USA > Arizona > History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530-1888, Volume XVII > Part 67
USA > New Mexico > History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530-1888, Volume XVII > Part 67
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John Y. T. Smith is named as the Ist settler in Salt River valley, and J. W. Swilling as the originator of the 1st irrigating canal. Henry Wicken- burg, for whom the town was named, came from Cal. in 1862, and discovered the famous Vulture mine. He was still living in 1875, and perhaps 10 years later. James Stinson resides at Phoenix, and has a stock ranch in the Tonto Basin. He is a native of Maine, came to Cal. in 1855, and after extensive wanderings in the northern territories, to Ariz. from Colorado in 1873. His wife was Melissa Bagley, and they have two children. M. H. Sherman of N. Y. came in 1873 as principal of the Prescott schools. He was elected supt of public instruction in 1880, and appointed adj .- gen. in 1883. He is president of a bank at Phoenix.
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625
PINAL COUNTY.
The railroad extends about 70 miles across the south- western part of the county; and in this region stands also the famous Casa Grande, an adobe structure which was probably seen by the Spaniards in 1540, and was certainly built at a much earlier date. Flor- ence, on the Gila, is the county seat and metropolis, and has a population of over 1,000, in many respects resembling the town of Phoenix. Casa Grande sta- tion, with nearly 500 inhabitants, is the principal railroad town, and Silver King and Pinal are the most flourishing settlements of the mining region. By reason of its situation and varied resources, this county bids fair to be permanently one of the most prosperous in Arizona. The Deer Creek coal-field, of great prospective value, is on the eastern frontier of Pinal, within the Indian reservation. A large por- tion of the county is included in the Reavis land grant.10
10 Pinal statistics of the 10th census: pop. 3,044, Florence 902, Pinal 166; Maricopa 96, Miami 53, Sanford 39, Casa Grande 33. no. of farms 76, average size 215 a., extent 16,337 a., improved 7,841, value $173,750, implements $13,- 000, horses 542, mules 83, oxen 9, cows 478, cattle 3,537, sheep 5, swine 417, value of live-stock $88,061, wool 14 lbs., milk 3,650 gal., butter 9,425 1bs., cheese 825 lbs., barley 33,800 b., corn 2,205 b., wheat 22,357, value of farm products $71,875, assessments $2,205,129, tax $36,831. Hamilton's statistics: pop. 3,362, assessed value $1,753,000, cattle 25,000, horses 2,000, mules 1,000; swine 600, sheep 3,500, cultivated land 7,000 a., not including the Indian farms. Assessed value in 1883, acc. to E. & Co., $1,898,142. Florence was founded in 1869, the 1st house having been built in 1866. Its buildings are of adobe, and a large element of the pop. is Mexican. There are 2 hotels, 2 schools, catholic church, court-house, brewery, flouring mill, and many stores, shops, etc. The newspaper is the Enterprise. Elliott notes Primrose Hill, near the town, where Poston proposed to built a temple to the sun for the Parsee worship, spending several thousand dollars in grading a spiral road to the summit. Another of Poston's schemes was to establish an ostrich farm. Pinal was formerly called Picket Post. It has a church and school, and a pop. of nearly 400. "Here are the mills of the Silver King Co. Its newspaper is the Drill. Silver King, with 500 inhab., is at the mine. It has 2 hotels, and a fine hall. The mine was located in 1875. Casa Grande is an adobe town, and is the principal shipping point and stage station for Florence, Globe, and Quijotoa. Adamsville on the Gila is now abandoned. Levi Rug- gles, the founder of Florence, where he resides as a merchant, came to Ariz. in 1866 as Ind. agent. He was a member of the council in 1873 and 1877, also registrar and receiver of the land-office. He is a native of Ohio, and his wife was Cynthia M. Tharp. Arthur Macy, born in N. Y. city, 1852, and graduate of the school of mines, was R. R. and mining engineer, and expert in N. Y., N. C., Col., and Id. down to 1883, when he came to Ariz. as supt of the Silver King Mining Co. He has furnished an excellent account of the discovery and history of this most famous of all Ariz. mines.
HIST. ARIZ. AND N. MEX. 40
625
COUNTIES AND TOWNS OF ARIZONA.
