Mohave County miner., 1883-02-25

as we'll as ether good people. Here we art
 enjoying the luxuries we find at Starkiet
 Hotel, having frequent invitations to smile" during the day, and to attend the
 temperance lectures in the evening, and
 every opportunity to enjoy the splendid climate and scenery of Southern California.
 Still we are unhappy and sigh for the more
 enlarged liberties of our native hills in old
 Mohave.
 The suit of the Bidwell heirs vs. Richard Gird is still occupying the time of the court
 and jury and is attracting considerable pub' lie attention, not so much on account of the large amount of money involved, as the number of eminent attorneys engaged and
 the strong partizan feeling engendered.-
 There are about forty witnesses in attend
 ance from Arizona and a great many from other portions of the United States. They are all excluded from the courtroom during
 the reading of depositions or examination of witnesses. The jury have struck for higher wages and the Court, comprehendinE their situation, has granted their reason able request of four dollars per day, for giving ear to the score of attorneys and list ening to the strange adventures of the two men whose lives are being told, not by the pen of the romancer, but by living witnesses under the solemnity of an oath and the sur veiIlance of keen-eyed attorneys. The question at issue is simply whether or not Bidwell and Gird were partners in the Tombstone mines in Arizona. In opening the case for the plaintiffs Senator Stewart between the parties for more than twenty years prior to Bidwelrs death. That they went to South America in 1859, were part ners in a ranch in Sonoma county, Cali fornia, in 1861, were subsequently, partners in mining in Yuma county, Arizona; also partners in Mohave county in the Signal town-site, and Thompson Valley ranch in 1877, and in the Tombstone mines up to and at the time of Bidwell's death. The Senator commented severely on the conduct
 of Gird at the time of Bidwell's death. Ac- cusing him of rejoicing thereat, concealing papers, hiding Bidwell's children in the mountains with mere pittance for thelr support, and otherwise behaving in such a way as to merit the reproaoh of all honest men. The plaintiffs have produced their evidence, having examined a number of witnesses and read several thousand pages of depositions, taken in various parts of the United States. Yesterday the defence made their opening to the jury through their leading attorney, Judge Mesiok, of San Francisco, who said, in his introductory remarks, that the defence accepted the chal- lenge of plaintiff with all its significant con- sequences. If the plaintiff prevailed iii this suit it took half of Gird's property and about all his good reputation and leave him 'poor indeed" If he had done the things alleged by plaintiffs and their packers, he deserved the scorn of all honest men. On the other hand if the instigators of this suit on the part of the plaintiffs had acted from bad and corrupt motives, then let the scorn and approbrium fall where it belOnged.- The defence task for no mercy and shall grant none." Judge Mesick then reviewed briefly the plaintiffs testimony, pointing out what the defence accepted as true and what they pronounced and were prepared to prove was false. He portrayed the lives and characteristics of the two men as shown by plaintiffs testimoney. Bidwell, vain, ambitious for public position, to be the village oracle, ,and given to exaggeration. Gird, quiet, unobtrusiye, resolute, earnest, despising every false way, and casting be- hind him every temptation to wrong any human being. The defence were prepared to rend the sophlstries of the plaintiffs weaving, no eloquence, no art, no seeking for sympathy for the little children. TO sub- terfuge, would avail against the truth. The defense would show by multitude of living witnesses and by tie written words of the dead that Bidwell never claimed any inter est in the Tofnh stone mines. The defence have read the dispositions of the Schif1in brothers and will proceed with the examjn- ation of witnesses tomorrow.
 Much interest is being manifested here and I an sure it will be equally great in Moi.avo cnpnty, where the parties are we'll known.
 Your readers III also le glad to know that our old friend, B. Fl. Spear, IS improe- ing in health and hopas oro long to he able to return to the Park Yesterday was the first time te had been out of tls house for six weeks. He has been undergoing thor ough medical treatment for oatarrA ill the head and the doctor thinks g. radical cure will ba effected. He is now very much inn proved.
 Judge Davis family are on tEeir ranch near Downey City.
 Mrs. Potts and little folks are stopping at Mir. Potts' brothers at Los Angeles.
 Judge Blakely's family are at Chino ranch with Mrs. Gird, where the children are going to school.
 The men folks, as we'll as Owens, Kimble, 1 Koshland, Steen, and Winters and others 1 from Mohave county are stopping in town and are having lots of fun, but are all anx- 1 ious Go get back to old Mohave again.
 All send kind greetings to their friends 1 and neighbors. G. B. W.
 CORRESPONDENTS.