to
him. caused map to be made wherein was
included both his land and the possessions
of the COtas.
This he presented to the Governor, claim
ing it to be a true map of his property, and
demanded that it be declared such, which
was done.
This act was unknown to the Cotas for
some years, and would not have been dis
covered, perhaps, for some years more, il
difficulty had not arisen about cutting tim
Der on a high ridge between the two
ranches.
Tieo brought out his map when the trou-
bic began and ordered the Cotas to yacate.
This brought Oh suit between the two
families, which was carried into the higher
Mexican courts, resulting In a victory for
| the Cotas
They remained in undsputed possession
until California was acquired by the United
States, when the cunning Tico made an
other attempt to get his rancho and this
| time SUI ceeded.
| As is well known when California was
coded to the United States all grants and
titles given under Mexican rule were to be
respected by this Government.
The boundaries of the different grants
| had been surveyed, however. in such an
| imperfect way by the Mexieans that con-
| unual trouble arose, and finally a land
| commission was formed TO ascertain and
| definitely fix all titles aud boundaries in
dispute.
1ico resurreeted his old fraudulent map
| and went before this commission who find
Ing 1T seemingly all right, upheld his claim
and had patent issued.
On the strength OF this he began proceed
ings and had lie COtas ousted from the
land in 1862.
! OF course a long legal battle ensued, which
resulted disasrously for the Cotas, who
claimed that their lawyer sold them out.
the litigation they were compelled to accept
the situation and gave up all hope OF ever
again regainlng their lands.
1t was almost forgotten that they had ever
owned any land until about three years ago,
when an attorney appeared in Ventura
County making inquiries Tor the Gotta heirs
at the same time giving cut that he could
restore TO them an immense estate which
was theirs by right.
Before any OF them could see him. how
ever, he suddenly disappeared his reason
being, it Is said, through certain induce
ments from those holding the land at
present
The fact of his being there making the
inquiries set the Gotta heirs to thinking and
looking over old papers and maps which
they still retained among the family relics
This investigation led them to the belief
that there might be chance to regain their
lost possessions, but as they were without
means and knew little of the law they were
not very successful at first.
Jose lenaclo Gotta, grandson of Manuel
Gotta, however, happened to have lady
Trend to whom he related wha. little he
knew about their former ownership and its
being lost 10 them through fraud. and the
lady being interested in the story wrote TO
III. ,. HerrIek. young attorney of this city.
and asked him to take hold of the matter.
MIR. Herrick was rather doubtful of the
Gotta story at first but decided to make a
thorough investigation.
His search began in the Surveyor
Generals office, and here. after a great deal
of labor he discovered the old papers
verifying the above statements. and also
learned that the original deeds and papers
which proved Cota's ownership TO the land
had been stolen many years ago.
In their place remained a receipt in Tico's
handwriting stating that he had secured
them for use in the suit then pending before
Mexican court.
The records of them are. however. still
intact; also the proceedings of the Mexi-
can court In which San Antonio Abad was
awarded TO the Cotas
i. A. Forbes, formerly keeper OF tho
archives IN the Office of the SURVEYOR
General, vino probably knows more than
any other man In California about the old
Mexican land grants, stated O short time
ago that he knew all about the facts of the
case and that 1t was true, and that no doubt
existed in his mind but that Tico had re-
ceive0 his land by grant,
Mr. Herrick, as soon as he learned the
above history, began to hunt up the heirs
when it developed that Jose X. Gotta, who
bad first started the Inquiry, was not eligi-
bic, as his father was still alive, aud there
fore the statute of limitations held against
him.
This placed the family in rather peculiar
position. as it was thought there were no
other heirs eligible.
Looking through the old documents in
possession OF the family, however, brought
d curious fact TO light and one which will
enable the heirs to regain their patrimony.
This came on the Valentine Gotta side of
the family.
Valentine Gotta had one son named Jose
lgnacio Gotta. who died at tie age of %, on
March ], 1867.
On August of the same year his widow
gave birth TO child, also christened jose
IgnReio Gotta. who came of age in 1888. and
as the law allows minors five years after
reaching manhood to bring any contest to
recover lostiproperty, the statute of lmita-
tons could not be brought up against him,
and it will be through his agency that they
will try to recover the thousands of acres
claimed by Tico.
One of the odd condolences in the case is
that old Governor Pho Pico was the attor-
ney for the Cotas when they won their suit
in the Mexican court, and he is still alive to
Confederate the story.
The land involved is now worth nyer
S1.oC0.000 and is held by large number of
owners.