Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-11-03
THE PERALTA CLAIM.
A Famous Case Before the Land Court
Involving Over 100000
Acres in Arizona and
New Mexico.
1884, 900 Worth Of Court Records
Lands Affected-A Talk with
MIR. j A. Peralta- Reavis.

claimants to the famous Peralta grant
are here from San Francisco and ar,
domiciled at the Claire, awaiting the meet
ing of the U. S. court of private lant
claims on the 18th inst.
Mrs. Peralta-Rea is the only Inca
descendant of the Baron of Arizona
whose name was Silva, and who in hi
life time had any number of prefexes tt
his name by the grace of royal Spanisl
blood. The lady is native of Cali
fornia. 1t is said she can trace her an
cestry back more than 700 years, ant
one is readily pursuaded to this opinion
when he sees her geneology as set fortl
in the family stree" on file in the lant
court. 1t isn't tree, however, it is {
vine, for an ordinary tree wasn't equal tt
the emergency.
SOME FAMILY HISTORY.
Mrs. PeraltaReavis inherits by will
from her grandfather, the second baron
of Arizona, who married an Ybarra, and
the only fruit of this marriage was the
mother of the devisee, she being the only
surviving descent. Tho first baron mar.
ried Sanchez and the only issue of this
marriage was the divisor. This paternal
name as shown in the genealogical tree
was Silva and his mother was the countess
of Cordoba, by name Garcia, and his
grandmother was the duchess of Peralta
by name Carrillio, and his great grand
mother was the princess of Eboli, by name
Mendoza, and his second great grand
mother was Enriquez, and his third great
fiscal agent of the city of Cadiz, Spain, he
went by the name of Jose Nemecio Mon
ties de Geo, and as royal examiner he was
known as the baron of Arlzonaca (the
ancient Indian name for Arizona)
and as royal detective he was
known as Miguel Peralta and as
gentleman of the kings chamber he was
titled Sir Knight of the Colorados IRE
ferring to the Colorado country, wherein
lay his barony.) Now Mr.. Peralta- Reavis
says that anyone of the Ybarras, Sanchez
Garcias, Carrillios, Mendozas, Enriqueze!
or Monies de Ocos have better claim
Lldu dllJ OuC Vi bHC Cluludb blltCO tlld
anne SO far as the baron was conceret
represented title as does Arizona, Cor
doba, Ebcli and Colorades.
There are ..ss
TWO VOLUMES ON FILE
in the land court which contain the rec
ords in the Peralta grant claim. On
covers 324 pages, and consists of copie
of the original grant documents as taker
from the official archives of Mexico. Tit
volume is beautifully transcribed by hant
and all the colors of the rainbow are
worked into the famlly's royal coat O
arms. There are $40 of official stamp!
on these various documents. The Other
volume is of Russian leather srnamentei
with gold, and between its folds art
Photographic pages of the original docu
ments. These volumes are in tin case
having peculiar locks and it is said TIN
cost of thus preparing the papers 70
presentation to the court of private lant
claims was $4,000. gta
LOCATION OF THE GRANT.
The area claimed under this grant ha:
been variously estimated, but Mr.. Peralta
Reavis states that it is near 12,500,O0(
acres. The claim is in the form of
rectangular square, and is seventy-nin
miles wide by two hundred and thirty
seven long. The east line of it runs nortI
and south about ten miles east of Silve
City, and extends seventeen miles south
and sixty north. The west line lust takes il
Db Ariz op1 ipnInloI in II or
all of the rich valleys and mines between
there and Silver City. Clifton, and Solo
knoxville, and many small towns in Ari
IONA, are with in its boundaries.
THE ORIGINAL ORDER
for this grant was made by the king o
Spain in 1742 and it was confirmed, SO tn
archives allege, in l77s, and has eve
since that period been tho private prop
erty of the Silvas.
Mr.. PeraltaReavis states that afte
twenty-f years of work on the case he il
satisfied beyond all question that his It'll
rests on a solid basis and he is prepared
to make a vigorous fight for confirmation
The attorneys for the grant are Hon
James O. Broadhead, of Missouri, nov
U. s. minister to Switzerland Hon. Phi
B. Thompson, jr., of Kentucky, and Johl
H. Knaebel, esq, of this city. Mr.. Pc
ralta- Reavis states that his case is full
made up and that they are now onl
awaiting the pleasure of the United State
to go to trial, though he scarcely hope
to get it before the court at its session
this month.
A LIBERAL POLICY.
In response to the suggestion that
should the court confirm the title, tn,
hundreds of settlers who have made homes
on the grant must suffer financially b,
having to purchase their homes or aban
don them, Mr.. Peralta-Reavis said tt
the New MEXICAN:
"We wouldn't put anybody off the land
Under the statute we can't, but assur.
you we have far more liberal policy
than that. Anybody who has govern
ment title will not be disturbed, nor viii
any squatter or miner who is on thu
property in good faith for purposes o.
| its development. Under the law, oul
confirmation would entitle us to receive
from the government $1.25 per acre
for olI 1on1o suith,, tko -roo% Abc,