New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-02-28
L. BRADFORD PRINCE
FORTY YEARS IN NEW MEXICO

This passing month OF February
marks the completion of forty years
of residence in New Mexico by our
friend L. Bradford Prince, Ex-Chief
Justice and Ex-Governor, and entities
him to be counted among the "Ol1
Timers. He returned from protract-
ed illness in the East just in time to
celebrate this completion of four de
cades in the clear air of New Mex
ico, to which he first gave the name
OF the Sunshine State" in 1892.
1t was on a Saturday morning in
February 1879. that he came in the
Concord coach of that day, over the
Santa Fe trail, into this Ancient City.
The railroad then ended at Trinidad
and fifty hours of continuous travel
was the schedule time from that town
to Santa Fe.
The old Fonda, or Exchange Hotel,
afforded the only accommodation for
the traveller, but in many respects
Santa Fe was more lively than to-
day. The great wholesale houses OF
the Spiegelbergs, the Seligmans. the
activity, as the entire trade of the
Southwest was concentrated around
the Plaza the Bar, headed by Catron
and Thornton. by Breedon and
Waldo, and many others, was Of UNI
usual b%rilliancy; the Army head
quarters, the center Of a vast mill
tary district, included lines of build
ings on Palace and Grant Avenues.
with the commanding general, the
staff officers and hosts of clerks,
and the famous Ninth Cavalry Band
which furnished concerts on all days
but Saturdays in the plaza.
Judge Prince brought with him the
reputation of a remarkable leg sla-
tive career in the Empire Stat
crowned with the impeachment of
the corrupt judiciary there and the
adoption of the most .dlanced con-
declined the positions of Governor
of Idaho and Chief Justice of Utah
and was finally induced to acc
the appointment in New Mexico by
the glamor OF her romantic history
He brought with him also the unit T.
ing energy SO necessary in those
times. The Court business was far
in arrears and the coming Of the
railroad attracted the worst gang of
desparadocs and crooks that was ever
corgrcgated together. 1t was an in
ter sting as well as a strenuous time
tie era OF Rudabaugh and Billy the
Kid and Hoodoo Brown, OF murders
ard roNherics and lynchings. The
new judge was worn in as Chief
Justice on that Saturday in February,
(n,rt IL, ttc Dynpunt ra,.n
ton room of the Historical Society
IN the Palace on Monday, and in 'he
course of that first circuit of the
north half of the territory, tried
fifteen murder cases and cleared the
dockets of their Accommodations. He
introduced various modern innova-
tons such as stenographers and
printed dockets, for which he was
criticized on the score o. ~evtrava4-
but sustained by unanimous re-
solutions of both Houses Of the Leg
islature in 1882. The record shows
that n less than four years he dis
posed of over 200 civil and 1,500
criminal cases.
Few persons have passed fort
years. of such constant and varied
activity, especially devoted to the de.
of his adopted home. From
large acquaintance with Eastern
men and editors, his work in
direction was particularly eff C.
tive. HIS Defense Of the People OF
New Mexico against the calumnies
of a scurrilous letter in the N. y.
Times in 1882 somewhat similar to
the North American Review affair
of last year, vas printed by thous-
ands and attracted wide attention
throughout the country. While still
on the bench he became the first
President of the Bureau Of lmnigra-
ton and organized It's work; and
held the same position under Two
nelDed organize the Santa Fe Board
Of Trade, which was the first civic
organization n the Southwest, was
its first vice-pre s'dent, and after
wards served fifteen times as its
president. He was esident of
the Tertio Miilennial Celebration in
1888 and devoted much time to that
remarkable exposition. In the ame
he wrote the Historical
Sketches OF New Mex'co", which for
many years was the only history OF
his section of the country follow
ID long after by the ConcAe His
of New Mexico and the Stu l.
History and recently by the
book on Spanish Mission Churches.
1882 down to the present h:
las been president of the Historical
and largely instrum ental in
the invaluable collection
which that Society now possesses.
Through the years when the Univrr-
iity carried on the work of public
here and afterward that