Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-04-02
SUIT REVEALS POTASH WEALTH
HELD BY DEATH VALLEY COMPANY

California Trona Company The trial
Of the case is now going on before
Judge I. w Harris
Testimony has brought to light
many new angles OF the struggle
which has been going on between
the California corporation and the
powerful Foreign Mines Development
Company, London syndicate. for
control of the Searles lake potash,
soda and borax deposits II is ar
echo OF conflict between the in
terests which occurred in December.
1912, when armed bands OF men at
tempted TO take forcible possession
OF l75 placer mining claims, com
prising $4,000 acres In the bed OF
Searles lake. Al the time the prop
erty portion OF 10000 acres in
the crystal marsh, was held by the
federal government as receiver pend
ing the outcome OF suit brought
by the Foreign Mines Development
Company to foreelose 100000
mortgage against the California
Trona Company. Judgment obtained
ia the United States circuit court
later ON IL said ut present to be
unsatisfied and in the meantime
every technicality under the law is
being invoked by the California cor
poratlon TO hold on TO Its interests
That the property which the for
| eign syndicate seeks 10 possess con
tains potash deposits sufficient to
satisfy the markets OF the world for
the next 400s years. running into IN
told millions in value, was recent
development IN the case
Statements filed for Identification
in the present suit are to the effect
that there would be an annual profit
of nearly s25.0OO.OOO derived from
the working OF the claims At the
present time there Ia a plant valued
at sl.00O,000 near Searles lake in
cluded IN the foreclosure proceed.
ings.
Adverse to the interests of the
California Trona Company and the
London and German syndicate. were
a large number of so-called" claim
jumpers who had scattered over
the floor Of the valley. 1t was be
tween this faction. the local corpo
ration and the reeeivership that the
clash was threatened in December
1912 The claim jumpers sought tc
do assessment work on the property
in order TO perfect their titles before
The expiration OF the year The gov
ernment opposed their entry upon
the property and finally the matter
was temporarily compromised
The Foreign Mines Development
Company controls the Consolidated
Mines OF south Africa It's interests
include other vast properties of th'
world The Hudson Bay Company
one of the oldest corporations in ex
silence. Is indirectly involved in III,
struggle IL is said Efforts wer,
made to bring about legislation whicl
would forever bar foreign corpora
tlons from possession OF American
potash fields The matter was takei
, lup with President Taft In Washing
ton at the time the conflict was i'm
pending in the desert Germany
now controlling the worlds potasl
output. was also Interested Amon
the California men who are con
nected with the Trona Company ar
Henry h Lee. representing Germa
interests. another faction comprise
G. H. Dolbear. the STANDARD oil Con
pany and h. M. Smith Of Oakland
whose borax holdings were in Q wa
involved as the result OF the col
test Dolbear relocated the Searle
: lake property about eight years ag'
Both OF the groups endeayored 10 ~
eOtiate with the foreign mines con
pany
Through recent invention a ne
process for obtaining preeipitatie
Of the salts OF the Searles lake sin
has vastly increased the vame
I the property.