Gila county, named for the river, was created from Maricopa and Pinal in 1881, being extended eastward to the San Carlos in 1885. Globe City is its county scat, and it is the smallest of Arizona counties, having an area of 3,400 square miles, and a population of about 1,500. Gila is essentially a mining county, its settlement dating from the discovery of the Globe district lodes in 1876, and all its many mountains and ranges being rich in gold and silver, as noted in an- other chapter. The mountains are also well timbered, and the valleys, small but numerous, are fertile, with abundance of grass, and some of them well watered by the Salt River and its tributary creeks. Much of the best land is, however, within the limits of the San Cárlos reservation, and thus closed to settlers. Globe City, the chief town and county seat, is a flourishing place on Pinal Creek, in the centre of the southern part of the county, a town of wood and brick build- ings, having nearly 1,000 inhabitants. The great need of Globe, and of all the Gila camps, is railroad com- munication with the outer world, the distance at present to railroad stations, Willcox in the south-east or Casa Grande in the south-west, being over 100 miles.11
Graham county, so called probably from the moun- tain peak of that name,12 was created in 1881 from
Thomas F. Weedin, editor and proprietor of the Florence Enterprise, is a native of Mo., born in 1854, who learned his trade as printer at Kansas City, first coming to the Pac. coast in 1875. He was a member of the 13th legis- lature, and is a man enthusiastically devoted to the interests of his town and county.
11 In the 10th census Gila is included in Maricopa and Pinal. The pop. of Globe is given as 704. Hamilton's statistics of 1882-3: pop. 1,582, assessed value $1,115,000, cattle 15,000, horses 1,000, mules 800, swine 300, sheep 3,000, cultivated land 1,500 acres. Globe may have been named from a globe, or bowlder, of silver weighing 300 lbs., found here at the beginning. The town has an altitude of over 4,000 ft, with an agreeable and healthful climate. It has 2 churches, school, hotel, two newspapers --- the Silver Belt and Chronicle-bank, brewery, 12 stores, and all the usual establishments of a mining camp and distributing point for other camps. Hamilton and Elliott have but little to say in detail of the other camps, except in connection with the mines, on which their existence depends. By reason of expensive transpor- tation, with unwise and extravagant management, most of the mines have been under a cloud in late years. Here, as in most other regions of Arizona, a railroad is projected.
12 The name Mt Graham is used by Emory in the report of his reconnois-
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GRAHAM COUNTY.
Pima and Apache, the county seat being at first Saf- ford, but moved to Solomonville in 1883. In 1885 a small tract west of the San Carlos was cut off and added to Gila, the remaining area being about 6,475 square miles. Its population is about 4,000. In the north, west, and south are large tracts of excellent grazing land, the half-dozen ranchos of H. C. Hooker, and especially the Sierra Bonita of 500 square miles, with its thoroughbred horses and cattle, being famous throughout the territory ; but a very large part of the north-western region, about one fourth of the whole county, is within the White Mountain Indian reserva- tion. In the central portion of the Gila is a fine tract of fertile and irrigable land, notably the Pueblo Viejo valley, once inhabited by Pueblo tribes, as is indicated by traces of aboriginal structures. This region is as yet but sparsely settled, but is being gradually occu- pied by Mormon and other settlers. In the east, adjoining New Mexico on the tributaries of the San Francisco, are the copper mines, which are among the most productive in the world, this region being con- nected by a narrow-gauge railroad with the Southern Pacific at Lordsburg, New Mexico. Solomonville, named for a pioneer family, is an adobe town of nearly 400 inhabitants, in the centre of the Pueblo Viejo valley. Clifton, the metropolis, with a population of about 1,000, is built in a cañon of the San Francisco River, where are the reduction-works of the Arizona Copper Company, and is the terminus of the railroad. Fort Grant and Camp Thomas are the county's mili- tary posts, Smithville and Central are Mormon villages on the Gila. 18
sance of 1846, its origin not being stated. Otherwise, I should suppose it to have been named for Graham, who was prominent in the boundary survey of 1850-2. The facts have escaped my search.
