Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-08-28
FIGHT FOR $4,000
ACRES BEGINS
Sept. IS
Legal Battle Between New
Mexico and Texas for Land
on Rio Grande Soon to Be
Under Way.

"a Paso, Tex, Aug. 2s.-On sep
tomber IS the legal battle between
New Mexico ana Texas for 10000
acres OF the fertile land of the up.
per valley will be on. The United
states supreme court has appointed
a commissioner who will take evil
dcnce az that time. New Mexico.
after waiting sixty years. asserts her
right TO the land upon the claim that
when the west boundary of the line
OF Texas was fixed In 1853 By tho
RIO Grande, that the river az that
time ran on the east side Of the val
ley adjacent 10 the present santa Fo
right 81 way. Large property hold
ers Of New Mexico. eidcd by an ap-
preparation OF $4,000 from New
Mexico and tl2OO from Dona Ana
county are believed 90 be behind tho
suit. Texas has appropriated si0.-
600 to make the legal fight.
By the Gadscn purchase ~ 1854
the Rio 0rande. as II then ran. was
established as tho boundary line be-
tween Texas and New Mexico. Off
cial maps ~ the purchase have fixed
the boundary line with the river rum
ming on the west side OF the valley.
From then down to a few years ago,
no question has ever been raised
about tho boundary line. New Mex
eco has published her maps with the
boundary line where Il has always
boon recognized. The state Of Texas
has issued patents Ia the land with
out contest or dispute. The state Of
Texas has collected taxes on the hand
and has tried IN its courts offenscs
committed on this soil. and no one
has ever raised the point that II was
New Mexico and not Texas territory
where the offcnse was committed.
For more than half century Texans
cultivated this land without anyone
questioning their title
In one Instance a large tract OF
land has been held BY ana cultivated
by Texans since iSfl. Maps OF An
son Mills and others going az far
back az 1855. have fixed the bound
AIRY linc whore both states have al
ways recognized Il TO be-
Ia the suit filed to remove the
boundary line 10 the east side of the
valley. g. y. stevens says. New Mex
leo appears 90 be relying solely on the
evidence of aged McxiCanS that sixty
years ago the river ran on the east
side. adjacent To where the Santa Re
right ~ way now is. instead Of tho
place where the surveyors have To-
Gated Il on the official maps of New
Mexico and Texas.
N'f'N'D wears AGO q commission was
appointed by tho United states gov
eminent a. locate tho Clark survey ~
tho Texas and New Mexico boundary
Ilnc." continued Mr.. stevens. "a part
al which constitutes the north bound
AIRY line Of this county.
Once Marked rs Monument
when finished the commission lO-
Gated the western extremity 81 this
limo at a point mile and hair west
Of Anthony and put up q monumcn'
on tho spot The approval az the re-
port of this commission was one Of
President Tana last official acts
New Mexico brought this suit before
the commission had filed its report.
and the parties Interested I'm dispos-
sessing Texans of this land started
their Clnim at "a few hundred feet
west ot Anthony u Is not probable
that the testimony of aged MoXiCans
Will move the point that the United
states government has fixed any
closer 60 ANTHONY than whore the
monument now U.s."
Tho state OF Texas has appropriate
ed Si0.00o To defend this suit. and n
~ probable that an appeal viii be