Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1892-10-18
Some Facts About the TERRA ANA
rilla Grant.

rilIa Grant.
Santa Fe sun
In the magnificent frenzy of his
rage at the drubbing Childers gave
him at the Joseph reilly at Albu-
querque on Sept. 20, Thomas
Bar'ls Catron, the man of "brains
and energy" land few bar'ls),
tore, with his own red right hand,
the veil Of hypocrisy from his land
grabbing character. Itcame about
in this wise.
Mr.. Childers, ct said rally, dis
cussed Catron's public character
and record, at times quite severely,
under the general head of Catron-
ism in New Mexico politics and
business. Among other things he
charged that Catron is a selfish ac-
cumulator of large tracts of land
and property interests, but is not
developer of the same for the
general progress of the territory
or of the particular section where
his holdings are situate, instancing
the TERRA Amarillo grant. In
his excited defense from the same
platform on the following evening
and referring to the same grant,
Catron spoke, among other things,
the following; 81 will state for
his information that possibly if he
would go there and see that land
he would see at least calculation
5000 people living on it; and eve
ry one of them living there by my
consent and my license. And
every one of them gain a livelihood
without paying me one dollars
compensation from it. l am sat
isfied with my people; l am salts
fed with these men who are living
there; we are living harmoniously
together"
This is copied verbatim from
the report of his speech which ap-
peared in his own personal organ
the New Mexican, the only paper
in the territory attempting to pub
lish his speeches or extracts there
from and indeed Frost is the only
newspaper man in New Mexico
who is making a real, downright,
earnest fight for Catron's election.
This is, Of itself, a reflection on
his candidacy. Nevertheless, ap-
pearing as it did in Cetron's own
personal organ, under the control
of his own and only active and
trusted lieutenant, we must accept
the above extract as a truthful re-
port of his speech on this point.
A brief resume of some records
will make this extract interesting
to a great many people.
In 1882 what is known as the
TERRA Amarillo grant was made
by the authorities Of the Mexican
government to Manuel Martinez,
his eight sons and their associates
who might desire to accompany
them to take possession of and col
onize the land. The grantees and
their associates were prevented
from taking immediate possession
of the grant by reason of Indian
hostilities, but within a few years
they did take possession-Manuel
Martinez, his eight sons and their
associates consisting Of scores of
families. These hardy colonists
and pioneers continued to live on
the grant and improve the same,
battling with the savage Indians
by whom they were surrounded
and suffering many hardships and
losses from their murderous and
thieving raids, until the close Of
the Mexican war and the cession
of all the country, including New
Mexico, by the Mexican govern.
ment under the treaty of Guada-
lupe Hidalgo. Under that treaty
the United States pledged recog
milton and protection to vested
rights in the ceded territory anC
also gave the inhabitants thereof
the privilege Of electing to retair
citizenship under the Mexican gov
ernment or to become citizen
under this government. A major
ity elected to become citizens o
the United States, among those 81
electing were these people on the
TERRA Amarillo grant This gov.
ernment kept its faith with thes.
people, and on June 2l, 1860, i
confirmed this grant 10 Francisc'
. Martinez, one Of the eight sons 0
Manuel Martinez, then deceased