Bisbee daily review., 1904-05-04
THE EsMERALDA IN BAD FIX
Original Owners Have Taken Posses sion of the Property Because
 It Was Not Paid For.


 Considerable interest is being taken in the affairs of the Esmeralda Gold
 Mining & Milling company, on ac- count of the shutting down of the mines in Sonora. This company was organized some time ago with the following officers: B. F. Hammett, Jr, president; H. Nj. Patterson. treasurer and general manager; J. P. Earhart, vice e-president; J. A. Escajeda, secre- tary. The directors of the company were composed of the above mention ed gentlemen, also Lee Harlan and J. A. Baird The mines are gold propo- sitions and are situated fifteen miles east of Cos. The former owners were l.. c. Scott, O. w. Banta and others. The purchase price was understood to be s35,000
 The Esmeralda people say that an attachment has been brought against them by the former owners, and their story is as follows:
 Attorney R. N. French said today:
 The property has not reverted to Mir. Scott. It could not revert to him. But he has brought suit, in attaching the property and all of the belongings of the Esmeralda company. So mining work had to be abandoned. This means that there will be a law suit over the property. Their reasons for attaching the property of the Esmer- ralda were that the necessary money stipulated in the agreement had not been paid. That is true. But there was also a stipulation that the money h,, shoxr presented us with perfect title.
 This they did not dc. but in the meantime a Mexican cdmes along and claims the property. For this reason this money was not paid them. The money was ready for them whenever the title was ready. The treasurer and general manager, H. NJ. Patter- son, is now in California. where he is engaged in litigation over some cattle. As soon as this case is completed, he will come here and there will be
 awsuit over this affair and everything will be adjusted. He has been 13u- led of every phase of the sit1atiIn. The money now in the bank 7p1 be-
 Onging to parties who recently paid part down for the pu chase If stock, ut who did not yet receiye their stock yil be returned to lhsn. We ',so in
 end 10 stand good for the mousy re- @sived for stock which mas been is- sued"
 The other side of the story is as follows: The Esmeraloa has reverted o the original owners, l.. c. Scott, O. ". Banta. and others. Of the stipu 'ated purchase price, practically noth- ing has been paid. When the time specified for the payment of the money 1ad come, and the money had not been 7aid, the law was resorted to. The 'udge of the districts was appealed to. 9e went to the mines and held court here. The decision of the judge was that the mine should revert to the original owners. It is not true that Mexican came and claimed the whole property A Mexican did contest a small portion of it. but his claims were set aside, and the title of the, original owners was declared perfect. The Esmeralda people can have no further claim to the property. Their stock. of course, is worthless. The ore which they got out of the mine did
 he mno good, for in teh agreement it was specified that no ore should be taken out of Mexico until the pur- chasers should receive their title to
 he property The mine laborers have
 or the last two months been paid of
 checks, which were to be cashed in Tl Paso These checks were returned unpaid"