Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-02-20
Taos Valley Inhabi.
tants File Pro-
tests
HAVE NO WATER TO SPARE
Two Thousand People Are
Interested in Case...Argu-
ments Set for March 20.

Taos county residents to the num-
ber of about 1900 not to mention some
500 Indians of the pueblo of Taos, are
represented in petitions filed with
Territorial Engineer Vernon l.. Sulli-
van protesting against the granting Of
a permit to the Taos Valley Land com.
pany. The latter proposes to con.
struct irrigation works and has asked
for permission to appropriate waters
from the Rio Lucero, Arroyo Seco and
Arroyo Hondo. The Indians have made
their protest through Judge A. J. Alb.
bott, special attorney for the Pueblo
Indians, while the other Inhabitants of
the section affected have retained as
counsel, Attorney Charles A. Spiess,
Of Las Vegas. A hearing in the case
has been set for March goth.
Water Rights Protected BY Courts
Decree.
The protestants claim that all of
the water In the three streams men,
toned are already appropriated
through prior water rights and have
been for over a hundred years. They
also incorporate in their protests a de-
cree of the district court of Taos coun.
ty rendered July 81, 1898, by Associate
Justice Edward P. Seeds, in the case
of Francisco Martinez y Martinez ct al
versus Malaquias Martinez ct al BY
the terms Of this decision the people
Of Arroyo Seco are entitled at all sea.
sons to thirty per cent Of the total
water Of the Rio Lucero, the pueblo
Of Taos to thlrty.fve per cent and the
people of El Prado to thlrty.fve per
cent. If there is any surplus water
left after supplying the settlements of
I'll Prado and the Taos pueblo 1t shall
belong to the people of Arroyo Seco.
The civil action in which the de.
cree mentioned was rendered was
instituted for the purpose of perpetu.
ally settling any disputes over the
water rights to the Rio Lu-
cero which Is continent of
the Arroyo Seco and the Arroyo
Hondo. Juan Santistevan and Alexan.
der Gustorf of Taos had been appoint
ed as commissioners by the court
with the privilege Of appointing an.
other member as umpire If they so de-
sired and accordingly they selected
William L. Mcclure also of Taos. AZ
ter a careful examination Of the wa.
ter rights of the lltigants they made
the apportlonment Of water as describ
ed In the decree rendered by Judge
Seeds who was at that time presiding
Judge of the First judicial district of
New Mexico.
Delegation Of Taos County Citizens
Here Consulting Attorneys.
Malaqulas Martinez, of Taos; Anto-
MO G. Pacheco, Of Arroyo Seco; Juan
A. Valdez, Of Valdez; Manuel D. Cha
con of Arroyo Hondo, and Francisco
Vargas Of Arroyo Hondo composed
delegation representing the inter.
ests OF the Spanlsh-Amercan settlers
Of the section named who were in the
city yesterday and interposed formal
written protests through Attorney
Spiess. Ventura Romero and Lorenzo
Martinez, Indians Of the pueblo of
Taos, were also here and on behalf
of the Indians, filed protests through
Judge Abbott. Romero Is ruler Of the
council or king. Martinez is official
interpreter Of the pueblo and also a
member Of its council
According to the application of the
Taos Valley Land company permis-
sion is asked for to appropriate the
flood waters of the three streams, but
the protestants allege that there is
seldom a season when there Is more
water to meet their actual needs for
irrigation purposes.