13 Statistics of the 10th census: pop. of Solomonville 175, San José 186, Safford 173, C. Thomas 112, C. Grant 243. Hamilton's stat .: pop. 4,229, assessed value $1,181,064, cattle 20,000, horses 4,000, mules 1,000, swine 500, sheep 10,000, cultivated land 7,000 acres. A large part of the pop. is Mexi- can. Clifton has a newspaper, the Clarion, a school, 2 hotels, 8 stores, and saloons more than sufficient for its needs. The town has all the characteris- ties of a prosperous mining camp. Solomonville has a fine adobe court-house,
628
COUNTIES AND TOWNS OF ARIZONA.
school, hotel, and the necessary stores and shops. It will doubtless become the metropolis in time, being in the centre of a rich agricultural and grazing region. Safford, farther down the Gila, is a pleasant village, with a hotel, flouring mill, and two stores. Fruits promise well in this region. The Mcr- mon settlements are below Safford. Thomas is a town of 10 stores, 2 hotels, shops, etc., supported mainly by the adjacent military post.
Geo. H. Stevens, county recorder, was born in Mass. 1844, and came to Ariz. in 1866. He served as Indian agent at Camp Grant and S. Carlos, serving with Gen. Crook's scouts, being employed to remove the White Mt Apaches in 1875, and being post-treasurer at S. Carlos till 1878, being also the owner of Eurcka Springs rancho, and later of the Eagle Creek rancho, t.ll driven out by Ind. in 1880, when he settled in Pueblo Viejo valley. He was three times a member of the legislature, clerk of board of supervisors, andI sheriff. Was at one time the only resident of the county. He resides at Solomonville.
The following residents of Arizona, who have kindly furnished me with dictations, are also deserving of mention. In Tucson, M. G. Samaniego, in 1881 a member of the legislature, and in 1888 county assessor; G. N. Tich- enor, a manufacturer and mining man; H. B. Tenney, editor and manager of the Arizona Citizen; A. Steinfeld, one of the leading merchants in Arizona; A. Goldschmidt, a wholesale grocer; M. S. Snyder, a member of the legi la- ture; C. A. Shibell, clerk and recorder of Pima county; G. H. Barnhart, a mining man; F. L. Proctor, a stock-raiser; C. R. Wores, the owner of sam- pling works; Major F. W. Smith, a native of Virginia; W. K. Meade, U. S. marshal; H. D. Underwood, a commission, mining, and real estate man; Gen. T. F. Wilson, a lawyer, and formerly U. S. consul to Brazil and else- where; F. A. Austin, a merchant and mining man; Judge J. H. Wright, chief justice of Arizona. In Prescott, S. C. Miller, a stock-raiser; C. S. Hutchinson, a druggist; J. Lawler, a mining man; T. J. Eaman, a stock- raiser; J. Dougherty, a general merchant; F. Q. Cockburn, manager of the Arizona Sampling Works; Judge S. Howard, in 1884 chief justice of the ter- ritory, and in 1887 mayor of Prescott; T. W. Boggs, a mining man and ranch- owner. In Phoenix, A. L. Meyer, in 1888 its mayor; O. L. Mahoney, M. D., superintendent of the insane asylum; W. J. Murphy, a contractor; H. E. Kemp, whose business is in hardware and agricultural implements; E. Ganz, a wholesale liquor merchant; A. C. Baker, the city attorney; J. W. Evans, a real estate agent; C. Eschman, a druggist; J. Campbell, probate judge; L. H. Chalmers and Judge W. Street, lawyers; F. Cox, district attorney; F. M. Scofield, a ranch-owner; Col W. Christy, cashier, and E. J. Bennett, assistant cashier, of the Valley Bank of Phoenix; C. Churchill, formerly attor- ney-general of Arizona; Dr J. E. Wharton, county physician, etc .; S. E. Pat- ton, a contractor and builder. In Nogales, G. Christ, a mine, ranch. and hotel owner; J. T. Brickwood, a ranch and city real estate owner; J. J. Chatham, proprietor of the Sunday Herald, and member of the legislature; Major H. A. Read, a mining man; Capt. John J. Noon, a native of Ireland, an experienced and successful mining man, having travelled extensively in the territories of the Pacific coast, discoverer of the well-known Noon mine in Nogales; Louis Proto, a substantial merchant and mining man. In Mayer, G. E. Brown and J. Miller, and in Stoddard, Roberts and Wells, cattle-raisers. Mention is also required of W. C. Land, a member of the well-known cattle firm of Tevis, Perrin, Land, & Co., whose interests are in Cochise and Pima counties. To this gentleman I am indebted for a valuable dictation on the cattle interests of Arizona and her adjoining territories.
