The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-10-14
UZlR7HRGzD LAID"

along The river and more than once used armed
cowboys The state supreme court sustained
most of his water rights.
Miller began the building Of his empire by pur-
chasing i.sO0 near Giiroy. about 70 miles
south Of San Francisco Later he expanded fhs
TO 10000 acres and made II his home ranch a.
profits accrued. he put the money back into land
cattle and sheep. by 1886 the operations OF me
partners had reached their peak. They owne"
about S000O0 acres I'm California and had large
holdings In Oregon and Nevada.
II once thought that should own the whole
state OF California;" said Miller. about 1900 i
would have owned half OF II. Ind not made the
mistake of buying In Oregon and Nevada, ana
my son. " he had lived. could have bought the
other half"
1t was In 1886 that Miller and Lux had $4,000
cnttle and 100000 sheep. For years their annual
sale Of meat had averaged Si.500OO0. They had
organized water companies had laid out town
sizes and had built towns. They had constructed
roads and irrigation canals and bitches.
The ranches were famous models. Miller
spent most of his time In their inspection. Each
ranch had a foreman. with three sub foreman for
cattle sheep and farming. Every group OF ranch.
es had general manager There was general
superintendent OF the sheep interests. But no
body ever doubted that Miller was the boss At
each ranch was a bedroom for the boss. kept In
perfect order for his coming. which might be night
or day. He usually travelled In a buggy behind
fast team: at eighty-hve he frequently drove
90 miles In day.
Miller's men were well fed and well lodged
The superannua.ed were pensloned. lie lib
eral and he demanded efficiency In return. He
gave his foreman practically Q free hand; the
man who "mnde good" could have anything within
reason Order. nea'ness. cleanliness were Miiler's
watchwords. At ranch he became interested
In a flock Of newlyhatched chicks. On his next
visit he asked for them. 1.-THE rats got EN-" said
tha ira n a r.
marked Miller. Shortly afterward that foreman
was looking for q job.
Charles Lux died In 1887. Thereupon the bust.
ness was Incorporated. Miranda Lux. his widow.
took half Of his million-doar estate The other
half went TO four brothers and sisters Of Lux In
Germany, and another brother. Henry Lux Of San
Jose. Henry Lux died In 1909. leaving HIS NTH
shnre to his three children. Miranda Lux left q
son by her Hrst husband: he left 4 widow and
son. BY and by these claimants begnn to press
Miller for nm accounting and for larger dividends.
The autocratic old empire builder resented this
.nterference" and took his battle into the courts
His only ally his son.in-law. J. Leroy Nickel.
who had married Nellie Sarah Miller.
Miiier's first move was to nllow the California
corporation 20 lapse through nonpayment Of u.
cense fees. He then reorganixed $l2.O00.OOO cor
porntion under the laws Of Nevada. Af.er much
litigation. In 1910 he agreed to a Ave mIlllon-dol.
lar bond issue through the Bank OF California to
ennble him 10 purchase outright nil the inter
ests Of the 81 heirs OF Charles Lux In Germany
and the United States This gave Miller nbso-
lutte control Of all the vast property. The aex,
five years practically n continuous battle ID
the courts over boundary claims. water rights and
other matters.
Upon the death Of Henry Miller In 1910 nj Gil
ROY a new struggle began. When his viii wa,
flied for probate II was found that the bulk of the
estate had been transferred to trust created II
1913. In which he held life Interest and of which
al nd harb ux I'm nd Ners frls
entire estate estimated mt Sfo.o0o.00O an,
federal and state authorities Immediately begaI
proceedings In an attempt to collect inhertnnc
tax on the full amount instead OF on the compare
lively small estate set down In the Will. The fed
erai government claimed s.. 100000 and Caiforni
claimed <3GaOO00.
The amount claimed In taxes by the feeders
government Increased rapidly by penalties.
April OF Iois the claim nearly $7.O0 Onl
That year there decision against the estate
the property was ordered seized and sold at nu
ton. An Injunction was granted by q feeders