The herald., 1894-04-26
END OF A LONG STRUGGLE.

Poor McGarraghsn, at last, alter thirty
and more years of striving to get con-
gress to do him an act of justice, gave
up the long struggle Tuesday. and
passed into the life beyond, where all
wrongs are righted. He died in one of
the Washington hospitals after q short
illness at an advanced age. The whole
world has heard OF the McGarraghan
claim, and OF how the dead auitor went
to the national capital full of hope that
congress would give him the chance to
recover a great fortune which had been,
according to the forms of law. but not
in accordance with equity and justice,
wrestsd from him. McGSrrsghan was
the owner OF the New Idria quicksilver
mines located in San Benito county. He
had developed them sufficiently to show
that they would prove very valuable,
and had covered his rights with all the
muniments OF title then known to the
law, But unfortunately for him there
was another quicksilver mining psrty
in Santa Clara county, thc Almsden
mine, owned by rich corporation. AT
that time there were but two
or three other producing quicksilver
mines in the world. and as
consequence the Almaden mine. which
WAS an immense producer, controlled
the quicksilver market OF the world 1t
was the common belief at the time that
the Almsden people were afraid that the
New 1dria would prove so great COM
pettor in production as to Interfere with
their monopoly OF the worlds market,
and therefore the Psuoche Grande
rancho grant, which was like nearly all
Mexican grants. few leagues OF land
within exterior boundaries including
perhaps score of leagues. The rule
grant, not finally surveyed and located,
could be "hoated" to any part OF the
land within the exterior boundaries of
the grant, and the selection last made
would be sdjudicated as the land be-
longing to the grant. The Psnoche
grant WAS purchased and hoated by its
new owners over the New Idria mines,
and McGsrraghan's property, it is be-
lieved, fell into the legal possession Of
the Almaden people. However that
may be, it is certain that no more de-
of the New Idria mines was
known sfter that.
1t must have been as early ss 1858 or
'59 that McGarraghan was thus Invested
Of his property. He went to Washing
ton shortly after, and besieged congress
for relief. His claim was that he had
The IriGaatt atu to 4 Eec9vsEu iiromq tBsdeurrnn
congress- authorizing him to go before
the court of claims and prove his losses.
Committees repeatedly reported favor
ably on the bill, but it never became
perfect law. During Harrison's admin
istration it was passed through both
houses, but was vetoed by the executlFe.
This is the last straw that broke the
poor suitors back. He still lowered
around the legislative halls and impor-
tuned the representatives as OF old; but
his spirit was broken and his health
shattered. He had gone to Washington
in the flush OF life, fine looking, Duoyant
and hopeful. He staid there urging his
fruitless demand for justice until his
hair had whitened and old age and de-
cay had come upon him. He had long
fought the good fight; had been time
and again repulsed only to gather himself
up and renew the combat. But "hope
deferred that msketh the heart sick"
was at last too much for him, and he
gave up the long struggle in welcome
death. Poor McGarraghan Alas, what
a piteous and wasted life, and what a
pregnant lesson it imparts How often
and acutely he must have realized tho
force of "the laws delay, the insolence
of ofics and the spurns that patient
merit of the unworthy tskesW