Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-10
MAXWELL WAS
REAL KING OF
u. S. SECTION
Ruled Absolute Over Two
Million Acres New Mex
leo Land.
BUILT UP AN EMPIRE
b. FREDERIo J. HAsKIN.


hasitants was once the headquarters OF
one of the greatest estates that ever be-
longed to one man in America-the IA
nous. Maxwell ranch-and the remains
of the baroniaI dwelling from. which it
was administered, still stands here.
In old books you can find facts about
the Maxwell ranch, and from old-hmers
hereabouts you can learn good deal
more. Indeed, there are few persons IN
this vicinity who can not tell you some
thing either from hearssy or from nrst-
hand knowledge about Maxwell and his
doings.
But to the world at large he and his
great estate are forgotten.
And this is to be regretted, for IL
would be hard to find more Significant
and dramatic passage in early south
western history than the story OF this
bit Of land.
Maxwell was really an absolute mon
arch ruling over a domain larger than
many of the states Of the union, and
several times as large as some European
states that have fags and crowns.
furthermore, he was evidently born
ruler and organizer. He was one Of the
arst msn to gather and hold land in the
great southwestern wilderness, TO or
Tanize and to make other men work for
his profit.
American capitalists In the west. The
establishment Of bis little Kingdom
marked the beginning of the transition
from the pioneer days, when everytA.ne
was free to everybody, TO the system OF
private ownership upon which industrial
America was built.
That whole transition was fought out
bloodily on this bit Of soil.
MISSOURI
SHOWED" 'EM.
Maxwell was a penniless and adyentur-
Gus young man from Missouri who Joined
the Fremont expedition to the west. He
was discharged and paid OF at Taos,
New Mexico, together with number Of
others. one Of whom was Kit Carson, the
famous scout and Indian fighter.
Maxwell and Carson were friends as
long as they both lived.
In Taos. lived some old Spanish fam
lies who owned wide lands granted them
By the Spanish king. They did little or
nothing with these lands and had only
the vaguest idea how much they owned.
In addition to their lands these Mexi-
can dons had large families, including
beautiful daughters.
Nearly all of the discharged members
of the Fremont expedition, Carson and
Maxwell among them, promptly fell in
love with senoritas, snd both of these
young adventurers were soon married.
Here the difference between them as
serted itself Carson. born fighter and
wauderer. deposited his wife and family
in an adobe house and left :kes there,
while he went out to MAKE place for
himself in history as an Indian fighter
and explorer.
He never gathered enough property to
hamper his movements. But Maxwell
took his bride, who was Luz Baubien be-
fore he married her. went across abe
mountains, and settled here on the Cimar-
ron, which was within the Bauhien and
Miranda grant
The Spanish owners had done little
with this great piece of land. II was a
rugged wilderness filed with wild In
dams; they preferred 10 stay in Taos.
But their Yankee son-in-law from Mis-
souri, proceeded TO do much with 1t. He
built a house, he brought In sheep and
cattle, he planted corn and wheat
He did not heroically fight the savages,
either; he made friends with them.
Thus he displayed one Of the hrst prin-
ciples Of capitalism, which IS never to
compete when you can cooperate.
A STROKE
OF GENIUS.
His greatest stroke OF commercial
genius came later when New Mexico was
being surveyed By a government sur
veyor-general. The deputy surveyors
were paid by the mile Of line they ran.
Il was therefore to theirs advantage to
survey as many miles as possible. The
boundaries Of the Baubieu and Miranda
grant, OF which Maxwell had now by
purchase and Inheritance become sole
owner. were vaguely defined by natural
landmarks
The surveyors were easily persuaded 10
choose landmarks which allowed for a
very liberal grant. in fact, astonishiugIy
liberal. Most OF the Spanish grants were
about 10000 acres each. and thero seems
70 have been some Spanish law limiting
them 10 that extent.
Maxwell managed TO have included
within the boundaries Of his grant about
100000 acres, and his right to this
enormous territory was confirmed by
congress
Thus he came into possession % an
estate about sixty miles long and thirty
miles wide, including some Of fhe best
cattle range IN the state. several hns
arabic valleys, and section Of high
mountain range where were gold coal
and other minerals, and fine forests Of
pine and spruce.
Game sbounded. and the streams
swarmed with trout. Here, truly, was
a domain worth owning.
Maxwell was at the height OF his glory
as land baron about the year 1867. He
had a great house which must have con-
tained about forty rooms, for less than
nah Of IL STANDS now. and that part
contains nineteen rooms
And this was no crude pioneer dwell.
ing. The walls were tastefulIy papered,
and it is said. deliberately furnished.
Maxwell had 800 men working for him.
He had thousands Of sheep, cattle and
. horses, a -four mill and a sawmiT. He
was Indian agent for several tribes, and
this gave him the right to have a troop
OF cavalry on his place, so that he may
be said to have had q standing army.
MONEY
TO BURN.
he kept free dining room where any
one might come and eat, but none was
allowed to pay. In fact, he dispensed a
practically unlimited hospitality
Once a young Englishman passing
through the country inquired of a man
sitting on the front porch Of the ranch
house whose he would find Maxwell, SO
that be might pay for his breakfast,
This man was a rough-looking fellow,
dressed In dirty breaches and riding
boots and bright red shirt which was
open at the neck to display nourishing
growth of coal black hair, of which its
owner was evidently very proud The
man had long black mustaches and
smoked a short cuddy pipe
This uncouth individual responded. to
the amazenent of The vfsitnr tint hn