The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-04-21
The New Idria Quicksilver Mine Sold
for 81, ,ooo,o 900.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 19.-It is stated,
on the authority of Thomas Ball, President
of the New Idria Quicksilver Mining Com
pany, that the trustees of the company have
ratified the bond for deed to be- executed
on the 1st of September next to Montgom-
cry Blair in consideration of 81, ,000, 900.
S400, 600 down and the balance in five years,
secured by mortgage on the mine at 7 per
cent The company protest that this is not
a compromise with McGarrahan.
The McGarrahan case isone of those per.
efniii affairs liel. IS breaking ont afresh
every now and then, like the famous Chor-
penning claim. The New hlria Quicksilver
Mine, the ownership of which has been SO
long in dispute, is situated in an indies
cribably, dreary locality, about 200 miles
south of Sacramento, Cal. From the mine
there slopes easily down to the San Joaquin
a vast plain. which is we'll nigh a desert.
On the west, the plain is bounded by range
of low foothills, with here and there mis-
erable dwarfed oak, the surface creased in
the manner peculiar to the scenery of that
section of California, and the whole plain
and it's fringe of hills about the color Of q
withered yellow rose. There hoyers over
the foothills, however, that wonderfully
soft, lilac, chiaroscuro haze, which glorifies
the distance beyond description. On the
desert plain there is a little, fine wiry grass,
and on the foothills, among the few oaks,
now and then bunch of bright green
chemical, or of yellow-green sage. Even
the tops of the Coast Range there are scarce
ly wooded, producing only sickly pines and
struggling live oaks. But the famous mine
which has these dismal surroundings is one
of wonderful richness, the bed of quicksil-
yer being, it is said, almost exhaustless.
The mine was opened up about fifteen years
ago, and was worked successfully for few
years, when operations were stopped by an
Injunction which continued in force until
1866. Since that date, although the title to
the property has continued in dispute, the
mine has been actively worked, from 200 to
800 men being constantly employed. The
crude ore yields about, per cent. of clear
quicksilver, the monthly product Of the
mine at present being worth about $780,
900. The New Idria Mining Company,
which is now in possession of the mine,
claims ownership by virtue of an alleged
purchase from the original settlers of the
country in which it is situated. William
McGarrahan bases his claim to the property
upon an alleged purchase of it from the
owners under authority of an old Mexican
grant and of patent which he claims was
once executed but from which the sigma
ture was afterward wrongfully erased. He
traces his claim back to Mexican named
Vicente Gomez, who, in February, 1858,
presented his claim to q tract of land COM
prising four square leagues, and known as
the Rancho Panoche Grande. His case was
carried from court to court until the Su-
preme Court of the United States finally
decided thas.it had no foundation what
ever. McGarrahan, having purchased his
alleged interests, obtained fresh foothold
for them through general act in reference
to Mexican land grants passed by Congress
in 1865, and ever since then he has beer
struggling, in Congress and out of it, to OBJ
tain legislation which will turn the mine
over to him. Certain Congressman have
been very active in the past in furthering
his pretensions, but not to any purpose
Finally, the Government of the United
States still further complicated the matter
by putting in claim of its own, based or
the ground that all the private claims are
invalid, and that the General Government
had never parted with its own title. Jusi
at the close of the last session Of the 436
Congress, in March, 1876, clause was in
serted in the Sundry Civil Appropriation
| bill, by which the Secretary of the interior
was instructed to report to the present Con.
gress whether the New Idria Company oc
cupies more land than it is entitled to under
the mining laws. Under this provision the
Secretary of the Interior, in May last, ap
pointed Commissioner TO make the re
quired investigation, and he has since beer
employed at this task, but without having
| as yet reported upon it. 1t is claimed by
McGarrahan that the New Idria Compan,
has, since it has been in possession Of th'
mine, taken from it quicksilver to the value
of 81, 100000. The sale Of the Co. Is claim
to exp Postmaster-G General Montgomery Blai
for s., ,000. 900, shows that the property is
very valuable ONE, and there is little caus
for wonder at the struggle for its possession
I-Phisa. Telegraph. 4eea