The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-03-10
PLACER NINE ENTRIES.
EDIToR NEw NoRru.WEsr:


To give clearer idea of the scope and
intentions of tho Act Of Congress Of Suis
9th, 1870, in references to tire entry Of lands
us placer mines, beg leave 10 make use Of
your columns on this matter of public in.
tcrcst.
A general opinion seems to obtain IT
prejudice against the Act, ana, il rightly
understood. believe that its fairness dnl
business will be evident. Under the law
which provides for the entry Of lands up 10
one hundred and sixty acres to one individs
unl or association Of individuals, tho amount
is confined to the land which is actually in
possession and Ownership Of the party or par
tics seeking TO enter. II parties make up.
plication they must show their tito to the
claim by record eridence, giving an abstract
Of the title from the original losa,Ors or
pre-. enptOrs to themselves. and also file an
abstract Of the laws of the g,lch Herewith,
thus furnishing the land officers and Tie
Department with the means Ut Judging ot
the manner in which their right to the
tract is established. The requirement Of
81 600 in labor and improvements is also q
bar to the acquisition Of large tracts Of
land, which might be considered monop.
oily Of the placer mining lands of the coun.
try. For gulch mines Of small depth which
pcnsc, this Act will be practically inopera.
tive; but for deep ground, where large out.
lays arc necessarily incurred, and where the
mines are enduring for term of years, then
u patent gives to capital guarantee of UNI
disturbed posscssit0, which is otherwise iul.
possible to obtain, and the Act will there.
fore tend toward the development of dis;
tricts which arc now but little worked and
where the ground under the p0ssessory
practice Of mining claims necessarily falls
into the hands of u few men, holding large
tracts Of land which would not otherwise
be opened.
The same view obtains concerning tlloss
bars whose depth, extent and small con-:
parative richness requires large expenditures
for bitches and hydraulic works to render
their wealth available There are large
tracts of land which, with water in abund.
ancc. will pay fair wages and profit on tho
capital necessary to render them available
These tracts Gun only be worked by pieces,
by reason of the limited amounts Of wAtet
which can be conveyed to thssn, SO parties
can enter and hold their claims until the
water has worked out the richer tracts, and
Ivy its necessary reduction in price together
with the reduction Ut the value If labor will
afford u good return to those who now have
only wages ulgylnGS."
The fear Of taxation il another drawback.
Heretofore, the miner has been about tho
only producing class which has been ex
empt from the duty of helping to carry
the burdens which attend tho enforcement
Of tho laws bl all well ordered communities
With large assessment rolls, the rates Of
taxation are reduced, the Improvements
which facilitate travel and reduce the cost
of our necessities and increase the amount
of our luxuries and c0nvcnienccs, are easier
10 be created, and the public good and well
fare of the world at large is promoted. Tbs
miners become as much interested in the
fAithfulncss and efficiency of all public Off.
GERS whose protection they now enjoy. and
who they heretofore have had but little In
terest in selecting aud If . placer cleia
can not afford to pay pittance Of taxatlA
it must surely be poor indeed.
The cry Of the ''heathen Chinee," iss
loud and constantly reiterated one. II you
have claims which are ''China diggngs"
now, by laying them over under : U. 8.
patent and waiting until the Northern Pa.
cific railroad comes by our doors. which
must Oo accomplished before 1877, then
with labor cheapcned and with the means
OF living reduced in greater proportion. We
can sustain large population whose occu'
patton now seems gone, but who will then
find ample remuneration in what now seems
worthless ground.
Thus the fair requirements of the law
the motives Of true and just public polio.
and the dictates of interest appear to recon- |
mend the statute to the poo pie.
w. w. JOHNSON.
Deer Lodge, March & u.