CHAPTER XXV. TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.
1851-1863.
ORGANIC ACT -LIST OF GOVERNORS AND OTHER OFFICIALS - CIVIL VERSUS MILITARY AUTHORITY-SUMNER'S SUGGESTIONS-LEGISLATIVE ASSEM- BLIES-MEMBERS AND ACTS-SYSTEM FOLLOWED -- CAPITAL AND CAPITOL - ARCHIVES AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY - COUNTIES - POPULATION - FINANCE -- EDUCATION-INDUSTRIES-TRADE-FAIRS-AGRICULTURE AND STOCK-RAISING-STATISTICS FROM CENSUS REPORTS-PUBLIC LANDS- PRIVATE LAND CLAIMS-PUEBLO GRANTS-MINING INDUSTRY-NEW MEXICO IN CONGRESS-CONTESTED SEATS-APPROPRIATIONS-DISPUTED BOUNDARY-THE MESILLA VALLEY-EXPLORATIONS.
IN an earlier chapter the history of New Mexico has been brought down to the organization of a terri- torial government by act of congress in 1850, and in certain matters, notably the Mexican boundary con- troversy and survey, has been carried somewhat further.1 The organic act of September 9, 1850, was similar to those by which other territories were cre- ated, and need not be analyzed here, so far as minute details are concerned. By its provisions the president was to appoint for four years a governor at a salary of $1,500, a secretary at $1,800, attorney at $250, mar- shal at $200 and fees, and three justices of the supreme court at $1,800 each. The governor was to act also as superintendent of Indian affairs for a compensation of $1,000 per year. The secretary was to act as gov- ernor in the absence or disability of that officer. A legislative assembly, consisting of a council of thirteen members elected for two years, and house of 26 rep- resentatives elected for one year, was to hold annual
1 See chap. xviii. of this volume.
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TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.
sessions of 40 days at a compensation of three dollars per day for each member, and mileage at the rate of three dollars for 20 miles. All aets must be submitted to congress, to be null and void if disapproved. The supreme court was to consist of a chief justice and two associates, appointed by the president for four years at a salary of $1,800, each to reside and hold distriet court in one of the three judicial distriets assigned him, besides an annual session of the whole court at the capital. A delegate to each congress was to be elected by the people. The choice of a tempo- rary seat of government, apportionment of representa- tives, time and places of election, and the appointment of local and subordinate officials were left at the be- ginning with the governor, but were subsequently to be regulated by territorial law.2
The officials appointed by the president in 1851 were James S. Calhoun as governor, already in New Mexico for some years as superintendent of Indian affairs; Hugh N. Smith, not confirmed by the senate, and replaced by William S. Allen, as secretary;" Grafton Baker as chief justice, with John S. Watts and Horace Mower as associates;4 Elias P. West as attorney; and John G. Jones as marshal. Governor Calhoun was inaugurated on the 3d of March, and thus, very quietly so far as the records show, the territorial government went into operation; an elec- tion was held by the governor's order, and the new legislature was ready to begin work in June. I ap-
2 See N. Mex., Compiled Laws, 45-54, for the organic act, followed, pp. 55 et seq., by organic acts common to all the territories. The legislature was prohibited from interfering with the primary disposal of lands, from taxing U. S. property, and from taxing the property of non-residents higher than that of residents; otherwise, it might pass any acts not inconsistent with the organic act or the constitution of the U. S.
3 Delegate Weightman opposed the nomination of Smith and defeated him, but could not secure the appointment of Manuel Alvarez as he desired. Cong. Globe, 1852-3, app. 108. Allen did not reach N. Mex. till June, and D. V. Whiting acted as sec. hy appointment of the gov. from April 5th to June 20th. Corresp. about his claim for pay in U. S. Govt Doc., 32 cong. Ist sess., H. Ex. Doc. 81.
