The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-11-04
the Timber Question.

mestle purposes. Delegate foole IN
letter to Secretary Lamar makes the 70
lowing able appeal for the miners an
settlers Of Montana
These rules end regulations are SO 9
varianee with thespirit and intention {
the act of Congress above referred to,an
their enforcement would result SO disas
trously both to the government and tn
people ia the mining regions that be
Of you TO give them that careful AM
considerate. attention which the subject
demands before any changes Of presen
rules ar 0nally adopted and promul
gated bile they relate to other min
eral regions, / prefer 70 eonfne my
statemeA 10 Montana Territory as
am nlors naiIiar with It, ard in many
inssanee peak rom actual knowledge
effibofs 1dliTeykiied interests
and resources, many Of them vet unde-
veloped Bnt Shen say that there Is :
single camp in that Territory, the min
eral output of which. for 1856, will ap-
proximate twenty millions dollars, and
that the Territory will aggregate thirty
millions, you will understand that it is
essentially mining country and appre-
ciate the solicitude that is felt concern
ing the circular above referred to.
The first and second paragraphs or
subdivisions of this circular were un-
objectionable, and are now in force. But
the third is manifestly wrong and not
contemplated by the act of Congress.
From the first settlement of the mineral
lands wood-choppers and lumbermen
have cut wood, mining timbers and lum-
| Der for lumber, and sold the same to cut
for their own use. Wilt be contended
that the act OF Congress contemplated
that every miner, mill owner and in
habitant of the mineral lands should go
out and fell timber TO be used in mines,
mills, smelters, and to supply their fam
lily use, or that each should employ a
special agent to do so fol him? This
would be practically impossible.
The fourth paragraph or subdivision is
but an elaboration and Interpretation of
the third, and slbiec, to the same objec
ton.
There is no provision of law by which
title to timber lands can be acquired, al
though Congress has been repeatedly
asked for snch legislation. Such a egu.
lation would be fraught with great mis-
chef, and the most serious consequences
and practically defeats the very purpose
Of the Act of Congress, which, in the ab
sence OF a law allowing the purchase of
timle q, was designed to give the settler
all tie necessary facilities for the dis
coveW, exploration and development of
the mineral lands. To limit the cutting
of timber to the individual or his per-
sonal agent would be violative of the |
rights aud privileges that have grown
un and had the force, effect and dignity |
of law in this department, since the first
settlement ofthe mineral lands.
The fifth subdivision is surely the re-
suit of hasty and inconsiderate action.
for it betrays lack of knowledge of the
actual condition of mineral countries. 1t |
would not do to confne the cutting OF |
timber for mining and other purposes to |
the district where the person cutting the |
same resided, for the reason that mining |
districts are numerous and frequently |
small, ant it often happens that the
mining or other district where such |
person resides, never had stick of TIM
ber upon it, or if it Gid, that it has been /
removed
The sixth subdivision is now in force.
and appears to me to be wise regula-
ton.
The seventh subdivision is simply ap-
pailing. It's enforcement is one way to
effectually stop the production of silver
and copper in the territories. Without
wood and charcoal, no mill, smelter or
reduction works can operate. Without
the operation of mills, smelters and re-
duction works, the mines must be aban-
doned. Its enforcement means that the
ore taken from the mines, now on the
dumps, must be shipped out of the min
eral producing region for treatment,
when the value of the ore frequently
will not pay the cost of transportation;
it means that mines, mills, smelters and
reduction works, representing many
millions of dollars, shall be closed down
and the capital invested be lost; it
means that it is no longer the policy of
tie government to foster and encourage
the development of the mineral lands.
and the production of the precious met
ais. But above and beyond all, it means
that hundreds of thousands of honest
toilers in mines, mills, smelters, reduc-
ton works, and forests shall be sudden
" thrown out of employment without
any corresponding benefit to enure to
the government.
There appears to be no objection to the
eighth subdivision. believe it is now
in force.
am led to believe that the recent re-
ports Of special land agents rejecting
upon the action of the Montana I'm
provement company in Montana has led
- the formulation Of these rules and re-
gulations. Whatever may be the result
of the Investigation as it affects that
company, trustis will lead to no change
or modification of the rules and regula-
tinns now in force relating to cutting
timber on mineral lands. These rules
afford ample protection to the govern
ment and the settler, if rigidly enforc-
ed
IF the proposed circular is adopted, al
low me to conjecture the possible result
on another point Of view. It is claim q
that the Montana Improvement Com
pany has contract with the Northern
-, ..,1,soh st