New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-25
THE pEREyYI1L MGARRAHlN


THE PERENNI1L MGARRAH1N
A session of Congress without fresh phase
of the everlasting McGarrahan claim would be
n novelty Il is one of the most irrepressible
rs if is undoubtedly one of the most barefaccd
of swindles. 1t has been kicked out of every
Court it ever came before as papable frand
The courts of California, the Supreme Court of
the United States, the Interior Department,
every session of Congress for a dozen years,
the President himself, have all decided against
its validity, but still it lives. 1t started as
claim for 1900 acres of land in California
upon which are situated the quicksilver mines OF
the New Idria Mining Company. 1t has been
shown repeatedly that the survey OF the orlgl-
nal grant was never submitted to the eXamlna-
ton and confirmation required by law; that
the original grant describes tract seventeen
miles away from the tract now claimed, and
separated from it by two mountain ranges;
/ and that the survey upon which the claim rests
was a private act without official SANCTION
These facts have been stated many times, and
upon them the claim han been repeatedly re-
iected Yet at every succeeding session OF
Congress a Committee on Private Land Claims
rcviycs it. and recommends that Congress grant
its owner all he asks.
Asst stands to-day the claim is more amazing
in It's impudcncc than ut any previous stage.
II no longer asks for the paltry l1,OUO acres
with which it started 1t no longer asks for the
lands of the New-ldria Mining Company, be-
cause President Hayes signed grant III Jan
nary. 1850. giving the company clear title to
that land. But Mr. McGarrahan simply asks
that Congress shall declare that all previous
rulings, by courts, Departments, Congresses
and Presidents, have been wrong; that his
original claim was valid one and that since
it is not in the power Of the Gov eminent to
give him the exact tract named in the original
claim. it shall allow him to take the 1000
acres of the original tract which are still un-
occupied, shall issue him scrip Tor $4,000 acres
Of unappropriatcd Government lands anywhere
in the United States, and shall also issue him
scrip of the same kind for the value Of the New
ldiia mine a. well rs the profits derived from
working it by its present owners. In his
modest way. Mr. Mc,arIahan estimates these
profits at SO, 100000 and the present value
OF the mine at half million more. lie estI-
mates tine value of unappropriatcd public lands
at 81 - an acre, and Is willing to accept
> 400 900 acres a. a return for this ten millions
and "A half OF mining property fer which he
never had shadow of a claim. This, with the
1000 acres still unoccupicd in his original
tract, with 1900 more for the occupied tract,
he is willing to accept and let the Government
60 in peace These 1000 acres are valued In
California at 100000. OF course scrip for
Government land anyN here III the United
States is of most uncertain value. There Was
some issued several years ago, called the VAL
entnc scrip which readily sold for $50 an
acre. This would make Mr. McGaIrahan's
:. $4,000 acres worth anywhere from
10000, 900 to &l5O,OOO,OOO, and would
make him nice and comfortable in his old age.
This modest massuming claim has been re-
ported iayorably 10y the House Committee Oh
Private Land Claims, Mr.. Pacheco the chair
man. alone dissenting. Mr.. Pacheco, being a
Californian, knows the history OF the claim
thoroughly, and in a minority report has set
forth its worthlessncss III a fOrclble manner.
lie places the lowest value Of the unappro-
priated Government lands asked for at So an
acre, which would give the claimant about sixty
millions of dollars. As he paid only eleven
hundred dollars for the claim when he bought
it from its Mexican originator, Gomez, this
would be handsome profit on his Investment,
and n brilliant outcome OF speculation IN lana
which has never rested on anything and never
had any existence outside the mpudence of its
claimants. How a committee of Congress could
ever recommend such claim with sober face
Is one of the mysteries which frequently sur
round Congressional legislation. We do not
for moment suppose that Congress will con-
slider it, much less pass it. There is no argn-
ment which can possibly he made in its favor
Ii is . swndlc pure and simple. McGaTahan
has in some nScrutablc manner lived on it for
years. Possibly he has found people foolish !
enough 70 take shares in his visions and pay in
their money for stock which never has been |
worth penny and never will be. 1t is prob |
ably impossible to discourage him; nothing but |
death will ever end his supplications to Con-
gresS but the time ought to come soon when |
committees cease to report i'll his favor. No
man can vote in favor of so astounding and !
notorious "A scheme for public plumber as tins |
without finding his motives the subject of most |
unpleasant suspicion.
4 LITTLE roo SHIFT
We do not wish to be understood as raising !
the slightest objection to the processes by |