The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-07-19
SUDDEN INTEREST IN THE
ScHoMRER0 LAND DEAL
Prichard Begins Suit in Rio Arriba
County to Set Aside Title, on Order
from Acting Governor Reynolds.
Albuoueroue Journal Special.


Albuquerque Journal Special.
Santa Fe, N. NJ, July let is int
eresting to note the healthy interest
in past land transactions of the Ter
ritory in official circles just now. The
advent of the special agents from
Washington seems to aave stirred all
the old-time interest in these trasac-
lions so evident about h time some
them were being made, and the air
is full of the history of the former
deals by which territorial timber
lands were sold, always il 160 acre
tracts and always in strict conformity
to the law of congress, which grant
ed the lands to the Territory.
The latest development came to-
day, when it was announced that, act
ing under the orders of the acting
governor, Attorney General George
w. Prichard had filed suit in Rio Ar
riba county court, which seeks to set
aside title to some 1874 acres of tim
Der lands which were sold in the year
1904 to T. A. Schomberg and others,
of Trinidad, Colo, for a consideration
of So an acre. These lands, Or a great
er part of them, have since been rams
ferred to the Rio Grande Lumber Co.
and the cutting of the timber has
been proceeding for some time.
1t is announced in connection with
the filing of the suit, that the acting
governor wants a decision of the
courts on the legality of the sales of
this and other large tracts of timber
lands, which have been made since
these lands came into possession of
of territorial officials. That the gov
eminent is just now beginning an in
vestigation looking to exactly the
same end, namely, the legality or il
legality of these deals, it will become
a matter of more or less interest
whether the attorney general of New
or the government reaches a
first.
The Schomberg transaction has at
a great deal of attention from
almost the time it was made, n has
been the cause of much criticism of
the officials who made it. That an
action in our to test the legality of
the transaction would nave been pop
ago, Or about the time the deal was
made, there is no doubt. But that the
has been deferred until the
of an exhaustive govern
investigation takes away some
of the glamour OF this belated
to ascertain whether Oh not the
interests of the Territory have been
properly safe-guarded.
During the yea 1904 application
made before the territorial land
officials for the selection of a large
.ract of land lying in t. rs, N. range
I E., in the vicinity of Ojo Caliente,
Rio Arriba county. In August, 1904,
he bids for the sale of this timber
and were opened in Santa Fe, and
he and was sold to T. A. Schomberg
some thirty associates, in tracts
If 100 acres each. The lands of the
were afterward acquired
by Schomberg and T. c. Graden. of
Trinidad, the deeds being transferred.
rhe law under which the Territory
leld these lands specifically provides
hat the land shall be sold in tracts
If not more than 100 acres to any
person, firm or corporation.
The last of the deeds t o these lands
we're issued on the sth of May, 1905, |
the matter was considered
:losed.
In the action filed in the Rio Arriba
county court, where Judge ]. R. Nc
re presides, the territory sets up the
that the transaction made
y the territorial oficials was Illegal
md seeks to set aside the deeds. The
Territory also asks an injunction to
the cutting of further timber
latil the matter I'm decided.
Roy g. Morris. OF Florence. Kansas.
rho has been here for a few days ON
pleasure trip. left this moraing for