Graham guardian., 1895-05-18
THE PERALTA CLAIM.
A CLAIM FOR $75,0O0,0O0 "a
FORGERY AND A FRAUD
THROUGH AND
THROUGH.
Revelations of the Land Claims Court---
Legal Fiction, with Ramifications
in Three Countries.

LtSdl WIN
in Three Countries.
The Peralta claim has run 1t
course. This claim has been hang
ing over the best part of Arizon
for twenty-five years. Ithas cloud
ed titles and forced investors an,
residents to pay large sums for re
leases. 1t has delayed settlemen
and development. And now tn
end of it has come.
In other words the Governmen
investigation, just concluded BY
Mr.. Reynolds, discloses that thi
claim to property valued at $75
100000, and rapidly growing il
value, rests upon nothing but ;
stupendous foundation of fraud.
Over 100 years ago, as the story
Of this claim runs, there was {
Baron Peralta. For some service
the King of Spain bestowed upor
the Baron a grant of land IN what
is now Arizona, but what was ther
the northern part Of Mexico, OF
rather New Spain. The grant
called for a tract 149 miles long
and forty miles wide. As the Pc.
ralta claim appears laid down on
the map, it includes Phenix, the
capital of Arizona, and the most
populous portions of the territory,
The boundaries extend even into
New Mexico. Altogether they in
close 12,750.000 acres, as much
land as there is in some Of the
smaller States. In its terms, this
grant is of the most sweeping char
acter. 1t even carries with it all
the mineral that may be found.
And one mining company has ac-
tualIy paid s25,O0O to clear away
the cloud which the Peralta claim
placed upon its otherwise perfect
title.
In the voluminous records pro-
duced to support the claim the sub
ject of Spain SO highly favored by
his King is designated as Don Mi
guel de la Peralta, Baron of the
Colorados. History is silent as to
what services the Baron rendered
the Spanish King whereby he be-
came a grantee on such a magnifi-
cent scale.
The claim began to be talked
about in an indeiinate way a quar-
ter of a centuary ago. But just
where it was located or of what it
consisted the general public knew
little until a man named Reavis
took hold of it. Reavis story in
the beginning was romantic enough
but it grew with the years until it
became too much for the average
credibility. Reavis told how he
had found among the papers of
Dr.. Wiling the musty and faded
documents which gave him his first
knowledge of the Peralta grant.
1t appeared from these papers that
Willing had bought the title to the
grant from the heirs Of the Baron
of the Colorados. Reavis obtained
from the estate the rights Of Will
ing to the claim. He took pos
session Of the papers. Then he set
to work to trace the title. He gave
years to this search. He went
through the records. He took
evidence and piled up afidavits
with marvellous industry. Twelve
or thirteen years ago Reavis had
cached that point In the develop
mcnt Of the history of the claim
where he felt safe in calling on the
Government to do him justice. At
the same time he began to serve
notice on $4,000 people that they
were living and doing business on
his land. Many Mastered TO settle
with the claimant. The Govern
ment was forced to take up the
case and investigate it. While the
progressed Reavis con-
tinued to heap up corroboratory
evidence. But his crowning act
was the discovery Of the great
granddaughter of the Baron of the
Colorados, living in ignorance of
her ancestors principality. Hav-
ing discovered the Baroness in a
sphere, Reavis married her.
rhereupon he dropped his title by
purchase to the Peralta claim, or
rather treated it as a minor part Of
his case, and made his main de-
mand for recognition upon heir
ship. And now he began the tax
ing Of evidence in new direction.
He accumulated more records and
affidavits to show that
ais wife was the only living decen-
liant of the original and only Bar
IN of the Colorados.
Some of the aflidavits with which
ler claim to descent from the orig
nal Baron are backed up, speak Of
Ter as the "Last of the Aztecs."
Deeds, transcripts of records,
photographs of signatures and of
places, atfidavits almost without
lumber go to make up the startl-
ng array of evidence Reavis has
placed before the Government from