6) There were only ten counties in NM until the end of the Civil War. (NM is about 4th or 5th in land size in the U. S.)
7) Indians did not have the vote in NM.
8) Territorial law differed from the law practiced in the states.
9) Yankee Gold is a myth buster, tearing down the theory of the
Santa Fe Ring as a conspiracy to steal land grants & resell them at
inflated prices. After Elkins left NM he left his law partner, Tom
Catron in charge. However, Catron did not control the
bank, although he borrowed from it when he could - and liberally.
Catron knew the most about land grants and was a canny lawyer in court.
The law partnership was shared with Elkins' other best friend whom he
recruited from Missouri, Henry Waldo. Waldo, at
Elkins' recommendation, became Supreme Court Chief Justice in 1878 (I
believe.) Waldo was a Democrat and Elkins and Catron Republicans. Elkins
was the only one who had served the Union.
10) Elkins never admitted that he was a Union soldier and officer
in the Civil War during the time he was in NM. As far as I know, only
Tom Catron, Indian Superintendent Michael Steck, and Territorial
Secretary William F. M. Arny knew it. Arny was the
highest ranking Republican in office, except for Elkins' enemy,
Congressman Chaves, in NM until Elkins became Congressman. Steck and
Arny, like Elkins, were abolitionists or Radicals as they were called in
that day.
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