Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-10-27
INDIGNATION MEETING HELD.
Espanola Citizens Protest Against Ac-
ton Of Indians in Closing Public
Highway.
Special to the New Mexican.

ESpduOld, Ocl. Zl.-Inore is great
excitement among the people here, and
all along the Rio Grande Valley in this
vicinity on account of the oppressive
action of the Santa Clara Indians and
those who claim to represent the In.
dian Bureau In Washington. For over
two hundred years the white settlers
in the Rio Grande Valley have OBJ.
tanned their winter supply of wood
from the mesas north of Santa Clara
Creek. The Santa Clara Indians had
their grant of league each way from
the church in the Pueblo and this was
ample for all purposes considering the
small number of the Indians. Howev.
| er, when the land court was in ses.
sion, the Indians claimed strip of
land extending several miles up the
valley of the creek, the court awarded
the same to them and several of the
Indians have established small farms
there. No one objected to this, as it
interfered with no one.
Recently, the Indian Bureau obtain
ed new reservation for these In
dians, in addition to their grants, this
reservation being nominally to give
them fire wood, but it was extended
SO as to include all the timber on the
mesas both north and south of Santa
Clara Creek 1t also ran so far west
as to include the ranches which have
been established for years and are
owned by P. H. Leese, Leandro Mar
tinez, Miguel Sandoval and others, and
also taking in the great ruins at Puye
and the one north of the creek.
Under the order making this new
reservation much trouble has been
made. The Indians and the officers
stationed there have driven off all the
people of the Rio Grande Valley who
have gone to get their winter supply
of wood, as their ancestors have done
for 200 years. A boy named Ramon
Aragon, sent by his widow mother for
that purpose, was the first to be driv-
en- off. The impudent assumption of
the Indians, aided by sort of police
man stationed there, eliminated on
Tuesday when Miguel Sandoval, who
has ranch up the valley, drove to-
wards Espanola with a load of pota-
toes. While driving down the high
way which has been public road for
many generations, he was stopped by
the Indians and the white official and
compelled to give up his wagon, horses
and potatoes, as they insisted that
they had closed the road and that no
one could pass.
1t would be difficult to conceive a
greater outrage than this. Mr.. Sando-
val was peaceful citizen, bringing
his produce to market by the only
available public road Those attack
ing him were armed and he had to
submit, as he was threatened with
guns The road is the main public
one running from Espanola UP the San
ia Clara Valley to the Sulphur, San
Antonio, Wales, Coyote and Nacimien-
to Springs. It is the only road run
ming westward from the Rio Grande
Valley for many miles. To talk OF
closing it is absurd. There is great
Indignation expressed here, as
large business with the western coun-
try is done at Espanola, and an In
dignation meeting was speedily called
and largely attended. A committee
was appointed to protect the rights
of the people and to see that no fur
ther outrages are committed. The COM
mittee will communicate with Dele
gate to Congress W. H. Andrews and
take measures to punish anyone who
attempts to stop the free use OF the
public highways.