Arizona weekly citizen., 1892-12-03
Our Pueblo Grant.

| The city of Tucson IS the owner of a grant of sixteen square leagues, which
 was made to the old Pueblo ID the early part of the past century. The title to this large tract of land now would be of inestimable value to the city, as a means of promoting great enterprises. The ti- | tie to all lands now occupied would of course be confirmed to the present own CTS by the city council, while the unoc- cupied mesa lands surrounding the city, which are unsurpassed for the growing of fruits, could be used to foster and en- courage the early building of irrigation enterprises which would make Tucson a city of twenty thousand souls. The following article from the New Mexico Stock Grower, concerning the Las Ve- gas grant of 500,0 acres applies with g special force to this town.
 ''Now that by a decision of the secre- l tary of the interior the magnificent body of land known as the Las Vegas grant has been decided to be pubic domain and subject te entry under the federal land laws, the people af the town of Las Vegas have come to realize the fact that it was the most undesirable conclusion which could have been reached in this long drawn out and bitter contest.
 It has resulted in turning over to the federal government, which can have no special interest in its settlement, the grandest patTimony ever possessed by any city in AmerIca.
 4 possession that could have been used to forward the growth of the town so rapidly as to assure its becoming the cLief city of the southwest; the manu- featuring and railaoad center of New Mexico.
 In tracts, the limit of government ownership, iS presents no attractions to hOmeseekers or capitalists. It will not be settled up in a century. Offered ID large bodies, it would be taken by capi- talIsts, who could then afford to put in the vast amount of money necessary to construct the irrigation works needful to reclaim 1t.
 And it is not yet too late to prevent the loss of this great heritage, for it is gwen out as the opinion of the most learned lawyers of the country that un- der the peculiar circumstances sur rounding the Las Vegas grant case, the decision of the secretary will not stand the test of the law, and decision of the superior court will cause patent to is- sue to the town.
 But it will require unity on the part of all the people 10 accomplish this re- sult,
 All can agree on the proposition that the most desirable conclusion of the controversy is that the land should be- long to the town.
 And the most important step toward a | settlement of the whole question favor l abletO the interest of the people IS to | secure the government relnquishment | of title in the form of the patent.
 There is no time now for personal | bickerings. All residents of the city | and on the grant should get together and unite in demand that the secre- tary withdraw his decision, or force him, the courts, to do so.
 And when that has been done, and | the title has passed from the govern ment the grand possibilities in the own ership of such vast body of land with a perfect title, will certainly suggest to all progressive citizens just and speedy settlement of any disputes that may arise from the demands of any claim ants.