Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08
CLAIMS A HUNDRED MILLIONS.

An Arizona Baroness Who Wants Half tho
Towns in tho Territory.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
The celebrated Peraita grant was again
brought to the attention of the public by the
convening in this city on Wednesday Of the
United States land court appointed by Congress
to try this and about $50 other claims in Colo
RADIO, Arizona and New Mexico.
The session was devoted to the taking of tes-
timony presented by tho petitioners and in
tended to establish the identity of Donna Sophia
Loretta Macuelo de Maso-Reavis Peralta de Ia
Cordova, otherwise known as Mrs. James Ad
olson Reavis, as the great granddaughter Of the
Baron and Baroness Peralta. There is also
another suit in which about 100 persons present
claims as the heirs of Baron Peralta, but the
Reavis claim is the one being considered by the
court at the present time.
The value Of the grant claimed by Mrs.
Reavis is over 100000. 900. 1t embraces a
region Of country in Arizona 40 by $50 miles in
extent, as large an area the states OF Rhode
Island and Connecticut combined.
Many Of the most promising and fourishing
towns OF Arizona are within the confines OF the
grant. On the western boundary and near the
southern corner Maricopa is situated, the ONT
where the Southern Pacific railroad enters.
Standard, another railroad town, lies in the
southwestern corner. Phoenix, one of the most
",
western part, and the lively town Of Globe is
located in the center and toward the north.
Among other cities and towns embraced in
the grant Tempe, Hayden, Marysville
Sweetwater. Casa Grande, Cottonwood. Pinal
Florence, Dudleville, Camp Goodwin, Pioneer,
McMilenville and Riverside. No section of
Arizona ID SO well favored as regards water
and means Of irrigation. The ella, Salt and
San Pedro rivers run through the grant, while
small streams flowing into the larger
honeycomb the whole property. The unde-
veloped mineral wealth Of the district is I'M
told. The most celebrated mineral BELT OF
Arizona, hat Of the Pinal range, is situated in
the center Of the grant. There are also several
Indian reservations on the grant,
Reavis first made the claim in his own name,
but afterward substituted that of his wife.
Baroness de la Cordova, who, he asserts. is the
great granada lighter of Baron Miguel Peralta
de Ia Cordova This old gentleman went to
Mexico in 1870 20 one of the commissio ners of
the Spanish crown to Investigate alleged mis-
appropriations of silver from the mines Of So
nora by the Jesuits. In consideration Of his
valuable services, Mrs. Reavis asserts, he was
given the property in Arizona to which she
now lays claim by the Spanish vice regent.
Soon after coming into this property Peralta
married Sophia Ave Maria Sanchez. from which
union Mrs. Reavis claims to be in direct de-
scent
Those who oppose the claim OF the Arizona
baroness assert that she is the daug liter Of
squaw by man named Treadwell. q good-for-
nothing fellow who used to loaf around Wood
land. When the daughter reached sufficient
years she served as maid-of- all-work in the
different families Of the town. When she was
about eighteen years old Reavis came to the
town from Missouri, and falling in love with the
dark-skinned maiden he married her.
Be this as it may. Reavis succeeded in form
ing a syndicate Of capitalists who had faith in
his claim, and it is said that upward Of
$500, 900 has already been expended in an at
tempt to establish its validity. Roscoe Conk-
ling at one time acted as attorney for the
syndicate. and the names Of John H. Benson
and ]. Harvey Brown have at different times
been associated with it. In February, 1890,
Surveyor General Johnson OF Arizona reported
to the Interior Department at Washington
that there was no legal claim to the alleged
grant, whereupon Land Commissioner Croft
held that no grant Of the character claimed was
ever made, and ruled against the petitioners at
every point.
When the new land court was created by
Congress the Peralta grant and a large number
Of other claims were referred to it for trial. The
court went to Los Angeles last evening, where
1t will hold session.