OCR Text |
Show 382 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. This being adjoining to the waste land would be used as a bait to sell their worthless lands. This surveying business was conducted by corpora-tions composed of the most wealthy and influential men of the several districts. As the lands and lines became defined, they having the option from the government on all the land, took possession of these new portions, and commenced to advertise and offer millions of acres for sale at very low figures. Sometimes this surveying company would become owners of certain ranches. Many of the incorporators being land owners would arrange with the surveying company to add acreage from the worthless lands and on the reputation of the old ranch sell the whole tract. To explain this I will instance one case that came under my own observation and was offered here in Utah. Without naming the ranch I will call it C . What is commonly known as the Rancho de C . When enquiry is made regarding it the common answer from the people is that C is a fine place, good land with plenty of water a splendid place. This means five thousand acres of good bottom land along the Rio C , and that is all the Mexican ranchers mean when he speaks of the ranch. The old grant probably embraces two hundred thousand acres extending out from the water about as far as stock would travel from water. There is but very little water except in the river. This ranch is bounded on three sides by dry deserts and one side by mountains with some timber. One attempt has been made to put this ranch, with five hundred thousand acres of worthless land added, upon the market on the reputation of the little fertile valley of five thousand acres of fine agricultural lands. |