The border vidette., 1899-10-28
FIGHTING THE LAND GRAB.

FIGHTING THE LAND GRAB.
To THE EDIToR:-At q meeting of
the settlers on tne santa Cruz the 18th
list, the attempt of aliens to take from
the people their l4Gds and homes under
Lne guISe of = lsud grant cA.:ed BacA
Float Ne. 3, and the ruling of the land
department. VI tns government III per-
hitting - survey of the tract ciAtmed
Was thoroughly ana warmly discussed.
want TO explain through THE VI
DETTE some tacts in connection with
| the Dac.l Float matter Lu4J May havo
nI,h.r,o neon overlooked by MANY per-
SOUS whose Interests are 4t stake.
Page of the application for tbs sur
veg OF tie aIio.ou Float stAtes ruat al
appeal Was taken from the action OF
the surveyor general to the land de-
! parJnent wnlon resulted in the decl-
sion of june II, 1891, sud sustained
Alter review November 2S, 1891, III
which the order tor u hearing was
also approved, with the m,'uIncGtiOn
! tnat tue inquiry should be- cunnued 10
the known character of tue land Oh the
I
daJe of fseiectIou,-lS63. The hearing
thus ordered has never been held.
1 have heard number of settlers eay
this hsarIn. must be prevented. This
II lmposS bio, since tEs surveyor IL un-
der Instructions from the interior de
parLInenL tu do 50, and 70 make certain
OF the character of the land as tLe sur
voy progresses.
The act of Congress June u, 1850
provides tnat the rig ht of the B4ca
heirs To claim the parcels oi land grant
cd by the act expires aiser three years.
i his meAns that the selection of tho
tracts aud the survey thereof must be
completed within thres years from
jun. II, 1861. Now, one of The w.ak
points u tue case Uf the claimants /.
that the pro.crIbSd three yeer& lapsed
81 years a:O. The efforts of ths claim
auJs, therefore, should be attacked
with force. We have every cUntidencs
in surveyor General CHRIST win res
peel 10 the riyu and Interests of the
seItiers. Inc BAca Float grant pro-
vIues Ihat the claimants must luGALs
the nvo paroeis awarded Ia square
bodies cuntalnIng not more than 80,
Z.5J ~ acre. e"cn or y mics 81 u~Io.
II the crOreoJISe laws OF tho United
StaLea do not exJsnd To Arizona, Lhs
tim" has cOne for the people To deViss
sOLao rloans to protec: themselves and
their riEh,. The time Was wneu Ari-
iona could bc left out in the cold to lie
made line subject ot various scueILes;
but ths slime mas pass ii for this terri
tory 10 Look pisclily upon iuDbery
without PROTEST. We have besn GSnt
lag Apache. in the brush; land xrBt-
berA in the courss ever sinve the early
days Of ths territory. viii tns end
c.,Ine!
We tnuuynL 1t hA when in January
OF ip!s year Sere allowed TO
his our noinosSoaIls that vo have
been hulIing ths paSt tseuty years |
81 sHlnst lRdiAns and landg IA b bors. |
During tiiOss years L have seen men |
plo~ing With WinShes;ers slung vt |
their r:des and with ioO&nuts At the |
front and rear. Now It is the future t
.7s have to fsar. Our ho2eS OF future |
I'eacs are lsapardized by the Spreading
of this BLca Float L4ons.rositY over our
homes. Every resident. every proper
ty owner of Santa Cruz county ia in
tsrssted III and should 6ght this claim
ants TO our fair Santa Cruz valley.
+. EKEY.
Nognles, Oct. 25, 1899.