The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-10-31
political ADVERTISEMENT


wealthy mining operators is told in
the following statement of facts.
The Esmeralda Labor Liens rs they
are called. represent a social and po-
litical scandal that has existed in Ne
vada for the last six years.
The odium attaching to rhe Esrer-
aida liens has resulted already il the
defeat. by the voters of Nevada who
love square dealing. of Carey Van
Fleet for state senator 70 If years ago
and of E. t. Caine for congress two
years a.o.
Charles b. Henderson, now tandi-
date for United States senator from
Nevada, at each previous election at
which his former partners were cGn-
didates, promised settlement of these
liens Now, on the eve of .he election,
the principal outstanding holders Gf
the liens have been paid their money
wnich bas been due tor six years.
0stensibly this money comes from
the pockets of the mine operators. If
so, what interest have they in the
election of Charles B. Henderson to
the United States senate?
Irrespective of the settlement of
these claims, the writer feels it her
duty to lay before the people of Ne
vada the history of the direct or in
direct connection of the man who now
aspires TO represent not only the mil
lionaires but the laboring men of this
state in the United States senate.
The multimillionaire Salt Lake City
heirs of the Eccles Estate who op-
Grated the Esmeralda mines at Midas,
Elko county, Nevada. in 1912, became
indebted TO the miners, mechanics,
teamsters and tradesmen at the mine
for labor and materials amounting to
several thousand dollars.
Thirty-six labor liens were fled
amounting to claims for more than
$4,000. Indebtedness to teamsters and
supply men increased this by several
thousand dollars.
The mine was tied up so that the
Eccles people could not operate it and
later. unknown to their clients. the
firm of Henderson. Game & Van Fleet
signed a trust deed which enabled
the operators to remove all the valu-
able ore blocked out, which was the
only tangible guarantee that the
claims would be paid.
AT the end of six months these at
torneys asked their needy and anxious
clients to take so cents on the dollar
in settlement Many OF the men, in
debt, impoverished, i'll and discour-
aged, were forced thereby to sacrifice
their just earnings and took what the
magnanimity of their attorneys al
lowed
Others. able TO fight oppression and
wrong, refused to be cheated of the
money due them. These insisted that
collection of the claims should be en-
forced in the courts. Not since the
day of filing has there been any at
tempt to bring the matter to hearing
in court Although as late as two
years ago other claimants. through
other attorneys, received judgment in
court.
Another group of claimants became
discouraged and accepted a fifty per
cent settlement, which was paid by the
defendants.
Four persons were given powers OF
attorneys by groups of claimants to
collect the pending labor liens. One
finally accepted so cents on the dollar
for all the claims he held. His own
personal claim was paid in full and
he was given an executive position in
the Esmeralda mine.
Typical of the suffering and priva-
ton endured by the victims of the
Esmeralda case is the story of George
Slough. a member of the Sheet Iron
Workers Union.
The Esmeralda owners owed Slough
$40 for his own labor and the sums
he had paid on materials for use in
the mine. Slough. holding a me-
chanics' lien which in any other pro-
ceeding would have assured him of
his money. was compelled to borrow
$3.50 to take him 10 hospital when he
became i'll and on his death the Sheet
Iron Workers Union betrayed the cost
OF his burial.
George Slough was the man TO
whom Carey Van Fleet wrote few
weeks before he was defeated for state
senator to see that "the boys" at Midas
did not knock" him, promising to take
up those labor liens after the election
and representing that his firm did not
-'sell out" their clients but had ne
elected the case.
Two years ago +. r. Caine ran for
congress. He also made the plea that
the case had been neglected Just
before he was defeated an emissary
came to the writer and offered to put
the amount due her personally in the
First National Bank of Winnemucca
Immediately and to pay the labor liens
she held. after election. She refused.
At the time of Gaines candidacy
Charles b. Henderson disclaimed any