The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-20

| 'N''"AONt July IS.-lopeclatl-
The Post this morning says: William
McGarrahan, with an old straw hat
| pushed back upon his bald head, stood
in the lobby OF the House yesterday
afternoon and ioyfuily received the
congratulations OF hundreds Of his
friends. For twenty-five years ''Billy
McGarrahan has been claimant before
Congress, but his fight in the courts
really began as far back as 1857. He
has met with few temporary successes
and many long and tedious setbacks.
Out OF it all he has come at last-not
finally triumphant but placed upon
road where he can see the end in Wow
1t is long lane that has no turning
but McGarrahan has waited nearly
forty years before reaching the turn.
The story of his claim has pointed
many moral and adorned many tale
1t Is an old story now-so old, indeed
that to this generation it is new. It is
a story of persistent, logged battlingof
one man for his rights. OF the laws de
lay, of Congressional Indifference, and
OF marvellous patience under repeated
rebuffs. Around ithave been woven the
most romantic tales Of lobbying. 1t has
been advocated on one side and damned
on another. The reports which have
been made to Congress upon 1t would
fill library. Nor has the end come
yet, for the Senate bill which the House
passed by vote OF LAT to 66 under a
suspension of the rules sends his claim
to the court OF private land claims for
TnHn %1,1l -.
tho court must convene in special ses
sion to hear the case, so that in a few
months at best, the controversy will be-
ended.
About 100 miles from San Francisco
in Fresno and Monterey counties, is 8
tract OF II, 600 acres, known as the Pan!
ocio land grant. 1t was obtained by
Vincent p. Gomez a Mexican, from the
Mexican government in California in
ls44' and was then considered worth
less. The grant itself is not extant
1t was destroyed, according to the claim,
at Monterey, but its existence has been
proven by many witnesses. When the
grant had been through the courts aud
Its validity established, as it was SUP
| posed, Mr.. McGarrahan on November %
1857, bought the property. Just before
this time some prOSpectors discovered
quicksilver on the property and imme
diately "squatted," being succeeded In
their occupancy by the New Idria Min
ing Company. g.
In 1889 McGarrahau secured decree
from the supreme court making his title
valid, but, Notwithstanding this, the
company occupying the property has MP
to this time successfully fought any
legislation which looked to a iudica
settlement OF the matter. Five times,
according to the report of the Congress
stonal committee, has McGarrahan's
title TO the land been pronounced good
nrst by the supreme court, then by the
district court, thirdly by Secretary
Smith, OF the interior department.. in
the early sixties, who ordered paten
to be issued; fourth, by the succeeding
secretary, Mr. Usher, who also directed
q patent to issue, and finally by Presi
dent Lincoln, who examined into the
case and made q decision upon it favor
able to the claimant
In accordance with the order Of Presi
dent Lincoln TO Secretary Usher q pa
tent was actually made out, but for rea-
sons not fully explained was never de
livered. Nor has it ever been discov
cred why the patents which the two
Secretaries ordered were never pre-
pared.
Many incidents connected with this
long-lived claim read like pages from 4
novel Records in the Land Onice in
this city were mutilated, and the books
of the United States district court in
California suffered suspicious erasures.
In 1870 a Congressional committee sens
TO the Land Oh.ce for a copy OF the pa
tent that Lincoln was said TO have
signed.
Nearly ten days elapsed before the re-
quest was complied with, and then it
was found that the last two Of the
eleven pages of the grant had been re
IL owed. 1t was claimed that on these
pages was Lincoln's signature. In the
Forty third Cangress the House OF Rep
resentatives directed the commissioners
OF the general land office to institute
proceedings against the New Idria
Mining Company, but he refused to do
It, 1t was in this connection with this
case, too, that ex-Speaker Keller
charged Gen. Boynton, the veteran COR
respondent, with being lobbyist, an
assertion that Mr.. Keifer has learned TO
regret. The bill has frequently passed
one House or the other, but never man
aged to get through both Houses in the
| same session.
1t is estimated that the claim is now
| worth about So, 900, 900, and McGarrahan
received some time ago an offer from q
| syndicate in New York to take 1t OFF his
hands at handsome price should the
House pass the bill. He has not yet de-
cided whether to accept this offer. He
| is one Of the best known men in Wash
ington. He is between sixty.fve and
seventy years old, but is healthy look
ing, with good color in his smooth
shaven face and pleasant smile. He
has haunted the Capitol until his figure
has become as familiar there as the
Goddess Of Liberty on the dome, and