The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-02-01
The Walking john Dictator.

OALCAsAbAF 49, IL = Oohs CAobg -
EDITOR BLACK RANGE:-The state
ment in your paper relative the to re-
location Of the Walking John claim
on Mineral creek, and the attitude of
the owners relative thereto, calls for a
statement upon my part as one of the
owners, and my position in such own
ership.
Being interested in claims upon the
same lode l had intended in case the
assessment work was not done upon
the Walking John, as was anticipated,
to relocate the claim and hold it in
connection with the other claims be-
fore mentioned. BY a local in your
paper sometime in December, l saw that
the assessment work Vas being per-
formed, and so dropped the subject
from my mind. After January 18th
news came to me that but a farce of
the law had been made in doing the
assessment work upon said claim, and
that it had been relocated under the
name of the Dictator. The INSULT
cheney Of the assessment work was
corroborated by two as trustworthy
miners as are to be found in the range.
who were at work on an adjoining
claim and knew positively that 10 real
assessment work had been doneln CON-
pliance with the law, but that a show
Of work had been made to hold the
claim. 1t was not a shadow of a
haw," as expressed in your paper, that
gave rise to the relocation or jump
ing Of the claim as it has been termed,
but a positive failure to comply with
the law. Upon such proof being pre-
sented l purchased a quarter interest
in the Dictator which / now hold. Now,
| do not wish to be upheld by any COM
munity in my indeavors to hold what |
believe to be a legally as well as morally
properly located claim, from any dis
like of a company formerly holding
the claim. Taking advantage of a
mere shadow of a haw," a mere
technically, l hold to be unwise and
unmanly and should be frowned down
upon by every good citizen, No mat
ter if the company formerly holding
the claim has been productive of more
harm to the range that it can ever
undo; no matter if it has made con-
tracts, obtained the results Of the la
Dor and then compelled the laborers to
settle at fifty cents on the dollar; no
!, matter if its lying reports and stock
jobbing operations have thrown a cloud
/, of distrust over the whole range, if in
good faith it has performed the
work required by law upon the
claims, it should hold them. The
wrongs they may have inflicted will
not justify another wrong done to
! them in spite OF revenge, and no such
wrong attempted should be upheld. ]
hold that the law requiring assess
ments is reasonable and should be COM
piled with, and that the development
of the country should not be hindered
by making a farce of the laws; nor in
case the company has sent on the re-
qulSite amount to perform assessment
work, should afidavits alone represent
= the work done. We, Mr.. Steinberg ant
myself, have taken possession and in
tend to make a test of the ore lett upon
: the dump, and decided by the courts o.
Iowa, Pennsylvania, California ant
; Colorado to belong to the claim. w
have sacked up some of the ore ant
d removed the same from the claim t.
; the mill site, though forbidden so to d,
by Mr.. Taylor who since January Is
has been at work upon the claim, an
represents the company claiming tn
Walking John. To the credit of al
d concerned let it be SAID that no har
words have been passed and an
S ruf1ed feeling has been suppressed b
s a sober second thought, and if an.
seemingly caustic remarks have bee
e made, the gentlemenly instincts of tn
n party losing himself for a momen
e have retracted the same. The Who'll
n question is matter of fact to he de
9 clded by the courts. Any attempt t
d bulldoze or intimidate is useless upo
o either side. Any injunction agalns
the removal of any more ore or a sui
of replevin for the ore already rt
+ moved will bring the matter to a hea
at once, and those claiming the Wall
Y, ing John can rest assured that all til,
o technicalities will be waived, ant
that we will apply ourselves to the gis
d of the action. If 1t is shown to th
satisfaction of the court that the al
n nual assessment upon the Walkin
d John claim Was actually performed G
even sought to be done in good fat
l. in the time required by law, we will n
r. linquish all claim at once, and max
le restitution for every pound OF or
K taken. Yours respectfully,
If H.. n. CASTLE.
a. Contract to Let.