Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-02-25
NEW MEX|C0'S
DEEPS0RR0W
Grief Of the Territory in Death
of CoI.T5,Chaves Given Feel
ing Expression.
BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTES
Councilmen Chaves, Martin and Read
Deliver Tender EuIogies on Life Of
lIIustrious Citizen and Leader.

LII IIG OOuuCll LueIuOTldl eASTClSSi
Friday afternoon many beautiful trib
utes were paid the memory of that ex
alted and revered citizen of New
Mexico, the lamented Colonel j. Fran
cisco Chaves. AS successor in the
Council from the Sixth District to tha
illustrious leader, Hon. Jacobo Chaves
in his address uttered from full heart
the following touching sentiments:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen
Tribute of Jacobo Chaves.
We have met today to do honor to
the memory of our late friend, Colonel
j. Francisco Chaves, whose untimely
death by the hand of a cowardly as.
sassin occurred on the 26th day of
November, last, and by which bloody
and awful deed one of the most illus,
trious sons of sunny New Mexico was
removed from a sphere of great use
fulness to his fellow citizens which he
had occupied for longer than l can re-
member.
l have the honor to represent the
SOuhIy VI F1iCuSld WlllSl uO do d lISLl-
Der of the Legislative Council has so
well and ably represented for thirteen
sessions of twenty-siX years of this
Assembly, to the honor of the people
who elected him and to his own credit
AS his successor in this honorable
position which l can never hope to fill
as successfully and as benefcially
even in small degree when compared
with him, desire to say few words
upon the character, attainment and
services of our lamented friend.
Colonel Chaves' death as you all
know was sudden and entirely unex-
pected, and shocked not only his rela-
tives and his immediate friends, not
only the citizens of his own county,
but those of the entire commonwealth
of New Mexico to such a high degree
that the shock at the news and the
sorrow at his demise have not yet
passed, nor will they do SO for many
years. This feeling is as it should be
and we meet here today to give express
sions of sentiments to this fact.
Colonel Chaves may well be called
an illustrious citizen and great leader
of public opinion in New Mexico dur
ing the past fifty years. He has held
the highest political position in the
gift of the people of the Territory and
of his county.
In legislative matters he has worked
for them as delegate to Congress-
and as Councilman in the Assembly
since 1846, almost without intermis-
sion, and upon very scant recon-
pense
He served his country faithfully and
meritoriously for three years during
the Civil War as a major and lieu
tenant colonel of the First New Mexi'
co Infantry. Under his command the
regiment performed gallant and good
service, in battles against the Confed-
crates and against hostile Indians.
AS citizen and as man his record
Is of the best. He was generous to|
a fault and no needy man, woman or
child ever applied to him in his or her
distress, but, that he aided that per-
son to the best of his ability with
money, by deed, or by wise counsel.
Indeed he was generous to fault, |
and several great fortunes which he
amassed were given mostly for the
benefit of the poor people who were
his friends, whom he succored when |
in need and whose idol he was while |
alive. His charity and generosity |
were proverbial, and in the counties of
Valencia and Bernalillo, which were
his home, he was known to every man. /
woman and child, and few knew him |
but to love him. He was quick of tenn
permanent, had the courage of his con-
viction and never hesitated to meet a |
man openly as friend or as foe.
AS public official he did the peo-
pie first class service and his record |
as such is unblemished and clear. He
always did his duty as he saw it to the !
best of his ability, ever bearing in |
mind as his motto "the good of the |
people of New Mexico, before all else."
In his family relations he was low
ing and true husband, kind and ten.
der father ever solicitous and always
doing something for his many rela.
tives, whether in near or remote de.
gree. Blood was a good deal stronger
than water with him in his family
ties, and his brotherly feeling for his
people always influenced strongly and
as they should have, helped him to
understand the feeling and sentiment
Of his people and to be with them in
everything that was right, proper and
just.
He loved the Sunshine" Territory
and his people to the highest possible
degree and gave his life and services
to them for fifty years without stint.
This 10 probably the reason that he
died poor man. He never accumu-