The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-28

CnduDuuiht dSdiuSl -. d. ildnSuStt
ct al, which involves the right to
buy or sell the Pittsburg Silver Peak
mine at Blair and which has been
pending in the courts of Nevada ant
the United States circuit court since
1896.
The suit is entitled b. A. Gamble
and F. s. Chadboune against L. j.
Hanshett, Laura Clark Wright. Ern
est Wright, Anna Beatrice Wright,
Dewitt Clinton Blair. as administra-
tor of the estate of John /. Blair
Silver Peak Mines and the Silver
Peak Mining company.
Under the decision of Judge Pike,
the plaintiffs, Gamble and Claiborne
and the defendants, Wrights, are en-
titled to enforce an option to buy,
dispose of or work the Pittsburg Sill
yer Peak mine and from the time the
judgment becomes final, may bring
and recover damages against the
other defendants i'm the case and re-
cover costs of the suit.
The case is one of the most import
ant ever heard in the state of Me-
vada, in view of the vast property
rights involved and the extensive lit.
igation.
The Silver Peak mine, as every one
knows, is located at Blair. Nevada,
and Is one of the richest propertie
in the state and in the entire west for
that matter. Ii has been operated by
the heirs of John |. Blair for many
years and the estimated monthly out
put of the mine is placed at about
100000. The mine was one of the
first located in the state and was 10.
Gated by John |. Blair, a millionaire
of Blairstown, New Jersey, as far
back as the early Cos. At that time
1t rivaled the richest mines of the
Comstock lode in production and
wealth.
The case was heard before Judge
Pike last summer, at which time
some of the most prominent attorneys
| in New York and San Francisco wer,
present and participated in the pro-
| ceedings. Ii was originally started
| in Esmeralda county. The plain
tiffs took the case to the superior
court for the purpose of getting {
change of venue. The supreme court
ordered the case transferred to the
second judicial district of Washoe
jcountY. The defendants then had
| the case taken into the federal court,
wnere 1t hung fire for three years,
The federal court at last decided that
il had no jurisdiction over the matter
and sent II back to the district court
of Washoe county where the plain
| tits had their first hearing since
starting the case fifteen years ago.
| The facts of the case as brought
out at the trial of the cause last sum-
mer are as follows:
| Some time during the early Sos
John I. Blair. multi-millionaire re-
siding at Blairstown, New Jersey, ac-
CURED possession of the Silver Peak
mine. The mine proved very rich in
silver and was worked by Blair until
some time in the sos. The price OF
silver then went down and Blair shut
down the mine. placing former Uni
ted States Senator Wesson in charge.
A b. Gamble, young mining en-
gineer of Virginia City, visited the
mine and inspected 1t. He discovered
that II was rich and determined to
get an option on ii IL possible. Ac-
cordingly he went to New York City,
sought and obtained a hearing with
John I. Blair, which was very hard
thing to do. He succeeded. however,
| in convincing Blair that he could do
something with the mine and secured
an option on the property through
Charles j. Canda, who was the con-
fidential agent of Blair. The option
was for 100000. Gamble was him
self a poor man and his condition
made 1t necessary for him to get out
side capitalists interested With this
end in view he came to San Fran
cisco and enlisted with him Jack
Wright, who was at that time division
superintendent of the Southern Pa
cific Co. F. c. Chadbourne, then
harbor commissioner of San Fran
cisco, and a large furniture dealer.
The Crockers were also enlisted In
the enterprise and with this addition
of capital Gamble was ready to be-
gin operations at the mine. The OPP
ton. however, was about to expire
or else payment had to be made.
Gamble and his associates decided %
send l.. ]. Hanchett, a mining man
and father-in-law to Wright and
George Crocker, to New York to in
teryiew John |. Blair and get re-
newal of the option. This was In
1894. Hanchett was at that time in
Alaska, but went to New York as
the representative of Gamble and as
sociates for the purpose of renewing
the option for Gamble and his asso-
ciates. In the place of doing this,
Hanchett went to New York and OBJ
tanned a hearing with Blair and Can
da, with the result that he secured
the option in his own name and FOL
the Crockers and Jack Wright, elm
mating Gamble, the original optionee
and Chadbourne.
Armed with this option which gave
him the right to work the mine OF
to buy or dispose of II. Hanchett re-
turned to Silver Peak and began op'
- ~ y IN Il