OCR Text |
Show HISTORY New Mexico, which attended with all the atrocities of savage warfare; without any provocation wasfrom the people of New Mexico, they invaded our territory, destroyed isolated settlements, slaughtered our peace ful citizens without regard to age or sex, interrupted travel, captured our mails, paralyzed business, and imposed upon the executive of this Territory the necessity of calling the territorial lives and property of our citizens, atmilitia into service for the protection of an expense of fifty-four ($54,000) Der dollars;’’ that ‘‘for months this thostile band of savages set at defiance the powers of the general government and of this Territory, and were not taper until many lives had been lost and vast sums of In another Memorial relative to ar executive money expended in the effort. é order certain ek tory in the county of San Juan from settlement, the withdrawing legislature char the order as ‘‘ productive of very great and grievous wrong to a large num 7 of honest and law abiding American citizens, and in its scope and tenes Vaiese tyrannical and subversive of the principles of republican gove ment. _ *21L. Bradford Prince was born in Flushing, New York, July 3, 18 a lineal descendant, on the maternal side, of Governor William Bradfor a iB a Plymouth, who came to this country on the Mayflower. was Governor Bradford, of the same state. Prince family of His Long His great-grandia of Rhode Island, and his grandfather, Governor Co a paternal ancestors were Island. He is a the founders of the well bane graduate of Columbia Law mnt Very early in life Governor Prince developed an aptitude for political He was a delegate to all the P1878 state conventions in New York from 1866 to was elected a delegate to the national republican convention which nomin ated of New Mexico in the spring of 1889, very shortly after his inauguration as president. There was great ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR opposition to this action of the presiL. BRADFORD PRINCE dent among the leaders of the republican party in New Mexico, but Governor Prince, backed by the great financial interests of the east, and by the president of every great railroad company in the west, as well General Grant, and the following year became a member of the New York state republican committee. In 1870, ’71, ’73, and ’74 he was a member of the New York assembly, and in 1875 was elected to the state senate by an overwhelming majority. His legislative career was highly honorable and useful. He was selected as one of the judges to conduct the impeachme nt trial of two noted judges of his state; he was also selected for the purpose of formally impeaching Judge Barnard at the bar of the senate, charged with high crimes and misdemeanors. Governor Prince is an author of repute, having written, among other works, Historical Sketches of New Mexico. He was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of New Mexico by President Hayes in 1878, which office he resigned, in May, 1882, to engage in other matters. The impartiality of his administra tion as chief justice was approved by the business interests of the territory. Ever since his coming to New Mexico Governor Prince has at all times been foremost in the ranks of her citizens, doing his utmost, at home and abroad, for the welfare and prosperity of the people. He framed the act under which the bureau of immigration was organized. In 1881, he prepared a com- pilation of the laws of New Mexico. In 1883, he became president of the Historical Society of New Mexico. In procuring statehood for New Mexico, Governor Prince did as much as any other citizen. His administration of the affairs of the territory, while governor, was characterized by its progressive spirit, always having in view the industrial advancement of the territory. Socially no occupant of the old Palace, before or since, so elaboratel y entertained the people of all classes. For many years he has been identified as member and officer of the Trans-Mississippi and National Irrigation congresses, where he accomplished much for the best interests of the west. Governor Prince was married on the first of December, 1879, to Hattie E. Childs, who died within three months thereafter. On the 17th of November, 1881, he was united in marriage with Mary C. Beardsley, of Oswego, New York, a descendant of one of the most prominent families of the state, and a lady of charming individuality. Since his retirement from the office of governor, he has practiced his Profession in the courts of New Mexico, devoting time much to horticultural Pursuits, maintaining his residence in the county of Rio Arriba, near Chamita, from which county legislative assembly. he was a member of the legislative council in the 38th » Indiana, on the 25th of July, 1843. His parents were Horatio and Rebecca (Day) Thomas, both natives of Philadelphia, who removed to Indiana about 1836. His early life Was spent on his father’s farm, performing the usual duties of a farmer’s son Benjamin and acquiring Morris such Thomas was education born as the in Warren district county, schools afforded. He entered Wabash college, graduating in 1864, with the degree of A. M. He studied dentistry and practiced that profession in Valparaiso, Indiana, until 1870, when, On account of loss of health, he came to New Mexico. In 1871, he entered the United States Indian service and held office continuously under the Indian ureau until 1883, having had charge during that time of Victorio’s band of Southern Apaches, all of the Pueblos of New Mexico, as well as the Cimarron and Tierra Amarilla agencies of Utes and Jicarilla Apaches. He was also ee opposed to this reported intention of the government, saying that ‘‘ such removal would be a standing menace to the peace and well-being of the territory; that ‘‘in the year 1885, Geronimo and his band of hostile Apaches fled from their reservation at San Carlos, in the Territory of Arizona, and made a predatory raid into southern 003 2 wa ba 421 Another enactment of vital importance in the growth and standing of the territory was the act of February 28, 1889, by which was ‘‘created and established within and for the Territory of New Mexico an institution of learning, to be known as ‘The University of New Mexico.’ ’’ This institution was located near Alburquerque. The School of Mines located at Socorro, was established by the same act, as was also the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, at Mesilla Park. The New Mexico Normal University, at Las Vegas, was established by an act of 1893. The New Mexico Military Institute, at Roswell, was established by an act passed February 23, 1893. The Normal School at Silver City was established in 1893. Several important Memorials to the President of the United States were passed, one of which related to the contemplate Geronimo, and his band, from their place of d removal of the Apache chief, confinement in Florida, to the Mescalero reservation in southern New Mexico. The assembly was strongly 1912 st et : ar Benjamin Harrison commissioned I. Bradford Prince 4? governor 1880 TO ee ae much scandal growing out of speculation in territorial warrants, as it was generally believed that a few individuals living at Santa Fé were in position to secure advantage in time of payment of debts of this character. This enactment forever closed the door to this sort of speculation.**? Governor Ross’s administration was also hampered by the raids of the hostile Apaches, and it was during ‘the closing years of his incumbency that the pestilential Apache was silenced forever. a MEXICAN eee OF NEW Ce FACTS eee ee NI me eet: er Beret a he Oe aeShae eee Petit ce. ee me ee ke Se Pe ean at pinta LEADING 3 002 |