The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-05-01

this time out of VIM. McGarrahan'
mineral wealth, il was doing so out o
the mineral wealth of the United
States, and hence was not entitled {,
consideration
But all these favorable official dec
larations did William McGarrahan M
good. He remained struggling out
cast, respected and liked by every
statesman and official, and believed il
by all, but an outcast nevertheless
and the New Idria Company was be.
coming fatter and fatter and paying
large dividends to its stockholders
and, after settling all tine enormous
legal expenses entailed upon itby the
necessity of meeting McGarrahan's
active warfare.
So, for years and years, as Con-
crosses came and went, and Senators
of long terms turned gray with SER
vice, and Administration rose and
fell, and Washington grew from a
pretty town into great and wealthy
city, William McGarrahan walked the
streets of the capital.
He was one of its most familiar
human spectacles-a man pointed out
by statesmen OF their visiting friends !;
he had known many men of many adj
ministrations, had interviewed many
a President, had known the officials of
many departments.
"There is McGarrahan, the claim
ant" was constantly on all lips, for
this man was widely known to all per-
sons of all sorts and degrees.
William McFarrahan was a man
who made friends, for he was always
kind and gentle and pleasant spoken.
That he was an Irishman was told by
his face as well his name, and his tom
que had the unmistakable accent of
his island home. Quiet smiling and
homely, he was liked by all who
knew him, Notwithstanding his pro-
pensity in his later years to talk of
nothing but his wrongs.
So when he recently went to the
hospital, being poor, homeless and
bachelor, he was soon missed from
his accustomed haunts. 81 was little
more than slip of lad when l came
over from the old country" said he
the other day, raising his head upon a
pillow. ~ went to Connecticut when
1 got here, very green, indeed, and
very hopeful, and made arrangements
to go into business with friend out
there.
81 had some money and was going
to do great things, of course. But
the otherfellow went back on me at
the last moment, and that is how it all
came about, for then got the Califor-
MIA craze in my head. 1t was in 1S49.
Oh, yes; 1 was one of the original |
forty -niners.'
Well, 1 went West, Travelled over
the wildhcontinent in an immi-
grant train and met hardships and
IndiansI and discouragements and
all that sort of things till
got to San Francisco. Then l
went into business, invested my
money and prospered. 1t was in the
days of the. big California boom, and
everything prospered. Money was
made by the barrel and turned over
with shovel. 1 plunged into the
Lhickest of it and got rich with the
rest. bough and sold six hu ndred
Derrels of brandy in one day dealt
IN tobacco by the shipload. My in
come was $4,000 month. And yet l
lived simply My wants were few
md / never married.
at was along about that time met
5omez, and he wanted to sell me some
and. He had got his Rancho Pan
,che Grande by grant from the
Government, and his title to
t was clear.
"WelI, it was wild piece OF land
Town in the wilderness of the south
I'm counties of California, but 1 had
aith in the country and thought it
would be a good thing to buy. So !
bought it and paid him ST., 900 for it.
Why, $1,000 was no more to me then
han a dollar is now.
"After time l heard that there was
quicksilver on my ranch and that
ONE squatters had gone down there
md were making money out of it. So
thought / would 60 down and look
It my property, and there found
hem with shanty and little
taking the quicksilver from