The Shasta courier., 1865-03-11

vantages OF so good locality for prosecuting
their tavorite business. "A few perseyerinS
Individuals have already made fortunes b4
vine growing, and their example would no
doubt be followed by thousands of others
could perfect title be obtained to the land
+ California is not the first new country in
which we have lived and seen settled. This
cry for title and capital is not now heard for
the first time. nor is it now for the first time
patent to us that this cry comes from inter
ested spectators, and not from the hardy,
honest producer,-the occupant and worker
of the soil. The operation in Wisconsin and
Illinois of this title question was illustrated
in 1885, e and 7. In each of these States
a portion of the public domain was subject to
entry; another, and not the best had not been
brought into market. nor was there pre-
emption law for the protection of those who
settled upon and improved those lands
What was the result? According to Ell Do
RADIOS theory those lands subject to entry
must have been first settled and improved,
yet such was not the case. Capital had
sought out all the choice locations and acqui-
red title thereto, leaving an occasional spot
for some hardy farmer with no more brains
than Ell Dorado to enter and improve in or.
der that it might increase the value of Capi.
tails adjacent wild lands.
The actual fact is that all the lands out of
market, and for which no title could be had,
except that which we row have to mineral
lands-nor yet as good, for the courts there
did not recognize a squatter's right as good
IN law-were first settled and improved and
that, too, by men who believed they had
home when they had made bounds to their
claims and conformed to the bylaws of the
district. In which they located themselves.
While the lands to which there was no title
in the early settlement of the country were
quickly settled up, improved, and made to
. blossom as the rose," those that were in
market at the time have never recovered
from the blasting influence of monopolizinc
capital. which has entailed upon those dis
trlets endless litigation about tax titles, and
transfers made and not recorded, making al.
together a jumbled up mess that lawyers then
and now are fattening upon, and will be for
ali time to come
No, Mr.. Ell Dorado, if you would have the
" Western slope of the Sierras" cultivated,
leave them open to the free occupation of the
actual settler, whose title is good to all he can
cultivate-good in every sense of the word,
nor can be bettered-not for purposes of
homestead, for demise or descent, not even
for the purpose of raising money on his vine
yard by mortgage-for no purpose can his
title be improved except to enable him to
play the dog in the manger, by holding all
the land that might adjoin him, and letting
it lie idle, to the exclusion of many who.
under the existing system, would work t.
And so with the mines. The same rule ap.
plies, and experience has proven it good.
As an illustration of the beauties of title
in fee simple to mining lands, we will give
an instance of what is and what would have
been under the fee simple theory Within
a few miles of this town a couple of miners
prospecting hill struck a prospect of ten
dollars to the pan. Under the laws of that
district the discoverers are entitled to two
claims-one by right of discovery. These
they staked off and then made their GOOD
luck known. The result was that the whole
hill was soon staked off, affording about sixty
claims. This will lead. of course, to further
prospecting for the same lead in hills ada
cent and its probable discovery elsewhere, all
resulting in giving wealth and activity to
large community that will gather to that
point. What would have been the result of
this discovery under the fee simple" theory
Why, these men, when they made the dscov-
cry, would have kept quiet until they had
taken out enough to buy all the seemingly
valuable ground about them. and then while
one watched the hole The other would have
gone off and entered the land to the exclusion
of hundreds of good men-and possibly of his
partner-for such things have happened even
IN the Atlantic States-which, of course,
would have entailed law suit.
Which is best?-that sixty men should be
employed, each tor himself, or that two men
should conduct slow process of business by
the hire of the cheapest labor? Under which
system are communities most fourishing,
most progressive {?
But then the great folly of all this talk
about fee simple titles and sale of mineral
lands is, first: there is in it no revenue for
the Government. On the contrary. the Gov
ernment would be directly loser thereby
and secondly: the title of settler on Gov
ernment lands is good beyond a question,
therefore cannot be better.
We suggest, in conclusion that system
which works well should not be interfered
With until better is at least suggested.
INCOME TAx.-The Commissioner of inter.