The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-10-15
JAS. B. HACG|N's
CAREER IN WEST
WAS IDENTIFIED WITH THREE
FAMOUS MINES AND MADE
GREAT FORTUNE.

&C, c. Goodwin in Goodwin's Weekly
1t is only week since he died, but
James B. Haggin was one Of the old
masters. The dispatch gives his age
as 81, we believe he was 80. 1t is 65
years since 1S49. Mr.. Haggin was
more than % years of age when he
went to Sacramento. He was fin
ished scholar and an accomplished
lawyer and could not have been less
than rs years of age. He was con-
temporary With Hail McAlister, John
b. FELTON,, Calhoun Benham, Colonel
Il, y. Baker, Justice Stephen j. Field
and the others of the early California
bar. His father was an American, 1t
has always been understood that his
mother was a high caste Turkish lady
and that he was born in Constantine
ef}3. He was a successful lawyer, but
from early life he had longing for
tho soil. With his first little fortune
in California he bought a large tract
Of land in Sacramento county. Later.
he bought an immense tract of land
in Kearn county and commenced its
cultivation on a princely scale. He
was the first one to apply irrigation
on a large scale to cultivation In Cali
farnia. A dispatch tells us that it was
he who fought the old riparian law
to finish. That fight had been won
long before in California SO far as
mining was concerned
Father Of Irrigation.
That law compelled men using wa
ter from a stream to return it un-
tainted and undiminished in volume.
The supreme court of California
early set that aside as necessary to
the promotion Of the paramount in
dustry Of the state, which at that time
was placer mining. We think Mr..
Haggin's great suit over the Kearn
county tract was to make valid his
title to the grant.
We believe that behind his farming
enterprise in California was a desire
to give the people of that state an OBJ
iect lesson to show them that the sal
walton of farming was to be through
irrigation that, while preserving the
fertility of the soil double crops could
be realized. The American river farm
in Sacramento county and the i'm
mense Kearn county plantation are
still monuments to his sagacity.
Meets Marcus Daily.
He did not take much to mining un.
til the Comstock was made a success
by the giants in charge. Of whom Will
liam Sharon was for 10 years the
chief However, he made a great stake
from those mines at last. In the mean
time he became associa ed with thu
late Senator George Hearst, an(
through him became largely interested
in the Eureka, New, mines; purchased
the Ontario in Utah and the Home
stake in the Black Hills. In the mean.
time he had become acquainted witt
the late Marcus DAILY. 1t was DAILY
who recommended the Ontario to the
late r. C. Chambers and Chamber,
sent to Hearst for help to purchase
and develop it.
So when DAILY secured the bonds Or
the Anaconda. he made report upor
it and appealed ta Haggin for help 4
was at once granted. Never were ex-
poctations more fully realized than or
those three mines. There was an ele'
ment of luck, too, about them. Inc
Ontario was purchased for $50, 900 ano
the owners tried for three years tc
sell it for 100000, but could not II
gave up first and last about S50,00O,,
900 In the case of the Homestake q
good many fine experts turned it dowr
hut Hearst had an intention that II
was a big mine, and finally sent tt
'Billie" Parish to come and see 1t.
Parish looked over the ground for
week and then said to Hearst. Have
you the nerve to spend 100000 on TINS
property before receiving any re-
turns?"
The reply was: Eyes, If can have
any reasonable assurance Of ever get
ting back the money
well" said Parish, you had bet
ter buy it," Then placing the tips o.
his fingers together and holding M
wrists wide apart, he continued: "Th
mine is this way. 1t is wedge ant
only the sharp edge of it has beer
pushed up to the surface"
1t has been paying strong dividends
since about 1875.
Backed Daily in Anaconda.
But all those mines had their darl
DAYS. The Anaconda, especially. ha'
long period Of trial. The ore be
came reduced greatly in richness an
{ at the same time the price OF cope
fell so per cent in value How to kee
the mine on paying basis was a ser
ious question. Mr.. DAILY never falter
ed. His imperious and compelling ma
ture would not brook the thought o
failure, and, though Lloyd Tevi'
Haggin's senior partner and brother
in-law, squealed under the load, de
cIarlng that 1t meant ruin to continue
Haggin met every draft on sight.
Whan the Cornish pump was be