The Tacoma Gold Rush That Was Salted With Quicksilver

GOLD CLAIMS IN TACOMA. A Mining Journal's Comments on the Land Office Job.

Under the present, as well as the last administration of the Interior Department, state titles to vacant sections 16 and 36, donated under the general land laws to the newer states for educational purposes as a basis for public school funds, have frequently proved anything but a boon. They have become the natural and easy prey of land grabbers whenever they seemed to be of value. Especially in the vicinity of growing towns were such sections filed upon at an early stage of town development, wherever a pretext could be formed for plausible mineral application. Such applications, on file previous to the donation act, have usually been granted either for lack of resistance on the part of the state, or because the mineral claim was worth so much that it became a corruption fund to influence those in position to facilitate the grant of a patent to land office attorneys and others skilled in getting things through the departments. These adepts are wont to follow their briefs and papers from hand to hand among the so-called law clerks of the department with all the zeal inspired by contingent fees or by a fractional interest in the property at stake.

The recent decision of the placer claims filed by one McBride on school section 16, within the city of Tacoma, Wash., is an illustration.

After a second hearing before the local land office at Olympia and a second reference to the general land office at Washington City, the claims in question, six in number—covering 130 acres of city improved property—have been affirmed by the commissioner of the land office. The preliminary decision of the land office at Olympia in favor of the mineral applicant was most surprising in view of the testimony heard by these local officers.

From trustworthy evidence submitted to us it appears that the state showed by credible and experienced experts that no gold in appreciable quantities has been discovered on the several claims, except what was fraudulently introduced. The foreign character of the gold exhibits was proved by the fact that it was not only a miscellaneous aggregate in point of size, crystallization and color, but was mostly amalgamated. It was obvious that the granules alleged to have been native to the ground at Tacoma were, in fact, amalgamated material from different river washings like the Fraser, Columbia, etc., and bore the marks of having passed through riffles. Other material was introduced which was artfully prepared for purposes of the hearing by panning with quicksilver so that amalgamation should be incidental to its separation.

One witness testified to an attempt at bribery and 'salting.' Though denied by the implicated party, this was not disproved. Quicksilver was found in pannings not particularly guarded against trickery, and again in most of those made by the applicant's party, wherever inspected by the state's experts.

Its occurrence as globules doubtless arose from the attrition and rough treatment of small amalgams in panning, along with pebbles and iron sands. It was sought to explain its presence by saying that quicksilver had once been freely used on the ground, and had either recondensed in concrete form or else had been spilled in such quantities as to appear in nearly every pan taken from different parts of the ground near the grass roots.

The inspector general of local land offices, who was detailed from Washington City to superintend the practical examination of the ground, appears to have actively sided with the land grabbers. He was the first to volunteer as a witness for the mineral applicant, in which capacity he proved willing and eager, and even claimed to be an expert in the mining of the precious metals. An engraved and published map of Tacoma showing the urban environment of the mineral claims was ruled out of the hearing by the register.

The glacial drift of the Puget Sound basin, as of other sections, contains no gold in appreciable quantity. Colors of gold set free from pyrite are occasionally met with in the pannings, but it takes from 400 to 600 of these to make the value of one cent. Assays of pannings from unsuspected ground at Tacoma gave only negative results. A single thin sheet of hard pan at water level, below 150 feet of cover, afforded the only trace of gold, not more than 3 cents per cubic yard. In comparison with such an occurrence the red alluvions of Virginia would, measure for measure, be a regular bonanza.

In the first proceedings the son of the land commissioner was the attorney of the mineral applicant. Abundant evidence has been, in vain, laid before the department showing the employment of fraudulent practices in the interest of the applicant, yet the decision is in his favor and against the state. The 130 acres in question were at one time counted to be worth at least $1,500,000 for building lots, and this apparently has been sufficient to convince those who were charged with the determination of the point that the property is 'gold bearing.'

The domination of the land office by outside attorneys and inside law clerks is altogether too apparent. Whatever recourse yet lies open to the state must be sought in the United States court. That the mineral applicant and his coadjutors have any other purpose than to divide their claims up into town lots has never for a moment been believed by the citizens of Tacoma, who have watched the proceedings with mixed feelings of indignation and astonishment.