Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-18
CATRON VS.. COPPER co.
Another Chapter in the Controversy
Over the Possessions of the Santa
Fe Copper C0mpany-Adyerse
Claimants - Amazing
Atfldayits.

The NEW MEXICAN has already printed
two entertaining and somewhat conflict
ing chapters respecting the controversy
over the grounds and Improvements o.
the Santa Fe Copper company at Sar
Pedro.
In the first, which was an interview
with Mr.. j. P. O'Brien, it WAS con
tended, in behalf of the placer
location of Messrs. Catron, Spiess ani
the O'Briens, that, prior to the decision
of the territorial supreme court in 1885
annulling the patent and survey of the
San Pedro and Canon del Aqua grant, the
Santa Fe Copper company held $500
acres of land adversely to the United
States. In addition to this, in an affidavit
signed by T. B. Catron, G. A. Spiess, T.
F. O'Brien and J. M. O'Brien, on file in
the local land office, the atlantis claim
that, when they filed their adverse placer
claim on lands and Improvements of the
Santa Fe Copper company, on November
II, 1892, said lands we're "publ1c domain
huu cuUlICly FdGuub dAu uuoSCuPAOu duu
were not owned, held or claimed by any
person or persons as mining ground OF
otherwise"
Judge Downs, attorney for the Copper
company, takes issue with these state.
ments of fact. He distinctly informs q
representative of this paper that, prior
to the decision of tie territorial supreme
court in 1888, the Santa Fe Copper COM
pany had no existence. 1t was organized
Immediately after the decision men.
toned by the men who had been fighting
the San Pedro and Canon del Aqua grant,
and, by location and also by deeds from
all those who had been fighting the grant
and had triumphed in the courts, became
lawfully possessed of the lands now held
by such company.
But, pending final decree of the
United States supreme court on anappeal
taken from the territorial court, the lands
we're not thrown open to formal entry
and patent by the United States. 1t thus
happened that on August 81, 1894, TWEEN
ty-tive hours after notice was received
that the lands in question had been
thrown open to entry, Leonard lewiston
and his associates of the Santa Fe Cop.
per company relocated the claims they
had previously located and been in con-
tinuous possession of since May, 1889.
Mr.. Catron and associates now adverse
the applications of the Santa Fe Copper
company for patents on the principal
ground that the claims of the copper
company we're vacant and unoccupied
when they located them for placer pur-
poses in November 1892.
The facts are, on the contrary, that
when this placer location was made tire
Santa Fe Copper company was in actual
possession of the lands now sought to be
adversed, Its lode mines were being
worked, it's smelter was in operation
night and day, it's boarding house and
store were occupied, and Superintendent
Mclaughlin was actually living at his
house on the premises.
1t Is also true that the stores, saloons,
meat markets and houses of the hamlet
of San Pedro, also on the ground claimed
as vacant by Mr.. Catron ct al, were all
occupied at that time and had been so
occupied for years before.
just what Mr.. Catron and his associates
expect to gain by this sort of swearing,
further than retarding the important
work contemplated by Mr.. Lewiston and
other moneyed men of New York some
one else will have to answer.