Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-12-28


coal, both anthracite and bituminous
that soda and potash, alum and sulphur
gypsum and fire clay abound in ever,
section, while marbles Of every hue, tn
unique ricolite, and rarest onyx, charm
the eye and the turquoise of our mine
is casting into the shades, the famous
jewels of Persia.
This is our opportunity. If by indif
ference or mismanagement we let it pas
unimproved, it will not return until gene
rations are passed, and until long afte
the period of our history when 1t woult
be of value.
The practical question is how to use i
to the best advantage. The last legisla
ture in its expiring moments made al
appropriation, nominally of $25,000, b,
adding what had been intended to be al
independent act, to the general appro
priation bill. This provided for the us,
of $4,000 in 1891, $4,000 in 1892 ant
$4,000 in 1898. But no money waJ raised
to meet the $4,000 in 1891; the 1892 ap
preparation will produce about $4,000
and that of 1898 is expected to bring il
$4,000. The sum actually available thus
far has been but $1,000, and the tota
amount to be received under the act o
1891 will be only $4,000.
The act provided for four commissioners
two of each political party; and they were
appointed, not only with reference tc
that division but also so as equally to rep
resent native and adoped citizens and
various sections of territory, in the per
sons of Messrs. Thornton, of Santa Fe
Salazar of Las Vegas; Llewellyn, of Las
Cruces. and Chavez of Socorro. Various
reasons, beside the lack of money, have
retarded the work. Entire harmony has
not in all cases existed between the terri
torial commissioners, the national com.
missioners and the lady managers. Unex
pected private business has prevented
some of those appointed from devoting
the time to the exposition which had been
expected. The Agricultural college, which
from its more abundant means, it was
hoped would assume the entire charge OF
the horticultural exhibit, the preparations
of wax models of fruits ETC., failed to re.
spond to that expectation, the School OF
Mines is not yet in operation 30 as to aid
in mineral exhibits, and the county
boards, which by the Legislative acts were
authorized to contribute, with few excep-
tions, have delayed taking action.
These things have been discouraging, but
are only mentioned here for the purpose OF
showing the necessity for immediate and
energetic action. Our commissioners, in
connection with those of Oklahoma and
Arizona, have arranged for the erection
of joint territorial building. The situa-
tion of this on the exhibitiongrounds is very
favorable, being that originally granted
to Virginia. This building should
be made as creditable as possible
and we should see that the New Mexican
portion is especially attractive. We will
be judged by its contents more than in
any other way. While in the vast collec-
tions of the main exhibition buildings,
the contributions of New Mexico can not
be very conspicuous, we should gather
in this distinctively New Mexican space
the choicest of our products so as tomake
a lasting impression on the visitor. We
are fortunate in having antiquities of
great interest to attract observation, and
when the attendance is thus obtained, it
should be utilized by the presentation of
choice specimens, illustrative of our
material resources and calling attention
to the large exhibits in their appropriate
localities.
l have dwelt thus long on this sub iect
because | consider it of the first import
ance. The opportunity now presented
will never return and no time is to be lost
in taking advantage of it. The legisla-
ture will be asked at least to make up the
amount of available funds to the full
S25,000 originally appropriated, and err
haps to enlarge that amount, and l re-
spectfully suggest that this is a case in
which small expenditure may achieve
great results.
MEMORIALS TO CONGRESS-.
Before asking your attention to GER
tain subjects of legislation upon which
hope some action may be taken, allow me
to refer to few matters now pending in
as to which favorable action
may be hastened by an expression of the
desires of our people in the form of egis-
lative memorials.
Since the last session of the legislature
congress has acted on two of the sub jects
which were ofgreatest importance to New
Mexico, and as to which, memorials had
previously been passed by our legislative
refer to the passage of the land court
act, and the act for the adjudication of
Indian depreciation claims.
THR LAND COURT ACT.
The first of these measures provides for
the settlement of the titles Of all uncon-
irmed grants held under Spanish and
Mexican authority, and is also intended
to give an absolute title to the owners of
the numerous small holdings" which
the ma jority of the farms and
homesteads in New Mexico.
These matters have been very fully
treated of in my annual reports and l
only refer to them here on account of the
necessity for an immediate amendment of
The provisions last referred to-those re-
ating to "small holdings" The act was
evidently drawn by those unfamiliar with
The history and condition of these tracts.
It consequently provides that any owner
Of land, possessed by his ancestor or
yrantor prior to the American occupa-
lion, can "enter such legal subdivisions
not exceeding 100 acres, as shall include
his said possession" All illegal sub-divi-
;ions" known to United States laws are
square, and the smallest area is forty
acres.
We in New Mexico are all familiar with
The fact that in an irrigated country the
cultivated land lies between the aceauiq
md the river. Here our valleys are usu-
llly narrow, giving ordinarily length of
900 to 5000 feet to this cultivated land.
This is cutlup into small farms, When
irst settled the original occupants usual
y had plot from 80 to 800 varas wide,
'unning from the river to the foothills
oack of the acequia. As generations sue
,eeded each other these tracts were divi-
led among heirs until the strips became
,ery narrow. To illustrate by a part of
he Rio Grande valley, the series of "small
loldings" runs as follows as to width in
7aras: 20, 40 IS, %. 81. 13, 8, 40, 10, 80, 40,
IS, 26. Here are fourteen small farms,
zach about 1900 feet long from the hills
o the river, and having an aggregate
width of $50 varaS, or about 1000 feet |