[William B. Daugherty, Metalliferous Murphy, Reno Evening Gazette, March 7, 1891]

METALLIFEROUS MURPHY

An Expert on Rock, and an Expounder of Law.

            In early times in Eastern Nevada, there was, among the mining experts, one named Murphy, who acquired a wide reputation from an oft used remark made by him when exhibiting any specimens of ore found by himself. He would assert its great value by saying "It's fine rock, and highly metalliferous in its character." When the argentiferous galena ores were first found in that part of the State, they were not valued very highly because the methods of reduction were not understood. Then Murphy would qualify the above phrase by saying, "But its component parts are principally lid" (lead.) From these expressions he became known as "Metalliferous Murphy," and the name attaches to him yet, although he has long since extended his prospecting field into the great beyond. In the early history of Treasure City, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and presided over the Court with a severe dignity that compensated for lack of legal knowledge, and in fact, covered a multitude of sins, for he run the "coourt" against all opposition. Oh on one occasion a belated juror was startled when he sneaked into the courtroom, by his honor asking "Mike Dolan, phwy do ye kape the coourt waitin this way?" Mike answered, "Your honor, my clock is set for slow time," but he sat down as if shot when his honor said, "Sit down sir: How dare ye be argy'in pints wid the coourt." On one occasion, among the attorneys in the case before him, was the late W. W. Bishop, who was arguing a disputed point, wherein a misjoinder of the defendants was claimed because of the use of the term, et al. To settle the point, Bishop asked the court's opinion, which was declined, by the court telling him, "that a gintleman of his knowledge ought to know well enough." Bishop insisted and the court complied by saying, "It's derived from two Greek words, et and al, and it simply manes, at all, at all. That settled it and the case was tried on its merits.