Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-29
Cutting Up the Maxwell Grant

i've mining lOWnS. hdkbn Is the seat OF
ColfaX county and has a population OK
1850.
Cutting Up the Maxwell Grant.
The Maxwell grant originally cost its
present owners $1,000, 600. and the Dutch
men have lost at least million more in
litigation, extravagant management and
other swindles, but the Investment is final
ly proving very profitable. They are get
ting their money back with large advances.
The grant has been twice to the Supreme
Court of the United States, and the titles
are thus better than those of most real
estate. About 100000 acres have been sold
off during the past five years to ranchmen
and mining companies. The Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company purchased quarter ora
million acres of coal deposits; Mr.. Bartlett
of Chicago, of whom | spoke above. bought
10000 acres for a ranch; Capt. French.
an Englishman, bought 10000 acres. and
Is grazing about 5000 head of cattle
upon it: Frank Springer bought 100000
acres, and is raising cattle also; the Red
River Cattle Company, Las Vegas outfit.
has 100000 acres. and about $1,000 acres
have been sold to small farmers
The most important sale took place only
a few days ago. when. the Rocky Mountain
and Pacific Company, a ST. Louis corpora
don, with capital of $11,00oGG3 supposed
to represent the Rock Island railroad or
Phelps, Dodge & Co, the New York mer-
chants, who have large interests out here,
purchased the mining rights of 10000 acres
more than 500 square miles-the largest
body of coal under single ownership in
the world. The purchasers propose to build
and equip 100 miles of railway to develop the
property, and will run their tracks through
the Cimarron canyon, which crosses the
Great Divide t. the Taos valley and is
claimed to be the only pass in the Rocky
mountains available for a railroad that is
not already occupied by the transconti-
mental lines.
The officers of the coal company are:
President X In vic
dent Hugo II. koehler both of St. Louis;
secretary and treasurer, William i. Irvine
of New York, who also constitute the di-
rectory. with the addition of o. Ii. b. Tur-
ner, Max Koehler and Thomas b. Harlan
of St. Louis and George V. Mullan of New
York:
The Maxwell Grant Company reserves the
timber and the surface of the land The
new company buys only the mining rights
whatever they can find under the soil. / is
rumored that they will Immediately erect a
lot of coke ovens and a smelter
History of the Grant
The Maxwell grant got its name from Kit
Carson's old partner 1t was originally
given by the Mexican government to a
couple of Frenchmen - Beauben and Nj
randa-for the purpose of colonization; and
curiously enough they agreed TO raise large
tracts of beets and manufacture sugar The
Mexican government wanted to build HUI
man barrier between It's territory and the
United States and to settle the frontier as a
protection against Indians. Beaubein and
Miranda, however, did nothing toward coll
onization, and Maxwell inherited the prop
erty from his father-in-law, Carlos Beau
bein, to whom Miranda had sold his In
tereSt
Maxwell was one of the earliest pioneers
In this part Of the country and his life was
full of stirring events. With Kit Carson
he a scout for Fremont and other early
military explorers. but he died a poor man.
with nothing but a lawsuit to leave his two
sons and a daughter. Pete, one of the
sons. was never anything more than a
sheepherder but Lucian, the other, was
a ranchman, miner. contractor and specula-
tor, and built section of the Texas and
Pacific railroad. He sold the grant for
100000 and lost all the money In specula-
ton MaXwells daughter elOped with
Lieut.. Keyes of the United States army
when she was a mere girl. and her
captain Of the Rough Riders, who was
killed in the Spanish war.
Kit Carson left no sons, but several
daug hter~. One of then is Mrs. Thomas
Boggs o. Clayton, n. NJ; another Is Mrs
Susan Nelson of Hfgbee Col; another is
the wife of a mar, by the name of Allen,
who ran a livery stable at Las Vegas for
several years. while the fourth Josie Car
son Squires, died in the insane asylum at
Las Vegas three or four years ago.
Burial Place of Kit Carson
Kit Carson is buried al Taos, the most
primitive of the Indian pueblos, where the
Aztec sacred fire is kept in an estufa by
a group of priests. This fire. according
TO tradition, has not been extinguished for
a thousand years. 1t was removed to Taos
from the old village of Pecos the birth
place of Montezuma, in 1897 and the Chill
dren of the Sun" believe that as long as it
continues to burn there is hope of the COM
ing of their Messiah, who will return as he
left them, on the back OF an eagle at dawn.
Hence, the pious Caciaues climb To the
housetops every morning at sunrise and,
shading their eyes with their hands. gaze