Thomas B. Catron

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.

Tom Catron's biography by William Keleher (written 1942) has several interesting references:

On page 135 a chapter begins about Tom's marriage.  A letter from 1867 came from Sallie Elkins to Tom at that time. Tom apparently had sent her a letter asking if she approved of a woman named "Bettie". Her answer was " . . . . to prevent you from taking any hasty steps in this matter, I have not received a line from her, have you, if so & you think courtesy demands an answer, be very careful, write a formal letter do not intimate your feelings - do not commit yourself. I know Mr. Catron that you are honest and conscientious & I would not willingly have your affections trifled with. Bettie, I know to be a heartless coquette - perfectly heartless, & for the friendship existing between you and Steve and that I feel for you myself I warn you to beware." A few lines later she says, " . . . . I know more than you probably think I do."

Catron didn't marry until he was 37. In 1867, when the letter was sent, he was 27 years old and Steve and Sallie had been married only one year. The letter is practically the only personal letter found in his papers for that period of years.

On page 137 Keleher mentions a dinner party held in Washington by the Elkins' when Tom Catron was in the city. (This was during the period that Elkins served in the Senate from WV. It provides an insight into Catron's naivete relative to social graces. Mrs. Elkins invited Catron to the dinner and answered his inquiry as to what to wear, telling him to come 'just as you like.' He did and found himself the only man in street clothes (not pressed and a boiled shirt) instead of a dress suit. (By the way, Catron's wife, Julia, spent most of their married years in Europe 'seeing to their son's education.' Catron apparently accepted the arrangement w/o complaining.