Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-06-03
PERALTA-R EAVIS GRANT CASE
Wonderful Structure Founded on
Fraud, Perjury and Forgery
About to Fall.
Baron Peralta Myth-The Alleged
Grant Fraud-Pretended Baron
ess Half-breed Indian.

6SS I1dll-DTcou luQldu.
James Addison Peralta- Reavis and
Dona Sofia Loreto Mecaela de Peralta-
Reavis de la Cordoba husband and wife,
petitioners, vs.. The United States OF
America, respondent, set for hearing by
the United States court of private land
claims in Santa Fe to-day, is the title OF
unquestionably the most important case
on the docket of that court.
1t involves tract of land seventy five
miles from north to south and 225 miles
from east to west, rectangular in form
starting at the base of the Maricopa
mountain in western Arizona as the cen
ter of the west boundary and extending
eastward to point in New Mexico nearly
on parallel passing through Silver
City in Grant county. This pretended
Peralta land grant contains 12,7O5,O0C
acres and embraces the richest agricul-
buTdl anu IulutIdl VI AiiHchh ohN
very heart of that territory
some of the finest mining, grazing and
agricultural lands in Grant and Socorro
counties of this territory. Fertile and
fruitful valleys like those of the Salt and
CHA rivers; the White Mountain, San Car
los, Pima and Maricopa Indian reserva-
tions; and such hourishing cities and
towns as Phoenix, Florence, Maricopa,
Globe, Solomonville and Clifton, Arizona,
aud numerous settlements in western
New Mexico, are included within its
boundaries. The Southern Pacific rail
way taps it at Clifton, Solomonville,
Maricopa and Phoenix. Its value in dol
lars can hardly be computed. The bare
acres alone at the lowest government
price would be worth $17,187,500; but,
when the reader is reminded that fully
10000 people exclusive of Indians) live
on this alleged grant, that Phoenix is the
capital of Arizona and has population
of about 5000 people and six banks, and
that thousands upon thousands of dollars
have been expended in developing the
mineral, agricultural ami fruit growing
resources of the four counties included
therein, he will doubtless conclude that
$35, 100000 would be low valuation to
place upon the property in controversy
READS LIKE A ROMANCE.
The story of the elaborate, persistent
costly and audacious efforts put forth to
rob the United States and the people Of
this vast tract of land reads like leaves
torn from a romance of the middle ages
About tifty-fve years ago, at place
not known to this writer, baby boy was
born into the world, whose presumably
fond and doting parents christened him
James Addison Reavis. The youngstel
seems to have passed safely through the
critical teething and measles periods OF
human life and finally matured into a
man and Missourian. About the be-
ginning of "the late pleasantness" he
bobbed up as member of Capt. T. b
Catron's company of Confederate artil-
lerymen, but, apparently concluding that
"discretion was the better part of valor,
Reavis soon deserted and returned to q
safe and secluded spot in Missouri. Nexi
he appears to have engaged in the peace
full pursuit of selling school supplies for
a concern in New York and in this line
of business he seems to have drifted into
conveniently could without wading into
the Pacific.
But, whatever may have been the oc-
cupation of James Addison Reavis dur
ing the fifteen or twenty years after he
reached California, land events prove
that he must have been an uncommonly
busy man), his history did not become
interesting to the public until March 81,
1888. On that memorable day he filed
with the surveyor general of Arizona n
petition setting forth that he had become
the owner, by purchase from the legal
heirs and representatives. of the original
territory of Arizona measuring forty -nine
and three uarters English miles in width
north and south and 1891 miles in length
east and west, accompanied with NUM-
ments of title in detail protesting to
show that, on the Goth of December,
1748, royal decree was signed by King
Ferdinand vi. of Spain directing that,
in consideration of distinguished mill
tary services rendered to the crown, such
a tract of land as the one mentioned
should be granted to Miguel de Peralta
de la Cordoba, baron OF the Cooradoes,
in the northern portion of the vice
royalty of New Spain; that on January
B, 1853, in accordance with this royal de-
cree and the recommendation of the
royal holy
TRIBUNAL OF THE INouIsITIoN,
in the City of Mexico, the viceroy located
The lands granted to Peralta In Arizona
so as to include the Gila river and de-
scribed the same by metes and bounds;
that this grant and the location thereof
we're subsequently confirmed by King
Carlos III; that, on January ID, 1888, the
original grantee willed the tract of land
described to his son, Miguel Peralta; that
Miguel Peralta decided the same to George
NJ. Willing on October 20, 1854; that, in
1867, the property was transferred to j.
A. Reavis by F. A. Massol, attorney in
TACT for George NJ. Willing; that, in 1882,
Mary Anu Willing, widow of George NJ.
Willing, decided the grant to James Ad-
1ison Reavis.
Upon this showing, sustained by pre-
,ended original documents from the gov
,rnment archives of the City of Mexico,
July attested transcripts of the record of
such pretended grant in the City of Qua
lalajara, duly attested Photographic
copies of the record of the same and of
'he last will and testament of the so-called
Baron Peralta at the ancient mission of
San Francisco Javier del BAG, together
With much other carefully prepared docu-
nentary evidence, Reavis petitioned the
surveyor general to recommend the con-
irmation of the aforesaid alleged grant to
lim by the United States.
After thorough investigation Surveyor
General johnson positively declined to
grant the prayer of the petitioner in an
lble and exhaustive report in the course
If which he pointed out missing links and
atal defects in the pretended chain of