The San Francisco call., 1895-12-29
A Legal Battle to Be Started in
the Federal Courts Of
Mexico.
FOR THE RICH LA CANDELARIA
Stockholders of the Old Corporation,
in Annual Meeting, Decide on
Prompt Action.

The long deferred contest over La Can
delaria mines in Mexico has at last passed
the contemplation stage and those directly
interested declare that the fight for owner
ship will be commenced Immediately.
AS is generally known to people in Cali
fornia the Candelaria mines are now in
possession of Colonel Daniel M. Burns,
who is fast accumulating incredible riches
from those mountains of silver in Durango,
Mexico, and it is quite as widely under
stood that these selfsame mines have
history bristling with infamy, the equal
of which may not be found in the records
of any other mining or land scheme on
the whole Pacific Coast, Mexico included.
1t has its Monte Cristo. 1t is romance
stranger than fiction, with wealth-almost
untold wealth-above aught else for the
motive and intrigues and Vaccinations
for the hopelessly tangled plot.
And now at this late day, after more
than thirty years of desultory conflicts,
political as well as legal, with all that the
word political in this sense signifies,
supreme and final effort is about to be
made by a band of determined men,
backed with ample capital and able legal
talent, for possession OF the celebrated
mines.
Such action is not altogether thing of
yesterday though it was more definitely
taken up and decided yesterday. The
Candelaria Mining Company held its an
nual meeting in the morning at $50 Cali
fornia street, the Offices of Thomas M.
Osmont being used for that purpose. At
this meeting the stockholders were largely
represented and undertook for that reason
to discuss the question of suit at law
against d. M. Burns for possession of the
mining property, and they determined to
go ahead with the battle.
Calvin Brown was elected president for
the ensuing year and George A. Hill Sec
retary. A board of trustees OF five stock
holders was also elected. but for reasons
given by counsel their names will not be
made public, and probably will not until
the fight is begun.
The company had progressed almost as
far last April as it has done now, out at
the critical moment A. Powell, its presi-
dent, died rather suddenly. His death put
the whole matter of law proceedings back.
He was one of the few wealthy men left in
the company who was not afraid to invest
his private capital in great contest, nor
to back his money with his own per-
sonal leadership. And he was absolutely
determined to enter the lists against Burns
on behalf of La Candelaria Mining Com
pany and in what he profoundly believed
to be right and just cause.
The loss of Powell was serious setback
for the company, which saw but little hope
of taking UP his plans and schemes with
out Just such another man as its president
And so the contemplated contest was
temporarily allowed to lapse, although
the proper papers were all in readiness for
filing.
The stockholders, however, reviewed the
situation carefully and elected E. A. Fraser
as president to fill the vacant chair Fraser
proved to be an active officer, for every
thing was going along smoothly in the di-
rection of fight in Mexico when he fol-
lowed his predecessor December 10 into
the world beyond.
Affairs were in such complete order at
the time of Mr.. Frasers death that little
or no delay was caused, and consequently
when the stockholders met yesterday they
found the prospects fair for immediate
procedure. and Calvin Brown was enabled
to assume control at once.
The legal battle will take place in the
highest courts of Mexlco and in the fed
eral capital itself-the City of Mexico.
Notwithstanding the fairly well-known
fact that various men and corporations
have laid claim to the Candelaria mines
since they were discovered and secured by
DR.. Green, the brother of Colonel Green of
the Mexican army in 1862, or around there,
this corporation, which met yesterday on
all through maintained its integrity as a
corporation while claiming rightful pos
session of the mines.
George A. Hill, the secretary, stated yes
terday that his company had affairs in
condition for entering at once into the suit
at law in Mexico, and in the course of a
week, or at most two weeks, legal papers
would be filed. Thomas NJ. Osmond is at
torney for the company, and he has the
assistance of counsel in the interesting
contest. Their contention is that Daniel
NJ. Burns obtained possession of the Can
delaria mines through representing to the
Mexican Government that the properties
were abandoned, while at the same time
he was acting as superintendent and oper-
ating the mines for Columbus Waterhouse
with at least twenty-five men. This the
company's counsel assert was an unlawful
proceeding, and, therefore, Burns did not
secure rightful ownership of the fabulously
rich silver mines in Durango.