+ Acc. to list in N. Mex., Reports, i., these justices were appointed in 1852; but Ritch, Blue-Book, has it 1851, which I have no doubt is accurate. I have found no original records of these early appointments.
631
OFFICIAL LISTS.
pend a list of the territorial officials in 1851-63, the limits of this chapter.5 These early officials were for
5 See, besides miscel. records in U. S. and N. Mex. documents, Ritch's Legis- lative Blue-Book, which is the best and most comprehensive list; for perhaps that in McCarty's Statistician, 1884, from material furnished by Ritch; also Amer. Almanac, 1851-63; and Camp's Year Book, 1869, p. 69. The dates given in the following lists are those of appointment or election. I have in most cases found no original records of exact dates, and as to the years there is some discrepancy, especially respecting the judges of the sup. court, the dates of the list in N. Mex. Reports, i., being apparently inaccurate in this respect.
Governors, 1851-2, James S. Calhoun; 1852, Col E. V. Sumner, mil. com., acting as gov. for a few months; 1852, John Greiner, sec., acting as gov. for 2 months; 1852-3, Wm Carr Lane; 1853-4, Wm S. Messervy, sec., act. gov. for 4 months; 1853-7, David Merriwether; 1854-7, W. H. H. Davis, sec., act. gov. for 11 months; 1857-61, Abraham Rencher; 1861 et seq., Henry Con- nelly.
Secretaries, 1851, D. V. Whiting, acting for a time by gov.'s appointment; 1851-2, Wm S. Allen; 1852-3, John Greiner; 1853-4, Wm S. Messervy; 1854-7, W. H. H. Davis; 1857-61, A. M. Jackson; 1861, Miguel A. Otero; 1861-2, Jas H. Holmes; 186. et seq., W. F. M. Arny.
Delegates in congress, 3_1 cong., 1851-2, R. H. Weightman; 33d cong., 1853-4, José M. Gallegos; 34th to 36th cong., 1855-60, Miguel A. Otero; 37th cong., 1861-2, John S. Watts.
Chief justices, 1851-3, Grafton Baker; 1853-8, Jas J. Davenport; 1858 et seq., Kirby Benedict. The chief justice was assigned to the 1st district re- siding at Sta Fé. Associate justices of 2d and 3d districts respectively (but the districts were changed from 1860), John S. Watts 1851-4 and Horace Mower 1851-3; Perry E. Brocchus 1854-9 and Kirby Benedict 1853-8; W. F. Boone 1859-61 and Wm G. Blackwood (preceded by L. L. Nabers and fol- lowed by W. A. Davidson, who were apparently appointed but did not serve) 1858-61; Sydney A. Hubbell and Jos. S. Knapp 1861 et seq. Clerks of sup. court, 1852-4, Jas M. Giddings; 1854-6, Lewis D. Sheets; 1856-9, Augustine Demarle; 1859 et seq., Sam. Ellison.
Attorney-generals, 1852-4, Henry C. Johnson and Merrill Ashurst; 1854-8, Theo. D. Wheaton; 1858-9, R. H. Tompkins; 1859-60, Hugh N. Smith (died in office); 1860-2, Spruce M. Baird; 1862, Chas P. Cleaver and Sam. B. Elkins; 1863 et seq., C. P. Cleaver.
Treasurers, 1851-4 (from '46?), Chas Blumner; 1854-7, Chas L. Spencer; 1857, Hezekiah S. Johnson (resigned); 1857 et seq., Chas Blumner.
Auditors, 1851, Jas W. Richardson; 1851-2, Robert T. Brent; 1852-3, Lewis D. Sheets; 1853, J. W. Richardson (but named in laws of '51-2 as ap- pointed in place of Sheets, resigned); 1853-6, Horace L. Dickenson; 1856-61, Aug. Demarle; 1861 et seq., Demetrio Perez.
U. S. attorneys, 1851, E. P. West; 1853, W. H. H. Davis; 1855, Wm C. Jones; 1858, R. H. Tompkins; 1860, T. D. Wheaton.
U. S. marshals, 1851, John G. Jones; 1853, Chas L. Rumley; 1854, Chas H. Merritt; 1856, Chas Blumner (but named in laws of '54-5); 1860, Chas P. Cleaver; 1861, Ahram Cutler.
