The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-02-07
FACTIONS FIGHT
FORCONTROLOF
COMSTOCK LODE
De Saba Syndicate in Struggle
Against Shaw-Zadig Bro-
kerage interests
Dismissal of Superintendent
Symmes Starts Trouble;
Share Holders Join In

the control of the great Comstock lode.
The two dominating factions have in
dulged in occasional skirmishes, but
neither had counted on battle at this
time for the possession of the famous
mines.
The fight has been forced through
the dismissal of Whitman Symmes as
superintendent of the Union mine. The
first guns in the war were fired yes
terday, and from now on there will be
a steady conflict.
The syndicate headed by E. J. de
Saba and other local capitalists has
begun a determined effort to wrest
control of the mines from the trustees
pool, at the head of which are B. F
Shaw and Herman Zadig, two local
brokers who have long been infuen'
tial in the affairs of the sComstock.
Fight for Proxies
The fight is on for the proxies of the
stock holders of the various companies
These proxies for many years have
been in the possession of the various
brokerage cliques in Bush street. The
De Saba syndicate now is calling upor
all of the share owners who have
heretofore pledged their stock witt
the Shaw or Zadig interests to joir
with the De Saba faction in the pres.
ent struggle.
This syndicate promises to put al
end to the scandals that have long at
tended mining at Virginia City and e
operate the properties in a business
like way AS an evidence of theil
good faith, the members point to ths
way in which they have obtained con.
troll of the Mexican mine, have res
fcued it from incompetency and worse
and by business methods, under the
direction of a skilled superintendent
have been able to transform it into thf
most attractive feature of the lode
Cause of Trouble
The trouble has been caused by the
| differences between B. f. Shaw of the
Union mine and Whitman Symmes, the
| superintendent. 1t appears that as
soon as the De Saba syndicate gained
| it's first property on the lode, the Mexi-
| CAM it placed Symmes in charge as su-
perintendent.
| He was able to open the ore bodies
which for years had been the object OF
unsuccessful search. AS the De Saba
syndicate acquired other mines Il
turned them over to Symmes to work
In its efforts to control the Union
mine the syndicate was unsuccessful
but ii managed to get two directors or
the board They were H. L. Slosson Jr
and John Landers. The old regime
named as directors B. F. Shaw. Herman
zadig and ]. II. Berghauser.
Symmes Put i'm Charge
The minority directors, however, IN.
duced the majority to name Symmes a.
superintendent. For while all went
well. Symmes was. urmolested. and
proceeded to explore the mine. Later
It's said, Shaw as president began tc
wire directions to Symmes. telling hin
just what to do, how many feet to drill
and in which direction to go.
Symmes resented this as an unsatis-
factory arrangement, asserting that a
man In San Francisco with limited
knowledge of mining and no acquaint-
ance with conditions as they daily de-
veloped could not successfully direct
4
tendent was supposed to map out a
plan, and, after it had received ap-
proval, to follow 1t up, and not twist
his drift at the whim of broker deal
ing in the stock.
Displaced Symmes
The correspondence passed from one
stage to another until Symmes put his
thoughts into language Enthusiastically
plain. Thereupon Shaw, resenting in
reference with the presidents policy.
appointed new superintendent.
The De Saba syndicate has been
lighting against the same sort of brok-
erage control which Shaw, 1t is de-
clared, sought to exercise. 1t has main
tanned that it was manifestly improper
that these big mining properties should
be operated on q day to day policy die
tated by broker who dealt daily in
the stocks on the San Francisco ex-
change
There have been abuses in the past,
and the syndicate held that abuses
might arise in the future
Unite Against Brokers
The interests associated with De
Saba thereupon determined to back up
symmes. 1t has adopted as an imme-
diate policy the end Of brokerage con-
troi.
Efforts were begun yesterday to In
duce share holders. as well as the brok-
ers themselves, TO unite against the old
policy Of giving control of the mines
into. the hands Of q coterie OF brokers.
shaw and zadig will resist with ali
their strength the efforts to loosen
their grip upon the properties. a big
battle is In sight.