Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-12-21
SUIT over THE CRIMORA
MINES.
SOME REMARKABLE STATEMENTS CON
CORNING IT.

The New DIRK Herald OF Tuesday, con
tains the following which will be of inter
est in Augusta County:
In the mountain Businesses of Virginia
in Augusta county, twenty miles from
Charlottesville, lies manganese mine
reckoned one Of the largest in the world
The simple country folk know that during
period of eight years it was the centre o.
activity. They call it an lore mine'' il
the neighborhood. The shaft is partly fill
ed up with rubbish now. The sheds in thu
neighborhood are deserted. No smoke
rises from the boiler shop. A fortune Lies
in the earth S bosom there, although seve
natives are circulating rumor that work
is soon to be renewed, that the northern
capitalists will once more with the magic
touch of gold metamorphose the quiet
countryside. The natives have seen one
awakening and the good results that fol
lowed. They hope for another.
This manganese mine involves a remark
able story, which the Herald is enabled te
present. It is story of warning capital
lists and grave charges, and is invested
with some romance
The Circuit Court of Albemarle county
in May, 1898, awarded the Virginia Man
ganese Company, of which G. II. Harmon
is president, $500 damages against the
American Manganese Company. The basis
of this award was the damaged condition
of the manganese mine in question when
the American Manganese Company, Car
negie corporation, relinquished the mine to
the Virginia Manganese Company. The
latter corporation owned the mine. The
Carnegie corporation had leased it for 8
term OF eight years from the owners. The
cOmplainants in the case were the Carne
gies, but the Virginia jury decided against
them, and official color was given the con-
tentiGn of the opposition that al attempt
to wreck the mine had been made by the
lessees before they relinquished it,
THE REAL INTEREST DISGUISED.
The litigation commenced in May, 1892.
one month before the Homestead strike
was begun, but this is the first publicity
given the matter. Quiet little Charlottes
Vile is not prolific in sensations, and the
Carnegie interest, under the title of the
American Manganese Company, was SO
effectively disguised that the outside world
was unaware of the significance OF the
legal trouble. Furthermore, there were nc
Stenographic notes of the court proceed
ings. The eight years lease given the Car.
negies expired in May, 1892. During the
term the Virginia Manganese Company
was paid royalty of 81 d ton. which ag-
gregated about four hundred Thousand dol
lars. The net profits of the Carnegies, are
said to have been Sc a ton on the total out
put OF 100000 tons. OF 81 100000. Man.
ganese is an essential ingredient in the
manufacture of BesSemer and Harveyized
steel, and the lease was especially valuable
to the Carnegies, because Of their armor-
Government. They also furnished the
manganese to other steel firms, and ship
ped large quantities to Europe.
The terms Of the lease provided that up
on it's expiration the Carnegies were tC
leave the mine in good condition, and to
permit the Virginians to purchase the ma
chinery, hosting apparatus, and other &C
cessorieS at a reasonable price. Shortly
before the expiration Of the lease the Car
negies offered to purchase the mine OIL eX-
tend the lease. In the ranks of the mine
stockholders are some New Y ork business.
men, and they quickly decided that the
Carnegie offer to buy was too low. When
the question of releasing was discussed
antee from the Carnegies that they would
work the mine to the extent of all arbitra
ry output. The two corporations fenced
for advantageous terms as only two corpO
rations can fence. The Virginians thought
of the Carnegies' 81 100000 profit to the
former S 100000, and steeled their hearts
against compromise. The Carnegies thought
that 100000 for eight years and no bother
in making it was pretty good thing for
the Virginians, and refused the latter +
terms. So the negotiations fell through
Shortly after, the report was circulated thai
the mine was exhausted. Prior to the re-
inquishing of the mine to the owners
Ferdinand S. huffman, mining engineer
gagged 10y the Virginians to make an exam
iDation of the property. 1t was while en-
gagged Oh this work that the remarkable in
cidents which distinguish this business
ENHANCEMENT from all similar ones occur
red.
A TOO HURRIED DESCENT.
MI. Kaufman was accompanied in his
inspection of the premises by Thomas
Carruthers, Carnegies foreman; mining
engineer, from Pittsburg. named Smith
who was representing the interests of the
lessees, and William Carnegie, a nephew OF
the multi-millionaire. who had been acting
as mine superintendent. After the sheds
and surface machinery had been examined
MI. huffman suggested that a descent OF
the shaft be made. SO that the interior Of
the mine could be inspected.
The quartette entered the cage and the
signal to the engineer Was given. The next
moment the cage dropped down the descent
OF ninety feet to the first level as would q
stone released from above. During the
cages mad flight it encountered an obsta
Gle which almost threw the investigators
to the floor.
Eye gods ~ said Mr.. huffman, as hi
stepped out when the bottom of the SHAFT
was reached. ''That WAS frightful speed
What was it's meaning, and the meaning O.
the jolt we received %
Foreman Carruthers did not know, an(
Engineer Smith and Superintendent Car
negie were equally ignorant.
Mr.. Ruttman's suspicious were aroused
by the singular descent. the obstacle en-
countered, and the lack of information
among his three companions. The inspec
tion of the first level was begun. In the