Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-31
DECLARES WILLARD
HAS BEENb BADLY
SLANDERED
Official of Townsite Company
Explains Real Status Of Land
Titles at Thriving Town,
REPORT THAT SCRIP WAS
TURNED DOWN MISTAKE
InterIoper Looking for Trouble
Started Rumor in Attempt to
Grab Land at Cutoff City,

II appears that willard has been SCI
riously misrepresented, and the fact
that damaging stories regarding the
thriving little city on the cutoff have
been industrlously circulated Is due
entirely. Il Is said, 10 the pernicious
activity Of a few newcomers. none Of
them land holders. who ave been try
ing to cause trouble IN the place.
Colonel William NJ Berger. sec
Rotary OF the willard Townsite com
pany and also Of the Belen Town and
Improvement company. has arrived In
the city after a visit in Santa Fe with
his old friend, Governor George Cur
~, whom the colonel has known per-
sonally for twenty-seven years, and
whom he had not seen for ten years.
The willard story about the and
script being turned down Is entirely
erroneous said the colonel last night.
There is no confusion In willard, the
town b. growing buslly, and but for
the pernieious activity OF an attorney
from Oklahoma. and a few friends
who arrived In Willard with him re-
Gently. no rumor Of any trouble would
have been started.
These gentlemen In some way
heard that The patents to our land had
been delayed and thought they saw an
opportunity 20 seize some government
land. which. II IL unnecessary to state.
II = rather unwise thing 10 do in IT.
self.
THE script held by us as title to the
land Is what IL known az Sioux half
breed script. than which there II non
better In existence. In company with
other officials Of the company | per-
sonaliy visited the register and receiv-
~ ~ fha IHNlfnI EFuf.u luVI ngfl.s
These officials explained that the pat
eniF "a our land were held up simply
under a general order Of the president
TO hold up any action until pending
land Investigations were yer / re-
turned recently from Washington.
where | saw the patents to iG0 acres
OF our land. already approved and Only
waiting the signature of the president
The patents To forty acres are pending
before the commissioner To rectify a
purely technical error, not IN the
script. but In the Filing Of "a. Com
missioner @. +. Pollock Informed ne
that u MAS the policy Of the govern
ment where errors are made-and
thousands are made every day-to aid
IN every way possible applicants in
perfecting their title before Issuing
patents, The matter Is now merely
awaiting a rehearlng before the COM
missioner. In the event. which Is
highly improbable, that this rehearing
shuuld he unfaVorable. We would then
have sixty days for - review. In case
b review again should prove unfa-
vorahlc, we should have the right of
appeal to the secretary of the Interior
our attorney at Washington informs
us that the present status of the mat
ter IL entirely satisfactory.
None OF the small party uf out
siders who tried to start the trouble
are lot holders. Each purchaser paid
down only onc-half on his lot the bals
ance 70 be paid after the patents were
received and. the deeds delivered. No
portion OF the money paid Ia by pur-
chasrs has been used but ~ still In the
hands OF the treasurer OF the com
pany. n was the understanding that
the deeds should DE delivered within
thirty days after the patents were re-
celyed.
There il absolutely no cause for
any kind If n sensation, and no resi-
dent ~ willard H. worried about his
title. IN spite 81 the freely offered adj
vice OF the strangers Co Jump lots
Se00,o00 In Improvements.
"oNor t200,o 600 worth % improve
ments have been made on Willard
property since the town was started
Fine streets have been laid out. four
hotels and roaming houses are having
III NNf AA"AM'HE NNNE NA HNNAHNNfH ~
new one having been opened Just this
week. The brick building for the
First National hank has been conn
pleted The willard Mercantile COM
pany, formrly the John Becker cnm-
pany r. erecting q fine brick store
building, with handsome plate glass
windows. and a balcony extending
clear around the interior of the cstab-
iishment Tho w A. Duulavy COM
pany. a big mercantile house. Is Just
completing a 50NT5 foot addition Go
IL already big store. which contains
an Immense stock ~ goods. The Santa
Re has finished ~ tWo-story all-con-
crete station building. and The water
having been found the best On the
Belen cut-off, the company has sunk
nine wells. A large pump rs being In
stalled which Viii pump water FOR
many miler along the railway. There
Is q good church and a modern school
house. the town D. growing with great
rapldity and there o. too much pros
perity lying around for the people Co
Worry over an attempted land scare.
There is no excitement and willard
never had brighter prospects