Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-06-13
PERALTA-R EAVIS GRANT CASE
Continuation of the Remarkable Story
OF James Addison Peralta-
ReayiS.
Reluctantly Admits He Made Big
Money Out of Grant Scheme
Boundary Changes-A Mex
lean Barber One OF His
Trusted Agents.

The hearing of the Peralta- Reavis land
grant case of Arizona, nquestionably the
most important land case ever presented
to court for adjudication in this coun
try, continues to absorb the attention of
the United States court Of private land
claims. Appended will be found con-
tinuation OF the remarkable story of Mr..
Peralta- Reavis.
REAvIs RESUMES THE STAND.
He was never a correspondent for the
Alta California; remembered that he
drove in sight of the junction Of the ella
and Colorado rivers on one of his trips
with Monihon, but did so more for the
purpose of following up an irrigation
ditch in which they were driving than to
see the junction of the rivers.
He further stated that during all his
trips to that country, although writing
for newspapers. he was in reality looking
over this property. He however, would
not admit that he was doing 80 for the
purpose of locating the grant. He also
denied that he had stated to Monihon that
he had "iioating grant" and was going
to locate it in that valley and that he had
changed the boundary of this grant so it
would reach eight miles fur6her south.
Continuing he said: "The changes which
the United States attorney referred to are
the changes, guess, in the various petit
tions that have filed for this grant and
they will explain themselves. The grant
from my standpoint originated upon es-
tablished measurements, which existed
long before my conception, therefore my
conception could not enter into or charge
them in the least This is all rather
amusing. Mr.. Churchill, Royal A. John
son and other distinguished Arizonians
were very much interested in having the
grant so located that it would not inter
fere with some of their important inter
ests. | merely stated that whatever loca-
tion the government made l would &C.
quiesce in, and the location as formerly
made was practically by the government,
although Gov. Powers contended the
center should be in the center of the Gila
river and Mr.. Hopkins agreed with him,
and at first l placed the location where
they thought it should be-"
|
He said that the amount of money
which he had secured from corporations
upon the grant for leases and quit claims
was $65,000; he also received $1,000 from
the Casa Grande Land & Improvement
company, of New Jersey; 1000 from the
Casa Grande Land d Improvement COM
pany, of Wyoming; 100000 from the Casa
Grande Land & Improvement company,
of Arizona. He also admitted that he got
$4,000 from the Silver King mine for
release and that the Southern Pacific
railroad paid him $4,000 for right of
way. He also said that he was at one
time in the employ of the Southern Pa
ciGc company in the law department.
He also testified that he had an agree
ment with MIR. Collins, of San Francisco,
to furnish him money whenever he could,
| for which he was to take an interest in
this grant as security; that he received
$500 month while in Europe; that he
was there over twelve months; that while
there Mr.. Mackey paid him $4,000 year;
that he received from Rosencrans, of San
Francisco, about $4,000.
United States Attorney Reynolds asked
him what he had done with this $150,0OO
which he had secured from these COM
panies. He answered that he had lived
on it and spent about $4,000 in making
surveys, and, upon being pressed closely,
he admitted that he had used the greater
portion of it in perfecting his title to
this property.
He was then asked why he had entered
water claims under the public land laws
of the United States while he had what
he claimed to be a perfect grant to the
property, and he answered that he had
never thought much of the grant any
way. 1t was the water he was after.
NOT LOVER OF MONEY.
81 am not a lover of money!" said Mr..
Reavis, shut am lover of development
and building up of the country and l went
to Arizona with the idea of building up the
country and establishing a colony there
The water rights which l established be-
lopged exclusively to myself, and in es-
tablishing this colony we received very
small compensation for the land, usually
about 1212 cents an acre, and the water
right varied from $5 to $40 an acre, ac-
cording to the location"
He added that he had now in his books
charges and accounts to the amount of
$5,330,0O0, the water being the only
valuable feature of these transactions, in
volving in no way the confirmation of
this grant nor depending upon it. He
government in the court of claims for
$l0,o0O,000, that it was now pending, and
was based upon the same class of testi-
mony as that filed in this court.
After the recess for dinner Mr.. Reavis
continued. He. stated that he changed
the boundary to the place whore 1t is now;
that it is eight miles south of where it
was established according to what Powers
thought was correct, that is, the center
being at the Gila river; but he changed it
to what he thought was correct, and made
the center this monumental rock; that
the seal made of lead and silver, as he
stated, he never produced in Arizona; he
further stated that he got it from Mariana
Garcia Peralta, one of the witnesses to
the will of Don Miguel Peralta, and had
the original in Denver; but, upon being
questioned closely, he would not admit
that there was anyone in Denver who
could send it to him, nor could he get it.
He denied that he produced the original
in Arizona as stated by Surveyor General
Johnson, stating further that about the
time he first became acquainted with the
grant he was referred to DR.. Gid, a
Spanish land grant lawyer, whom he ad-
mitted was very bad character, and that
he accepted the representations which Dr..
Gid made to him with full knowledge
of the latter's character. On being fur