Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-18
SUDDEN INTEREST
IN LAND DEALS IS
INTERESTING
EVEN THE ALMANAC HAS
DISCOVERED INTEREST
Violently AWakenS to the Fact
That the People of the Ter
fitory Are Quite Deeply Con-
cefned.

lltory Are Quite Deeply Con-
Cefned.
Especial Correspondence Morning journal.
Santa Re, y. NJ, July lit isn't
often that one finds an interesting
newspaper article in the santa Fe
New Mexican. That venerable sur
ViVal Of seventeenth century Journal
ism hasn't as a rule much space for
material Of general interest TO the
people. But for this once the New
Mexican has arrived with a story
which is the real thing. In this ease
even the story is not really neWs. fer
every one in New Mexico has known
more or less about it al for about
three years: ii Is i'm the handling Of
the story that the interest lies. since
1t shows TO the interested public that
for some cause or other the New Mex
lean and the persons who operate it,
and its curious news and political pol
Icy, have suddenly begun to take a
very active-one might say a violent
Interest in certain territorial land
deals Of which the so-called Schom-
berg transaction Is one ON the best
known.
In Introducing its tWo-column arti-
Gle on the action to annul the Schom-
berg deeds. brought yesterday by At
torney General Prichard at the orders
Of the acting governor, h New Mex
lean has the following TO say about It.
An important suit, the final decis-
ion of which will be Of fa~r-reaehing
Importance, was filed today by Attor-
ney General Priehard after consulta-
ton with and by direction of Acting
Governor James w. Reynolds. in the
court of the First judicial district for
the county of Rio Arriba. It is en-
titled the Territory Of New Mexico,
plaintiff. versus the Rio Grande Lum-
Der company, T. a. Schomberg and
T. G. Graden. defendants. The case
is numbered 1892 on the docket of
The court.
lit will he remembered That for
over u yea past much interest has
been aroused and considerable discuss
sion has been had. official and In the
nevspapcrs, of the action Of tie ter
ritorial lam boards having in Charge
The public lands donated by the
United States of America to the terri
tory OF New Mexico for the benefit of
various territorial institutions and for +
other public purposes. among them
being the improvement of the bio
Grande in New Mexico in disposing of
portions Of these lands 10 various par-
ties. The records of the territorial
land commissioner. of the United
States selection commission, of the
territorial land board and other Off
cial bodies. some of them now out of
existence, show that in round num-
beers about 10000 acres of these dos
nations have been disposed of to vari-
Gus parties during the last five years
after due selection, appraisemcnt, adj
Vertising. approval by the secretary of
the interior, at prices ranging from s3
per acre up. Thereafter contracts for
sales were made and deeds delivered
purchase price being paid
The New Mexican frankly informs
its small and select coterie of readers
that for more than a year past there
has been a deep public interest and
much discussion, newspaper and of
fetal. Of the disposition made Of the
territorial timber lands. II his same
small ana select coterie has depended
on the New Mexican for its news it
certainly hasn't been aware of any
such thing, for so far as its files show
the New Mexican hasn't had a word
to say about the Schnmberg land
deal. or any other land deal. except
the PENNSYLVANIA Development COM
plny transaction, and in hat only in
as far as former Governor Hagermaa
was connected with ID.
Yet, from its " statement l. may
safely he concluded that the New
Mexican and it's owners HAVE been
interested IN the other land deals, and
that they have been taking q very
lively interest, although they have not
been expressing Il publicly.
The ~Schombcrg deal was begun on
January /. 1904 The last Of tho
deeds were delivered on May s. 1905.
u has been something more than two
years since the last OF these deeds
were delivered, aud H. has been more
than three years Since the transaction
was begun. Between IT'S beginning
and its completion some seventeen
elapsed.
With these facts in view. the fol- 1
lowing statement of the grounds oL |
action brought by the attorney
general, made by the New Mexican. I
becomes OF very unusual interest. J
The question which has arisen Of !
late, and which the attorney general 1
VII seek 10 settle 10y the institution 4
lnd the result Of the present suit. Isl
Was the method adopted by Schum- I
berg and Graden legal, proper and (
or was 1t not? 10 has been as !
serted that these donations could le- +
gally only be disposed of ia tracts of I
leo acres ZACH TO absolute bona fide E
purchasers in each case and that II 3
contract OF agreement was had
any secret understanding made al I
~ before the time Of purchase by .he 4
purchasers and grantees 10 transfer, s
or dispose Of these tracts pur- !
hased 10y them from the territory. =
.noh action, or understanding. or 4
agreement. 81 contract vitiatcd The +
tansactlou and made 81 void and &
fraudulent in each ease.
In the case az issue il has been asa Z
boy the territorial authori- 2
les that such secret understanding or !
greemeut Of contract existed be-
ween SchomberE and Graden aud the q
Their defendants. that the original
rantees and purchasers should trans "
ar the tracts ~ land obtained by and j
ecded 20 them by the territory ~ u
Mexico from the donations Of q
ne hundred thousand acres Of land
lr tine Improvement m the Rio "A
.rsude ~ b time prior to the fiu1e a
the completion Of the transaction
etHecu the territory and themselves.
here are ~thirty-three Of these defend
nts. and the siif IS brought in which
be- territory prays that should It's al
CATIONS be proven the deeds be set
Idle and ~aunulled and The and re-
ured % the ownership and custody
the territory. five thousand eight
tndred and sevrntf-fpur acres are
.veived and the tracts are reported
Ue timbered. An Injunction j. also.