THE ONTARIO AND THE HENRIETTA,
Special Correspondence of the Engineering and Mining Journal.
Some months ago, U. S. Marshal Shaughnessy bought an interest in the Henrietta claim in Parley's Park. This mining property lies south of and parallel with the Banner, which, in turn, lies south of and parallel with the west half of the Ontario and the east half of the Last Chance mines. The Henrietta ground was covered by the Great Eastern claim, which was owned by Mr. R. C. Chambers, of the Ontario. Mr. Shaughnessy commenced suit against the Great Eastern claim, to quiet his title to the Henrietta, and the case was tried recently before Judge Hunter, of the Third Judicial District Court. Testimony for the plaintiff was introduced to show that the Great Eastern lo-cation notice, although dating two years prior to the Henrietta's, designated the claim as running north and south, but that the defend-ants had swung it around to run east and west, covering the Henrietta ground, when the survey for a patent was made. The defendants' testimony went to show that the claim had never been swung around, and that it always ran parallel with the Banner. The court, however, gave judgment in favor of the plaintiff, and the defendants filed a notice of appeal. On the 11th instant, Mr. Shaughnessy filed a complaint in the District Court against the Ontario Company, claiming $1,000,000 damages. It is sworn to on information and belief, and alleges that the Ontario Company through its lower workings has been for a long time past extracting ore from the Henrietta ground. It was on this state of facts that your correspondent interviewed some of those who are prominently connected with the suit. Mr. Chambers came in from the mine last evening; and when I called at the Ontario office this morning, Marshal Shaughnessy's deputy was just serving on Mr. Chambers a copy of the complaint.
Correspondent.—"I have called, on behalf of the ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, to learn what you have to say about the suit against your company."
Mr. Chambers.—"I ordinarily prefer to try my cases in the courts. I assure you, however, the developments in the Ontario and Last Chance mines enable me to most emphatically assert that Mr. Shaughnessy's suit is groundless and without any merit."
Correspondent.—"Mining men here in town boldly assert that it is a blackmailing suit, and that some of the officials are materially interested in the result."
Mr. Chambers.—"I prefer not to be interviewed on the subject any further."
Your correspondent then visited District-Attorney Van Zile's office; but found only his deputy, Mr. Beatty, there.
Correspondent.—"Judge, it is charged that your client's suit against the Ontario has no merit."
Mr. Beatty.—"The other side always makes that assertion, but I think we will show in a material way that it is meritorious enough. Of course, we can not say, of our own knowledge, that the Henrietta is furnishing to the Ontario all the ore now being taken out of that mine; but the Marshal has men in the employ of the Ontario Company, who are reporting to him just what is being done in the mine, and they say the Ontario ore comes from the Henrietta ground. We expect to get an order to enter the works and have a survey made. So far as the merit of our case is con-cerned, I can say that we have brought this suit in good faith and expect to make something out of it. Mr. Chambers has not come down from the mine yet, has he?"
Correspondent.—"He has."
Mr. Beatty.—"Well, if he brought down $800,000 with him, we will see him. I never saw so poor a country as this is for an attorney to get his pay. Before I got in partnership with Van Zile, I was employed by the Flagstaff Mining Company, and, notwithstanding I saved to the company $45,000 by locating the Virginius, that * * * Billings euchred me out of my just dues, and eked out to me a pittance sufficient only to keep soul and body together. I have struggled to get along here, and it has been a struggle—nothing else—and now I, for one, am going in to make a winning."
Correspondent.—"This is a pretty heavy suit, involving large interests, and why is it you did not call in additional counsel?"
Mr. Beatty.—"Judge Van Zile has done that heretofore, but we are confident of success, because the propositions involved are so clearly in our favor that we can't lose the case. Van says, if he loses this suit, he will never try another mining case. Why, the Ontario vein crops out on the Henrietta, and we can show it."
After thanking Mr. Beatty for the information furnished, your corre-spondent left, and next called on Mr. Harkness, of the law firm of Ben-nett & Harkness, attorneys for the Ontario Company, who said: "So far as we know, or are advised, the suit against the Ontario is without merit. But you may probably hear a different statement from the attorneys on the other side."
IN PARLEY'S PARK,
the weather has become quite settled, and mining operations have generally been resumed. The Ontario mill is still shut down, owing to the hoist having failed to get there on time. Every thing, however, is now nearly ready, and the mill will be started up on Monday next.
Work on the Park City smelter is progressing slowly, owing to the company being unable to obtain necessary lumber. It is expected that the stack will be fired up about June 1st.
A portion of the Hawkeye mine has been disposed of for $40,000, which sum has been expended in hoisting-machinery and pumps, to be put in the mine this season. The Empire starts up her pumps to-morrow, and next week, it is hoped, the vein will be tapped from the 400-foot station. Work on the company's new sixty-stamp mill will be commenced at once.
BINGHAM.
In this camp, the Old Jordan has been opening up a large body of low-grade free-milling gold ore, which is said to average $1850 per ton. This figure is, however, so much beyond the average in other mines working similar ores, that we think the figure may allow a discount. There ap-pears to be a large body of the ore, whatever its average grade may be. The company's new mill is progressing and will be finished about July 1st. The manager asserts that he can mine, ship, and mill the ore for $3 per ton.
The Stewart No. 1 is shut down, waiting for the canon roads to improve so that a supply of fuel for the mill and timber for the mine can be ob-tained. This company is making preparations to increase the capacity of its twenty to a sixty-stamp mill. The Argonaut Hydraulic Mining Com-pany in this canon has a full head of water in a large gravel-bank above the town of Bingham, and claims to be doing well. It will not clean up until the water supply is exhausted, which will be in July.
Ferdinand Dickert, a mining engineer, has brought suit against Allen G. Campbell, Treasurer of the Horn-Silver Mining Company, to recover $50,000, for damaging the reputation of the plaintiff. It appears Mr. Campbell did not think Mr. Dickert much of an engineer.
The Horn-Silver bullion is carrying more gold and silver to the ton than formerly, and the shipments from that property have now been re-sumed in earnest, as the reports of daily bullion shipments will show.
SILVER REEF.
Orders have been given to put two more pans and another settler into the Christy mill. The machinery and casting have been ordered from San Francisco. This company to-day received United States patents for two more of its claims. All of the Silver Reef mines are turning out ore, and bullion shipments are made regularly from the mills of that camp,
PERSONAL.
William B. Wells, a well-known mining man, arrived in Salt Lake last evening, and leaves for Southern Utah to-morrow morning. Capt. L. H. Lubbock, manager of the Christy Mining Company at Silver Reef, arrived from New York to-day, and is stopping at the Continental. He leaves for Silver Reef to-morrow.
YOSEMITE.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, May 14.
