Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-26
Spencer Versus Barnes
Barnes Versus Spencer:
Statement to the Public
TO THE PUBLIC!

stories which, II true, would be dis
creditable to me, have gained wide cir.
culation, they arising from tde litiga-
tion between A. B. Spencer and myself
in California, and between my wife
and a. i. Spencer here, ! feel that to
longer ignore them would be considered
an evidence on wrmgdoing On my part.
A sense of duty to myself, my family
and my friends who have stoOd so 10y
ally by me, impels re to make a full
statement of the circumstances out Of
which this litigation arose will do
this as briefly as possible, though it
necessarily requires rather lengthy
statement.
The litigation arose over the sale Of
several groups Of iron mines by and
through me to +. H. Hartman, the rail
road magnate, since deceased. Tns sale
covered about $500 acres Of an inn
mense iron deposit one thousand or
more feet wide and ten miles in length,
and the sale price of which was 81, =,
5l2,j0l These claims were owned by
several companies and individuals, and
/ spent about two years Of my time and
my whole time in getting options on
these interests, locating claims Of my
own on the same ore body doing assess
ment work, and getting the diverse in
terests together 80 the claims could be
sold in their entirety. To do this pur.
chased undivided interests in sone, took
options ON others and put up more than
$4,000 in money. Carrying the options
cost heavily, aud when ! finally sold
TO Mr. Hartman, it was ga forced
put. by selling to aim ! could get
for myself Sl0O,O0O, and ! stood to lose
all | had put in unless sold ! made
the choice just as you would, and ac.
cepted 100000, one half Of which has
been paid, and the other half is not
due until patents issue for the claims.
Should they not issue, get nothing
more. These mines are in Riverside
county, California, ON the edge Of Death
valley, and their exploration was diff
cult and costly, they beng 3j miles
from water The above lncts are
SHOWN at length in the contract between
Mr.. Hartman and myself on file in the
courts in this litigation, and tGis also
shows that to conclude the sale | was
forced to let 90 Of my own interests,
valued in that contract at $l93,3l2. II
will be seen FROM this that the bonus
Of 100000 to be paid me was only Il
tritle over 80 per cent Of the value Of
my claims, or of what all the other own
ers got for theirs, leaving me nothing
fC my two years work, or for the SlO,
900 ! had invested in options, etc,
After this sale was eOnsummated, A,
u. spencer claiming to be interested
with me in the selling Of these mines,
brought suit against me, and, owing to
the fault of my attorney and the I'M
reasonable ruling Of the courts, recov.
cred Judgment against me for some
thing more than $4,000, which the
cmrt in California fixed as his half Of
the commissions ! received from lIarrl.
man. As put in more than $4,000
and two years of hard work, submit
that Mr. Spencer got Il generous
"half, ! assert now that Spencer
was never my partner in this venture on
uuv nthpt. unr tvua nn intnrpatpl with
,nc IN an, ,rny ma oul, hnrs,,tio,
@ ,"e haa @ 'Sos sEa, hod tolJ HIM ~ Lc
,onlJ ,ot r,ttn"s ~, "o,to,n nronort,
,yonid e'ln.iG., t,o nro,its malo fror, thn
sale on that property but these options
he could not and did not get
Now, | propose to submit Mr. Spcn.
Ger b cuse ON his own testimony though
~ rnoniros soma snaro to Jn so If
after roaIpy ,hot nny roosonohlc nor.
son con conSmJn h, ,yos nv nnrtncr or
nssocintc In INV vo, loso INV oncss
In .,ne lgot Nrs snenrrr ,yho wos
81 oiI rrenI n{ NV wifc's lnowing
was IN tbe renl estate and mmino b,'si.
moss. wrote NV vifo IA tbc cffcct lnnt
Snenoo, bod nm mtc,est in bc pnnopn
ednper claims In AHlonn and wanted
mo In trv aud snll th, rto,,,ty Th,rob
/ WINS nor interested IN The scheme
finally conscntcl to yo. nnJ aid on io
Tucson in .lupe lOO,, spcnrpr md his
wife were liyi1p in n iittlo two.room
nbode bouse md warn Financially In
Ind sbnno. Thny hwyryor msistcI an
NV boing their pucst which / wns
spencer fold mo be yns med or about
10 be. for n storo bill of sOo md rould
not pet nyn, IA 90 out IN Tho mmc an
thnt ncconpi mid this nm nircd a
rio md driy,r nnd with Snonrr, yisitel
somo conner nronerties brlonpnp Ia
Rumple 4 WiNon. INF did mai go ia
tbn pnnneo mnc ton, srvnrn7 nir.
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