The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-13


Garrahan Claim The Snug Little SUM
of $15O,OOO, 200 Gnyslved.
Especial Correspondence of the Press.
WAsHNGToN. Feb, IL.
The committee on Pacific railways Is consid-
ering bill req iring the roads to accept pa
tents for the lands which they have earned. It
is curious fact that Congress- rdnds it necessa-
ry not only to legslate to prevent unearned
lands from being granted to railroads, bnt also
to require those same railroads to accept the
lands already earned. 1t is estimated that
there are 20, 100000 to 100000 acres of land
covered by the railroad lines to which land
grants have been made for which patents have
not been asked for by the companies. So long
as patents are not issued the lands are not
taxed, and by neglecting to obtain patents un-
Ill they find purchasers for the lands they
avoid payment of large sums of money each
year in State taxes. The bill before the COM
mttee requires the companies 70 take out pa
ents for their lands as fast as they are earned.
1t Is yet In the hands of subcommittee but
there are indications that 1t will be favorably
reported to the committee and that it will pass
the House with little opposition.
DAKOTA.
Governor Ordway has left the Capital for
Dakota, where he has still some three months
If service as Governor. He insists that hs is
not in any sense a candidate for reappoint-
meut, and that he would not under any cir
oumstancss accept the position again. He
says that he has had enough OF that sort OF hon.
or aud that he proposes to return to New
Hampshire and give his attention to his own
affairs. Regarding the admission of Dakota
be has little hopes so far as this session is con-
cerned aud further. so far as Congress goes.
The indications are that none of the territories
now asking admission, and they are all asking
that. will become States at this session.
The Dakota people here are complaining
bitterly about the condition OF the Bl aek Hills
county. They say that the 40 900 people liv-
ing in that section OF Dakota are cut of from
all railroads by the fact that the Sioux reser-
vatiOn lies between them and the railway sys-
tenn of that section. There are about five thod-
sand farms in that section and yet they say not
bushel of their grain Can reach the market.
EveU when IL reaches the nearest rail way ine
the pricss for transportation are so high that
40 profit is left to the producer. They want n
portion Of the Sioux reservation opened to set
tement so that rail way lines may be
pushed through TO the Black Hills.
THE MceARRAHAN CLAIM.
The losg contested claim which was brought
airesh into notice by the Keller Boynton con-
troversy is again in the House for action. The
claim has been before Congress for nearly
twenty years, several favorable reports from
committees having been made upon 1t, yet it
seems farther from a settlement than it did
twenty years ago. The story is very long and,
in some respe cts, very interesting one. Nc
Garrahan purchased his right to the property
from Vincente Gomez. Gomez claimed to
bou iuad ha IA
prior to the trsnsfer of that section of country
to the United States, in which the land is To-
Gated The treaty OF Guadalupe-Hid un-
der which we acquired CaliforniA provided
that the properly of Mexican inhabitants
should be inviollbly respected. Gomez claims
to have received a title to the land IN question
from the Mexican government, but that his
title, with large number OF other documents,
fell into the hands Of the Americans at Mon
terey in July, 1876. and was with many Of the
documents in question used for kindling fires.
Ia that connection Captain Maddox OF the q.
5. marines testites that he had the archives
and papers at Monterey boxed up and placed in
public building for safe keeping, but that
afterwards he discovered tnat the sergeant bad
used many Of the papers for kiDdling the fire
IN bis Nthe eaptain's) apartment. After the
grant OF California TO the United States by
Mexico, the land commissioners appointed to
adjndge claims, decided against Gomez, he be-
ing unable TO produce his titles. He appealed
10 the United States courts, who reversed the
decision aud gave him title. Then he sold
his claim to McGarrahan.
About this time the New Idria Mining Com
pany got possession of the quicksilver mine
upon the property and began TO work it. Nc
Garrahan pressed his claim through the vari-
ons steps until it reached the Interior Depart
ment, when Jere Blsck was secretary. Alter
long and careful study of the case, Black de-
cded in McGarrsban's favor. Secretary Ush-
.er .Rho snccseded- BLACK, also Confirmed bis de-
cision, and the patent went to the White
mony, says that 10 conversation between Mr..
Thaddeus Stevens and President Lincoln Is re-
gard to this claim. Mr.. Stevens said to the
President, "If you are convinced that 1t Is
right, and Gs Sickles says il is, sign the paper
so as to get it out of the way" A few days
later, he says, he called upon the President up
on business for Mr.. Stevens when Mr. Lincoln
recalling the conversation with Stevens, with
smile, as he pointed to large document on
the table, said ''TnaI thing is signed" That
was the nearest that McClarrahan ever came
10 getting his patent to the Panoche Grande
claim. The document went to the Interior
Department. for the finishing touches. There
II Is claimed, by some hocus pocus not fally
explained, and which probably never will be
it disappeared, and when it reappeaed, it was
without the sigma ture of the President.
In 1867 chairman Wilson of the Judiciary
Committee of the House sent to the Commits
sioner of the General Land Office for a copy of
this patent which it was claimed had been
prepared aud executed but never delivered.
The Commissioner replied by sending what he
called 'Tte original unexecuted land patent
for the Panoche GRANGE Ranch" This oocu-
meDt consisted of eleven sheets OF parchment
containing the patent to the property but with
out the signature of the President. II is claims
ed that the last t@o pages had been in some
way removed and others corresponding in gen.
eral appearance but without the Presidents
signature pat in their places. witness be-
fore tie Senate Committee testified that this
alleged unexecuted patent consisted Of eleven
sheets Of parchment; on each Of the pages
preceding page 10, there were thirty-two lines;
that page 10 has only thirty-one lines and that
page IL is not a full page, and has not the APP
Dearauce of most of the preceding pages.
l. rye portions of this property having been
disposed Of by the United States. McGarra-
han now asks that where such has been the
case land scrip equal In value TO the property
disposed Of, and all the profits arising from the
property since IL was so disposed of, shall be
granted to him at the usual rae Of one acre Of
scrip for each 81 %. The Pspoche Grsnde
claim in substance Is to about II 900 acres in
GLIDING the New Idria Quicksilver mines with
their profits already maGe, valued at from S1O.
100000 to SIS, 100000, so that the number Of
acres of scrip TO which he would be entitled
under this proposition would be at least 8,O00,-
600. This scrip being of such a nature that IL
may be located upon any of the public lands,
except mineral lands would be of great value
and worth from S12 to $50 per acre which
would make Mr.. Nc arrahsn's little bill bring