The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-14
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,

sioner Sparks:
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
R%athdrum, Idaho, October Sd, 1885.
Hon. Commissioner General Land Office:
SIR: l have the honor to report that |
have completed the reports on the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company and the Mon
tana Improvement Company timber tres
pass cases, and herewith transmit eight
reports, making, with what l have already
transmitted, 81 separate indictments in
all, showing that these corporations have
caused to be cut from the public domain
1,545, 1OO,OO feet OF lumber and bridge
timber. S47,44 railroad ties, 15,4OO, 900
shingles, $1,000 punches, 32.O35 cords OF
wood and 20, 900 cedar posts. The value
OF the timber at $40 per 1000 feet. which
would be a low figure, railroad ties at 4Oc.
per tie, the rood at SD per cord, posts at
$50 per 1000, and shingles at 50 per
1000, or fifty cents a bunch, would amount
to S613,4O2.
OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED
This does not represent all the ties and
wood cut for the Northern Pacific Railway
Company by Eddy, Hammond l. Co, which
changed it's name into the Montana Inn
DIONeiucuC NOulpduy III july, 1000, dis i
found it an absolute impossibility to get
witnesses to testify in those cases, or even
to find persons Of whom l could obtain
anything like satisfactory information.
Where the depredations were committed be-
tween ~Rathdrum, Idaho, and Beaumont,
Montana, it is very thin:y settled. and mon
who were employed CT contracts during the
construction OF the Northern Pacific Rail-
way have gone to parts unknown. Owing
to this it has taken me much longer to com
plete this investigation than it otherwise
should. ] was.
HAMPERED BY OFFICERS
OF the Montana Improvement Company,
who appeared to expect an investigation
| and were fortifying their positions. The
| company had agents along the line
who endeavored to suppress the facts OF the
Montana improvement Company's opera
tions. The company is an INSCRIPTIONS
corporation that will leave nothing undone
to gain their point. l found that no re-
lance conld be placed on statements made
by the officers of the Montana Improve
ment Company. l have mailed you a copy
in duplicate OF contract between the North
ern Pacific Railway Company and the
Montana improvement Company. 1t was
furnished me by H. w. Fairweather. al
ex-division superintendent OF the Northern
Pacific Railway. l have honor to be,
Your obedient servant,
NJ. J. HALEY,
Special Timber Agent.
THE AGREEMENT.
The contract referred to by Agent Haley
IN uhe abo~o report is between the Northern
Pacific Railroad OF the first part and the
Montana Improvement Company OF tho
second part. 1t binds the railway COM
MANY to ithdraw all of it's timber lands
from sale or disposal and gives the I'M
provement Company exclusive right to cut
timber from the lands. In return for the
privilege the Improvement Company trans
fers to the railroad company 1,lO1 full
paid shares OF it's capital stock OF the value
OF 5 $1,000, 900, reserving to itself shares
valued at 5000, 800. The Improvement
Company also agrees to erect at it's wi
| expense all the mills and to furnish all tho
plants necessary for it's business OF timber
cutting.