Surveyor-generals, 1854-60, Wm Pelham, with C. B. Magruder as clerk and D. V. Whitney as translator; 1860, Alex. P. Wilbar, with D. J. Miller clerk and trans .; 1861 et seq., John A. Clark, with Miller.
Register of Sta Fé land-office, 1858, W. A. Davidson; 1860, O. P. Richard- son; 1861 et seq., Joab Houghton. Receiver, 1858 et seq., W. A. Stout.
Adjutant-general, 1861 et seq., C. P. Cleaver. Assessor of internal rev- enue, 1862, J. M. Vaca (did not qualify); 1862, Vicente St Vrain. Collector int. rev., 1862 et seq., Chas Blumner. In charge of U. S. depository, 1858 et seq., Wm A. Stout. Librarian, 1852-4, John Ward; 1854-7, Juan C. Tapia; 1857 et seq., vacant.
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032
TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.
the most part men of fair ability and honesty, though not as a rule appointed with any special view to their fitness. Governor Calhoun was a politician of consid- erable executive ability, honorable in his intentions, popular, but intemperate, who was for some time un- fitted by illness for his official duties, and died in June 1852 on his way to the states. Colonel E. V. Sum- ner, the military commander, in the absence of the secretary, took charge of civil affairs until Governor Lane arrived in September. This act of Sumner, par- ticularly his dealings with certain criminals, led to a controversy. The people, or the little clique of poli- ticians masquerading as the people, claimed the right to choose their temporary rulers in the absence of the appointees, and some public meetings were held to protest against military despotism. On the other hand, anarchy and even intended revolt were talked of, all apparently without any real foundation. All was indeed an outgrowth of the old quarrel of 1849- * 50 between the advocates of state, territorial, and military government, which for several years did not wholly disappear. The masses knew but little and cared less about the matter. Colonel Sumner in his re- port of May took a very unfavorable view of the country and its prospects. No civil government emanating from the United States could be maintained without the army, making it virtually a military government, costly and burdensome to the nation, without helping the New Mexicans, who would become only the more worthless the more public money was spent in the country. "Withdraw all the troops and civil officers," was his advice, "and let the people elect their own civil officers, and conduct their government in their own way under the general supervision of our govern- ment. It would probably assume a similar form to the one found here in 1846; viz., a civil government but under the entire control of the governor. This change would be highly gratifying to the people. There would be a pronunciamiento every month or
633
RULERS AND CONTROVERSIES.
two, but these would be of no consequence, as they are very harmless when confined to Mexicans alone." The secretary of war went a step further, and suggested the buying of all New Mexican property, either for money or in exchange for other lands, and abandon- ing the territory as much cheaper than employing a military force at an annual cost of nearly half the total value of real estate. And indeed, it would have been cheaper in dollars if humanity, civilization, and treaty rights might have been disregarded. But Delegate Weightman spoke eloquently in defence of the character of his constituents and their claim to protection; and presumably there was no danger that congress would seriously entertain so remarkable a proposition.6 Nearly every prominent official became involved in controversies and the object of divers ac- cusations, into the merits of which, with the often meagre and one-sided evidence at my command, I can- not enter with any hope of doing justice to the parties interested. Governor Lane was highly esteemed as a man of superior ability, and his rule ended in his attempt to be elected delegate and his defeat by Padre Gallegos. Governor Merriwether had his foes, and was even burned by them in effigy.7 Secretary Davis has become famous for his books on New Mexico else- where noticed, in one of which he describes to some extent his experiences in these years. Governor Rencher was a lawyer who had been member of con- gress and minister to Portugal. Governor Connelly was an old resident and trader on the Santa Fé trail, a man of good intentions, of somewhat visionary and poetic temperament, of moderate abilities and not much force. All these rulers performed their routine
6 Sumner's reports in U. S. Govt Doc., 32d cong. 2d sess., i. pt ii. 23-6; Weightman's speech in Cong. Globe, 1852-3, app. 103 et seq. Another speech of W. Id., 1851-2. App. 323-36, contains an interesting narrative of political wrangles for the past few years, but far too complicated to be utilized here. Ellison's Hist. N. Mex., MS., contains notes on the character of the early governors and other officials.
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