The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-06-02
POOR BILLY M'GARRAIIAN
For Thirty Years Flo Has Vainly
Pleaded for Justice.
Swindlcd Out of All His Property by a
Wealthy Mining Compnny-W Con-
Ercss Has Failed to Do-A Peculiar
Phase of Legislative WronCdoinr.
Especial Washington Letter !


How would You like to be mill ION
aire for thirty five, years. and at the
same time be d moncyle man? Maybe
you think that such a paradox cannot
exist, but it can and does know the
man who is Il millionaire, and has hrcn
since lSj7; yet, he hasn't had Il cent of
his wealth at his own command. Pos
siblv You never heard Of him. but all
old residents of Washington know Billy
Mctiarrahan He is the lawful owner
of some of the richest mines on the Pa
cltic coast: mines which are believed by
many to be the veritabc land of Ophir,
to which solomon looked for the gold
which was used in the celt.brat eds Jew
lsh temple at Jerusalem. But, the
Rancho l'anorhe Gra'nde mines are in
the possession of an organization known
as the New Idria Mining Company, and
McGarrahan has thus far been unable
to regain possession. He las been be-
fore congress every year for thirty -four
years. seeking Legislation WHICH. will
enable him to have and bold his. own;
but, like all others who seek Justice at
the hands Of the congress of this rcpub-
lie, he has been again and again disap-
pointed. Billy McGarrahan has grown
old in Washington, seeking Justice.
while the wealth Of = his mines
has been constantly taken away;
and vet the mines seem incxhauStible
He has Il bill pending in the present
congress, and all he asks is, that his
claim may bc referred to the court of
private land claims. He does not ask
congress to adjudicate the matter, or
appropriate dollar for him. .ilc"lSks
for simple justice. You will wonder
why congress will not grant that re-
quest; but it. is very simple. The other
fellows hold the property, and they can
afford to pay attorneys here to defeat
the old man, as they have done year af-
ter year. One good attorney in the
lobby can generally defeat any bill 10y
causing 1T to be retained in some com
mittee room and never reported to 1.-THE
house. or 10y killing time on it with par
liamentary distractions if it ever CONES
before the house. There are hundreds
of ways of defeating justice before Any
Legislative body
Numerous bills for the relief of Mr..
McGarrahun. some of them providing for
the reference Of the subject to the coust
of claims. and others fur the absolute
confirmation Of title in Mr.. Ilcliarrs-
han without further. litigation, have
been made both to the. senate and the
house of representatives, and such bills,
have passed three diIfercnt times in; the
house. The bills in, each case have pro
vided for Mr.. McGarrahan's indcm niG.
cation.
Although nominiaslly carried on be-
tween William McGarra Ran on the one
side and the United States on the other,
the real contestant Of McGurrahan's
title has been the New ttria Mining
Company. That company got pos.
session of the New Idria uuicksilvct
mine about the time MtGarrahan pur,
chased the tract Of land. and has held
possession ever since. The main Qucl
ton to be decided is whether Vincent
+. Gomez, under whom McGarrahari
claims, had such a title to the land a$
was protected by treaty with Mcxiroi
known AS. the treaty Of
EIidalgo. If be did, thed4
the faith of the government is pledgedE'
to its protection. b
The claim first came before congress-
during the first session of the FOrtictlfJ
congress. and was referred nv the house
Of representatives to the committee on
the judiciary. Mr., James +. Wilsonx
now a senator. from Iowa, was the1i
of the house committee of tho
judiciary, and he favorably reportcf
McGarrahan's bill. 1t has been bcforE
congress ever since. From fir. WilSOn'S j