Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-04-12
M'GARRAHAN.
The End of Famous Lawsuit.
San Francisco Chronicle.

For a period of over fifteen years the
McGarrahan claim against the parties
in possession of the great New Iria
quicksilver mine in Fresno County, one
of the richest and most valuable mines
in the world, has occupied the attention
of the courts of California, and of the
Supreme Court at Washington. Proba-
bly, no lawsuit ever instituted has in
volved such enormous expense as this.
The money expended in the course of
the litigation In it's various stages would
have constituted colossal fortune In
one shape or another this great suit has
been before nearly all the courts Of the
state of superior Jurisdiction. There
have been endless applications for in
functions, for the dissolution of injunc-
tons, for receiverships, for the taking
of testimony de bene esse. There has
been more appearing, moving, swear
ing, interrogating filing, cross-hling, ar
gulng and rearguing, than in the re-
nOwned chancery suit of Jarndyce VS..
Jarndyce. The briefs, points, and
printed arguments that have been
handed in,' " submitted" or CO filed "
IN this case would fill a baggage train
of the Central Pacific Railroad. There
is scarcely lawyer OF eminence in
San Francisco who has not been en-
gagged on one side or other of this itiga-
ton III some of its multifarious stages,
and the fees they have received would
pay for the completion of our munich
pal elephant-the new City Hall.
Among the distinguished members of
the profession who have at one time or
another had finger In this fruity pie
and pulled out plum are the Hon.
Eugene Casserly, the Hon. j. w. Dwin-
ellie, W. II. L. Barnes, Sam Wilson, Hall
McAllister, Ben Brooks, Mr.. Gould,
formerly partner Of the late
oscar L. shafter, and numerous
others. in Washington the Hon.
Jere S. Black, the late Edwin NJ
Stanton. Ben Butler, and other lesser
luminaries, have made arguments in
the case before the Supreme Court, or
otherwise participated In it. At one
stage of the proceedings it came before
Congress, where the indefatigable Nc
Garrahan sought to obtain the redress
which the courts were so slow in award
ing him. The defendants enjoyed the
immense advantage of being IL posses
sion of the mine, which abundantly
supplied them with the sinews of war.
They were carrying on prodigious
business, the profits of which have
never been accurately known. They
employed 400 hands at the mine-at
the site of whSh village sprang up
with population Of not less than 900,
all of whom derived, directly or indi-
rectly, their support from the quick
silver bonanza. The product of the
mine was not estimated at less than
5000 TASKS, of 765 pounds each, per
.~nnun. By reserving and storing up
the quicksilver when the yield was
large, they controlled the market price,
and prevented it from going below a
certain figure. McGarrahan, On the
other hand, was without pecuniary re-
sources, and it was the constant won
der of his antagonists how he was able
to keep up this long, titanic conflict.
At one time the theory Was that he
had made great joint stock company
out Of the mine, capitalizing it at sew
eral millions of dollars, and that he
paid his lawyers and lobbyists contin-
gent fees, and bought up Congressman
With the shares. The report now comes
rom Washington that this protracted
contest is settled, and the case stricken
rom the docket of the Supreme
Jourt. The terms are stated to be the
'ayment of 81 ,000, 900 by McGarrahan
the defendants-$ 100000 in cash,
nd 100000 to be paid out of the first
roceeds of the mine after the change
f possession. The report also says
lat Gen. B. F. Butler is the plaintiff
nancial hacker in the transaction.
he 100000 may prove good in
estment. A great many millions have
cen taken out of the mine, and there
lay be as many more millions left.
ut the history of the Emma mine
lows that sooner or later there comes
time when the richest mines peter