The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1894-11-17
TACOMA'S GOLD MINE.
Efforts of Spectators to Grab
State School Section.
The GrabberS Seem to Stand
In With the General
Land Office, in Spite of the
Evidence of Fraud.

SCrlDeu as section 10. township ", range
3 east. Before the recent shrinkage of
real estate values began, expert land IN
vestors estimated the 6i0 acres to be
worth $, 900, 900. Taking the average
sale prices IN flush times, this amount
is $3.50 900 in excess of the total value of
all the school lands in the rich farming
counties of Whitman, Garfield, Column
bia and Lincoln. 1t is greater sum
than the total price of ali the school
lands disposed OF by the state prior to
the financial deprcssions, and they
were the choicest.
Immediately before the admission of
the state, when Tacoma was booming, a
scheme was organized to secure posses
sion of this section under the placer
mining law \ number of gentlemen
of Washington City got in ION the
ground floor" Six claims of twenty
acres each were taken up by J. q. Me-
Bride and other persons banded to-
gether as an alleged mining company,
for test. The l2O acres We're estimat-
ed to be worth more than 100000 for
city lots In the continuous struggle be
tween the state and these fraudulent
claimants since the mineral filing was
attempted in 1899, the controversy has
been known as "the Mcbride case"
When pay gold was said to have been
found by Mcbride he was a hardware
merchant. Subsequently he became
thinning OPERATOR" an organizer of
mining concerns and jobber in mining
stock II is a matter of common re-
/ port in Tacoma that his side of the eX
! pensive litigation has been secretly sup
| ported by few citizens in the banking
! and wholesale lumber business. Or
! ganized fraud has been alleged by the
state on eveay hand. Witnesses have
testified to the ''saltit@" of the land, and
to having received from Mcbride offers
of large compensation to join the con
| spiracy. Through some occult influence
the general land officers of the govern
ment has sided strenuouslv with the
Tacoma placer miners.
c. W. Holcomb, of Washington City,
who codified the mining laws and who
earned a reputation as successful prac
titioner in land litigation coming before
the interior department, represents
McBride's interest. The contest has
cost the state approximately $4,000 to
date, and the placer mine real estate
spectators cannot certainly have paid
out less. The matter is upon hearing
again before the Olympia land office.
Attorney General Jones, Prof. J. ?.
kimball, Prof G. c. Woodhouse, Mr.. T.
VI. Reed. IT.. of the lard commission,
under whose personal direction the re-
cent extensive prospeCtlon of the claim
....-- 49,! AZ TharlaS Til
man the foreman, together with most
OF witnesses, incluing number OF prac
teal miners, represent the state. Be-
sides Mr. Ioicomb and Mr. Mcbride.
the other side has been spoken for bv
Prof" Ben Stretch, cival engineer,
who appears az a mining expert; a team
ster, a well digger, an engine driver,
two dupety sheritfs and squatter,
The history of the celebrated case
runs somew bat as follows:
'''''" 'nI 'nv appearance Oh Nr.
'"'''. Oh "e'''''' VI ''ie s'a 'e' III 1857,
"'o'it" was 'o'lS'''ilcu III nearing thlS
case before the local land office. When
,''' ~ '',0'''i a. ir''itie" y WIS III
''N"' u ,i'" 7'''e' Sichflue attorneys
I , went oeloie
."',' i-''i''' Oon' lii'Ss'ohe'
'V''' At " "9'''i'-'"'' NY \ yer an
o''i'i e'"oodle presentation OF testi-
''io''H inc "h,Ih2 o, llle general land
"'0 "'''''''''' '"' N'A months.
- '''' '''' - l ''''''v S,,H Wa retained
- ','' ''''''''',N "' '''' N'h''ie slde'
ana i''' .E'.''t '.l'..' '.''F = "rrNon
,*' .'.''.'. II ..'' 70 ~ 'E''f 81 Nrhf.d'-
IN consequence "I TINS ana similar
'r""Sa'l''liS, Mt steele, the chicf law
clerk OF the general land department,
VINO by precedent and right should
nave been delegated to write the de-
ciSi'n prepared by Mr.. Stone himself,
'',H''r' ms roS''io".
VI '"IieH '''e'' loon tle case before
'"e secretary OF me interior, and was
aSN'S'e" 10y ; u"Ee "a Nl'is' IN represent
,l'N L. mat was III september 1873.
~ 'ii- - ''!' " % Tue resent year Sec-
it'''H 0"'i'h remainder the matter,
WIN an ''utr i'F iuf'htr investigation
''sPST''n -, '"e d"dH'''y "l EoIl IN the
7'"' 60 NJ N'"'e "'1iu Oh E'hu com
,',.'9 ,"',e'S az once consulted iTof. ). /.
N ''''''''''' N-,''' e''"I oI Tue iAln'' ana
ne presented report stating that his
examination OF the ground led HIM to
oe''eSe 1t was not ilineraiized. lie also
S'a,ea no" an investigation OF the So
e"l.en placer ''aim might be made
me o'2Fa, upon consideration of
|, 'o'' Ni.'I"dl' report authorized Mr..