The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-02-06
Washington Letter

From Our regular correspondent
Washington, p. c., February 3, 1870.
One of the things that agitates Con-
gress at every session, and stirs up the
minds of our lawyers, and nearly
evsry body else in and about Wash
ington, is the famous McGarrahan
claim. The Judiciary Committee and
Public Land Committee of both House
and Senate have each in turn wrcstled
with it and both Houses now have it
before them, with a faint prospect of
getting it out of the way forever.
William McGarrahan is the owner of
piece of land in California, which he
purchased of grantee of the Mexican
government. His title to this land, i'm
all that constitutes evidence of owner
ship, is perfect, and so, in numberless
instances, has been pronounced. Be-
tween him and his patent there stands
a single technical obstacle: A clerical
omission by copyist in the Land
Office-whether accidental or fraudu-
lentis unknown-a merely formal, not
a substantial defect, Operating against
McGarrahan, is rich corporation
known as the New Idria Quicksilver
Mining Company, which has fought
and baftied the poor. Irishman with
the money it had made out of quick,
silver mine OH the premises. This
company is not known to the Land
Office records, and nobody knows how
it acquired the shadow of title to the
property in question. If it does not
belong to McGarrahan it belongs to
the United States yet the manner in
which the company has maintained its
fight is but another illustration of the
unjust power of wealthy corporations.
With the large profits which right
fully belongs to the man it is con-
spring to rob, it bribes officials, per-
suades members of Congress, suborns
perjuries, rewards forgeries, and sub
sidizes newspapers to create public
sentiment, and slander and ridicule
him whom it has determined to de-
stroy. 1t is the quicksilver of the
New Idria company, secretly admins
tered to persons of power and influence,
that puts in jeopardy the rights of the
proprietor, and prompts the efforts in
innumerable ways to defame his char
acter, becloud his title, immerse him
in an ocean of expenses, and divest
him of his estate. A report has just
been made in the Senate which may
possibly effect settlement of the case.
1t assumes that the title to the pro-
perty is in the Government, and offers
a bill referring the whole controversy
to the courts, by authorizing the
claimant to bring suit against the
United States in the Court of Claims,
with power to appeal to the Supreme
Court This is similar to the procedure
in the case of the Hot Springs property.
If the final decision is in favor of the
United States, the court is to order the
property into the hands Of a receiver
until Congress directs what shall be
done with it. This would seem fair
disposition of the case, but for the well
known delays of the courts which will
give the company plenty of time to
add to their ill-gotten gains, and by
the use of them an UNFAIR advantage
in the litigation.
And now we have Congressman
from Michigan, which his name 1t Is
Ellsworth, who thinks he can stop
the flow of liquor in Washington. He
might as well undertake to stop the
flow Of the Potomac River. But he
has introduced his little bill. Some
time ago he summoned the keeper OF
the House restaurant and asked hlm ii
he was selling beer wine and liquors,