The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-05
THE STORY Of THE PERAL TAS,
Facts and Imaginings Linked
to Make a Romance.
A King of Spain, A Baron Bold and
California Raider:
The Cold and Unromantic Court of Pri-
vats Land Claims VIII
Writs "Finis."

The publication, exclusively in The
HERALD, of the work of the court OF
private land claims in the Peralta>
Reavis land grant case, yesterday, has
revived the perennial interest in this
celebrated case, and the tongues of the
big army of oldest inhabitants were
turning over the sweet morsel all day
yesterday.
Scraps of the testimony which will
to decide the great question, supple
mented with stories told by old-timers
and bound together with threads spun
in the imagination. give romance
which lacks but the touch OF Weyman
to make it popular story OF the day.
The beginning was away back in his
tory, away back of the dawn of civiliza-
ton in the western half of America, and
generous, chivalrous king sits on the
throne OF Spain. A baron performs
some service for his king, trifing it may
have been. but it pleases the king of
Spain and he gives the lucky baron. in
recognition OF his act. barony in the
new worlds little patch of ground, not
bends low before his master, and leaves
Che august presence with heart full OF
emotion.
Little he thinks or knows, in the year
1894, of courts of private land claims,
authorized by acts of congress, to say
who shall occupy his barony in America
in the year 1885, He thinks, perhaps,
of the time tb at will come with the
silent sweep Of the years, when his
proud descendants, having braved the
deep sea and the terrore OF the new
world, shall have builded upon the
barony castle, and, surrounded by
faithful vassals to do their every bid~
ding, shallilive in sunshine and splendor
and peaceful days until time shall cease
to be.
This ia all that the distinguished
Baron Peralta has to do with the story
of the Peralta-Rsavis land grant.
Two hundred years have passed, and
little band of Peraltas are making
their way over desert and mountain,
searching for barony. little tract of
land, some twelve million acres. This
is the year of 1862. and the Persltas in
the band are father. daughter and Hon.
On foot they have traversed burn.
ing sands and climbed bare mount
ain eides, while the rays of a tropical
sun beat down upon them. They came
from Guada aiars, in Old Mexico, and
one day, half dead from exposure and
fatige, they reach San Bernsrdino, in
California.
They are far out of their way. The
ba:ony is in New Mexico and Arizona,
and they have passed it by far to the
Sest. they geek the priest in San Ber-
nar6ino because trouble ie just ahead
ard the counsel and aid OF the holy
father 10 sadly needed.
Trouble comes. The daughter of
Peialta. descendant OF ths noble baron
VINO pleased king of Spain. gives birth
to twins, aud with the birth of these
babse the mothers life went out. The
holy man christened the living child
and gave the soul of the dead mother
into the keeping of God. and the thread
OF the story il lost again.
The years pass on. as years will,
and in the shadows of the giant sequoias
+. in Mendocino county child plays and
grows to young womanhood. She is
called Peralta. and the imagination
! must make her the motherlsss waif
born in San Bernordino, else the story
ends there.
AT Knights landing. whence the young
woman called Peralta has removed
when her maturer years are reached,
she merrles q man who calls himself
Reavie, but after the marriage he calls
himself Peralta- Reavis. He lays claim
to the barony-that little 10000 600
acre piece of land in Arizona and New
Mexico.
People laugh at the claim. Since
the days of old Baron Peralta, in sunny
Spain, a few new expressions have come
into general use, and now people say
that Peralta-Reavis has his gall with
him. and incidentally remark that he
ought to 90 and get his gall lanced.
But the great government of the
United States never makes fun of
people. The government will spend
thousands of dollars in an earnest en-.
deayor to settle the right of Peralta-
Reavis to this old grant, and should the
eminent men, who have been ap poin ted
to decide upon the business of the claim,
say Peralta. Reavis is the owner of the
barony in America, the government will
gives him mis- barony and he may build
his castle and bring his army OF vassals
from old Mexico or Spain. perhaps, and
build donjon keep and wall about his
twelve million acre barony, as the
Baron Peralta of old dreamed he would.
Or he may subdivide il and sell off all
but the corner lots, holding them ior
speculation, after the manner of mod
ern times. Then he can have yacht
that will make George Gould hesrt-sick
lad win silver cups from the prince OF
Wales
The government will try to prove that
the king of Spain never gave away
baroDy in America, and failing in that,
will try TO show that the woman who
now Claims to be descended direct from
a baron OF the kings favor is in stern
reality only half-breed Indian.
COL. HEWITT'S CONDITION..
He IL Dangerous Ill With Nervous
Prostration.