Arizona daily citizen., 1901-12-05
For an Extensive rleXiCan
Coal Field.
VIM. G. Greene and California Capitalists
Fight it Out Now it is Reported that
the Disputed Coal Lands are
Worthless

NOGALES, Ariz.. Dec "A brace o.
California milllonaries, an information
al business man (who is also a million
aire) and a former Commlssary Gen
eral of the United States Army con
sttute the east OF characters in a
thrilling mclodrama of life that is
just drawing to a finale down In Old
/ Mexico. There are all the requisites Of
an oldtime border play
The supernumeraries include Mex
lean troops. cowboys, miners, Mex
lean rurales. Judges and Projects. and
the properties" consist Of mining ma
chinery, pistols. rifles and railroads.
The scene Is laid in the Guaymas dis
triCt. In the State of Sonora, and en-
braces tract of territory 1000, 900 Of
acres in extent, around which the plot
Is fashioned
For possession of this land. la the
firm belief that under the surface of
the tropical soil there lay vast deposits
of coal awaiting the pick of the miner
to he converted into coin, on one side
Western world OF finance and one man
of national notoriety The financcrs
ar" Alvinza Hayward, millionaire and
mining magnate Of San Francisco IN l
Charles u Lane. ditto. of Calayeras
and Nome. The third member of tae
trio II General Charles + Eagan. lat"
Commissary General OF the United
States army. who retired on three
fourths pay after the Spanish War lr-
Cidental to his retirement there was a
court martial. during the progress Of
which great deal was said about
cmbalmed' beef. Opposed TO this
rather formidable combination was ",
c. Greene of Arizona and Mexico
Greene, like his principal opponents
Hayward and Lane II already posses
sed OF vast interests and has IL hank
ering for more. He is the controlling
genius In the Greene Consolidated Cop
per Company. whose mines have CaHS-
cd a city of G Hoh souls 10 rise in tht
Cananea Mountains In Arizona II Ia
known that Greene is one of the hard
est fighters and longest stayerE' that
ever struck the Snmih west and the hts
tory of La Cananen copper mines Is
proof of the assertion
This is the man against whom III,
California miiliouaires were piltcd ia
struggle that set Sonora in - blaze
involved the officials OF the State ana
canscd President i1ia2 10 send Fcdcrai
soldiers to the scene Al raFiop
times during the struggle hostile bands
OF armed men were arraycd against
each other ready 10 join IN pitched
and bloody battle al the slightest PIE
text Each side spent money With iaV
ish hand. confident that tho richness ot
the prize would repay the outlay
thousandGold.
For the Pacific Coast Is hungry fnr
coal
The problem appeared To have been
with success when experts
declared that vast fields of coal were
contained within the boundaries of
the johnson grant. in Northern Mex
leo General Eagan and W. e, Green"
made the discovery about the sam"
time Eagan. backed by Hayward
and Lane. rushed machinery and
workmen to the place and claim
cd title TO the mineral under a pnr-
chase from the State OF Sonora.
Greene based his claim upon having
bought the interests OF Carlos John
son. owner of the soil under the oii-
ginal Spanish grant In connection
with the Pacific Coast Coal Company.
n corporation formed for the purpose.
and with Allen &. Bernard and George
Mitchell. Greene also put up machi-
merry. and in addition began the con
struction of railroad TO tap the coal
fields. All this time. however. bitter
fight was being waged between the dts
putants In and ont OF the Mexican
courts.
And now, after months of fer"
striving, after hundreds of thousands
of dollars have been expended. il is
possible that the bone of contention
is barren of meat. One party To The
dispute has been notified by its enai-
neers that the coal mines are worthless
that To continue development would pe
n waste OF funds-a throwing of good
money after bad The other contest
ant Is not convinced. however and
is apparently preparing to make fur
ther investigation before admitting
that he could be so wofully deceived
There is by the way something de-
cdedly peculiar about this latest ana
most sensational development in the
fight for the millions heretofore sup
posed to be laying dormant under the
mesquite and cacti of the Johnson
lands. No one familiar with the re
cords of the men would take Alvinza
Hayward or Charlie" Lane for ten
derfect. The men who took millions