The Emma Silver Mine was a pocket lode situated at Alta near Cottonwood Canyon which was worked very briefly, but became a major fraud case involving British investors who had been misled by forged reports by respected minerologists of the unlimited amounts of silver that were to be found in the mine. Involved in the case, amongst others, were Albert Grant MP in England, and General Schenck who follwing a successful career, was then US Minister i...
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The Emma Silver Mine was a pocket lode situated at Alta near Cottonwood Canyon which was worked very briefly, but became a major fraud case involving British investors who had been misled by forged reports by respected minerologists of the unlimited amounts of silver that were to be found in the mine. Involved in the case, amongst others, were Albert Grant MP in England, and General Schenck who follwing a successful career, was then US Minister in the Embassy in London.
Trevor William Park became invoilved in the mine in March 1871. The mine was producing silver ore and together with General Henry H Baxter they bought the mine 50/50 and set up the "Emma Silver Mining Company of New York". In Autumn 1871 they decided to sell the mine in London, at a time when the number of miners employed at the mine fell from 100 to about 12. A new super intendent was employed by Park and Baxter to prepare the mine for inspection by geologists who were to issue their reports to support the sale of the mine, and at this point no others were allowed to enter the mine, which was patrolled by an armed guard. Effectively the walls of the mine were plastered with silver to mislead the experts, who may have been bribed in the process.
On arriving in Britain, Park and Baxter had difficulty selling the mine until they got the support the the US Minister /Ambassador in London, Robert C Schenck, who managed to open the right doors to begin selling the mine for $5,000,000 in London. The connection made by Schenck with Albert Grant MP was fundamental, although there was apparently a "consideration" of £100,000 for Grant involved in the matter.
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