Tag: Shakespeare ghost town
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The Myth of McComas and the Pyramid Gold and Silver Mining and Reduction Company
From the New Southwest and Grant County Herald of June 17, 1882: Col. J. B. Price, of N. M. [ sic] Mail and Transportation Co. notoriety,* has brought a suit against Col. Amos Green to establish his right to a one half interest in all of the mining property of the latter…
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The Smoking Gun
The Rules Of Practice For The Supreme And District Courts Of New Mexico, in effect at the time of McComas’ arrival, mandated that any attorney relocating to New Mexico Territory from another State or Territory, and wishing to resume practice, had first to be admitted to the New Mexico Territorial…
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Chapter 30 contd. The Myth of McComas and The Shakespeare Gold and Silver Mining and Milling Company
There is one thing of which we can be absolutely certain – Hamilton C. McComas did not come to Grant County to carry out legal work for either the Boyles or the Shakespeare Gold and Silver Mining and Milling Company (or, as more vaguely referred to by Simmons, citing Janaloo…
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The Death Of William G. Boyle
The most commonly repeated description of William G. Boyle’s death centers around yet another apocryphal tale – that he was taken ill while he and a group of his associates were returning to Shakespeare from St. Louis in late March of 1880. On arrival at Shakespeare, while the remainder of…
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Chapter 28 – The Companies
The machinations of the various companies operating in the Virginia Mining District between 1879 and 1882, and with which James B. Price and William and John Boyle were associated, are almost impossible to describe in complete detail; some transactions were not entered into Grant County records, whether this was simply…
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Chapter 25 – A Last Hurrah!
The Ralston City – Gila River Railroad As well as the many references to transporting water from the San Simon or Gila rivers to Ralston, there are also several references to the planned construction of a railroad from Ralston City to the Gila River, most notably by Arnold and…
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CHAPTER 24 – Visitors From Pinos Altos
Who, When, and Why Perhaps one of Ralston City’s more reliable claims to fame is the fact that it was directly responsible for the founding of what is today the Grant County seat – Silver City. Many will be familiar with the famous exclamation of “Well (or Hell) boys! If…
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The Great Diamond Hoax – Final Installment
A Change of Plan Roberts was initially unaware that there had been some changes made to the plan of action for the disposal of the Virginia Mining District properties. On September 26, 1870, he had written to Harpending “My idea is for you to go to NY and interest some…
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The Great Diamond Hoax contd.
More About Mr. Morgan Firstly, we recall Harpending’s description of his chance meeting with Mr. Morgan at Cheyenne. Mr. Morgan who, after requesting to accompany Harpending on his trip to the Virginia Mining District properties, became so thoroughly impressed by them that he proposed the formation of a company, and…
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Chapter 23 The Great Diamond Hoax contd.
Philip Arnold and James B. Cooper On November 19, 1870, the Weekly Arizonan reported that “Messrs. Cowper and Arnold” had arrived at Tucson the previous week from the Burro Mines. They were en route to San Francisco and carried with them not only news of the mines at Ralston, which…
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A Peculiar Resemblance
The Lincoln Gold Company In the January 30th report on the issuing of the Pyramid Range prospectus, Marmaduke Sampson, author of the piece and Financial Editor of the London Times, revealed – and invited explanation of – a number of similarities found between that prospectus and one which had been…
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Harpending Goes to London – Part II. His version of Events
Mr. Morgan Since there is little or no information on Harpending’s movements in London, the exact sequence of his actions is impossible to describe. What we do know is that Harpending’s own account of this period, as given in his memoirs, is so full of “errors” that it should be…
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CHAPTER 22 – Mr. Harpending Goes to London – PART I
This is a key chapter as the events described in it are important to both the proposed stock float on the London Stock Exchange, and for the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872 – the two being directly related. It is a long chapter, and will be published in several installments.…
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Letters From George D. Roberts – Part I
Group III Letters Here we have grouped together those letters written by George D. Roberts himself. These are important because they show us why the reports from Ralston continued to be favorable, despite Power’s “sell out as fast as possible” letter of September 7, 1870. We also refer briefly…
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The Harpending Papers contd.
Group II Letters These consist of three letters written from Ralston City by M. L. Power who was Roberts’ and Harpending’s Superintendent of Mines. Of all the letters discussed here, these are the most valuable. These three letters alone, independent of any other information, provide more than enough proof…