Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-14

~ u - N OF Ar1ZOna, covering
SSS tract of land 149 miles
~ long by 40 miles wide,
Nd through which the Gila
5AS river runs, and takes in
mines Of gold and silver worth millions of dol
lars. The value of the property is about $50,
DOC. 1000, and $4,000 persons now settled on it
would be disturbed if the ownership Of Dona
Sofia Loretta Micaela de Maro-R eavis Peralta
de Ia Cordoba were acknowledged by Uncle
Sam. This lady, who asserts that she is the
last Of the Aztecs," is the widow Of one James
A. Reavis who was well known in st. Louis q
few years ago individual of convivial in
clinations. habitually devoid of occupation.
Whisky is supposed to have accelerated his de-
parture to the tomb.
The Dona Sofia Loretta Micaelo de Marc
Reavis Peralta de la Cordoba asserts her right
to the enormous tract in question sole sur
viving heir to the estate of Don Miguel de la
Peralta, Baron of the Colorados who is alleged
to have secured it by grant from the King of
Spain in the eighteenth century. To support the
claim a mass of testimony is produced in the
shape of deeds and other papers of great
antiquity, photographs of which appear inter-
leayed with five volumes of copied records
now deposited in the general land Office at
Washington. Curiously enough. these docu-
ments make it appear that Spanish altogether
iHCoHslbttnt Win kTdIIIlidT WAS us6U TOT OTlclul
purposes $50 years ago by persons high in civil
and ecclesiastical authority and even by royalty.
Nor is this the only evidence that the demand is
a colossal fraud 1t ia believed that the papers
aforesaid are fOrgeries, and that the whole case
is trumped up for the purpose Of extorting
compromises from settlers in Arizona. In all
likelihood Don Miguel de Ia Peralta, Baron of
the Colorados, is altogether a mythical per-
sonage.
MANY UNSETTLED CLAIMS.
This is the greatest of many important un-
settled private land claims in the region acquired
from Mexico by the treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Land tenures in New Mexico, Arizona and part
of Colorado have been rendered uncertain by
them for years. The rights alleged are based
upon grants to individuals from the Mexican
government or previously from Spain. Such
rights, where proven, the United States has
proposed to maintain. Nevertheless Congress
has not confirmed one of these claims for fif-
teen years. although hundreds of them have
been pending in the general land Office, while
thousands more have never been offered for ad-
justment. those in possession having doubtful
titles and being not DESTROYS of agitating the
question of ownership so long as they were per-
United the use of the property. In many cases
the real owners have been deprived of their
lands by cattle companies and squatters conf
dent of nOn-actiOn by Uncle Sam. However,
the last Congress appointed board of commits
rapidly bringing to settlement.
GRANTS ALLOWED.
The biggest claim allowed in recent times
to an individual WAS based on the famous colo
nization grant made by Spanish authority to
bought out Beaubien, and his daughter, a pretty
senOrita of sixteen, was married by an impe-
cuniOus scout named Maxwell. who had served
with John c. Fremont. Maxwell in this way
acquired the entire property. Congress con-
frmed his title to the whole of it, and he Sc
cured patents for $50 square leagues-a tract
nearly equal in size to Rhode Island and Della
ware put together. Even greater in extent was
the Carver grant," alleged to have been
decided in 1867 to Capt. John Carver of the
British army by two Indian chiefs. whose sig
natures were appended to the paper in the
shape of signs Of a snake and a turtle, respect
lively. 1t comprised an area Of 100 miles square
on the east side of the Mississippi river from
the Falls of st. Anthony to the Chippewa river
Capt. Carver asserted that his claim had been
ratified by the British government but the
heirs of one DR.. Peters, who purchased the
rights from Carver, failed to get them con-
hrmed.
Another enormous claim was for the so-called
ARKANSAS grant" covering 13 81 900 acres and
including large slice of Texas as well as con-
siderable fraction of Colorado. 1t was thrown
out of court. One of the queerest private land
a tract ON the Island of New Orleans. A given
to its Original owner, Spanish don named
Houmas, it comprised one league along the left
bank of the Mississippi, with depth of half
league. There being no timber on it. Houmas
asked and obtained from Spain 'back conces-
sion" to proceed las far as the vacant land ex-
tended" On the strength of this subsequent
concession his heirs declared their right to all
the lands between the lines clear across the
island. including 10000 acres of the most
valuable real estate in that locality However.
it was decided that they had valid title only as
far back as $500 feet from the river.
4 claim which has been struggling for years
to get through Congress is based on application
made by st. Vrain Lassus in 1875 to the Span
ish governor Of Louisiana for a grant of 10, 900
acres. 1t was stated in the petition that the
grant WAS to be ''located on lead mines or salt
springs where the applicant could find them"
The governor wrote the word Granted at the
bottom of the application. but thus far the
heirs have been unable to show that any lands
were ever taken up under this permission dur
ing the continuance of Spanish authority.
THE M'eARRABAN CLAIM.
The McGarrahan claim has become famous
through the persistence with which its proprie-
tor has fought for it in Congress after Congress.
1t was reported upon most favorably to the
Senate by Mr.. Teller the other day and the pros
poets for its settlement were never SO bright as
at present, although in matters of this sort there
is more than apt to be slip between the cup
and the lip. .'Died of broken heart is the
epitaph which might usually be inscribed on the
tombstone of those who urge claims against
Uncle Sam. Vincente P. Gomez had a good
and clear title to four square leagues Of land in
California from Mexico. McGarrahan bought
the tract and paid for it in 1887. About the
same time the New Idria Mining Company
squatted upon it, having discovered quick
silver mine, from which it has since taken out
more than sl60, 600, 900 worth of that precious
substance. This is the only quicksilver mine in
the United States. OF course, the concern has
spent money like water to defeat McGarrahan's
efforts to get back his property, with success
which illustrates the adage that possession is
nine points Of the law"
Another celebrated claim was based on the
Vigil and st. Vrain grant in Colorado. 1t COW
| cred 1900, 900 acres and confirmation of title
was demanded by about twenty heirs. The
general land Office referred the matter for set
Element to the register and receiver at Pueblo
in 1874. They so adjusted affairs that one Of
the heirs, Alfred Bent, obtained possession of
nearly all Of the twenty-five square leagues al
lowed by the government, the other claimants
being left out almost entirely Fraud was
claimed and Thomas Leitensdorfer one of the
heirs, appealed to the general land Office, which
desired the case reopened, but the Attorney
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