The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-21

The following is a copy Of the strong and
manly letter by Delegate Toole to the Sec
rotary of the Interior in reference to the
recently established rules of Commissioner
| Spark 8 relative to the cutting OF timber
upon the public domain:
WASHINGTON, D. c., November 10, 1885.
To the Secretary of the Interior.
! SIR:-1 lave the honor to assure you
that the circular OF September 18th, 1885,
from the Interior Department., relating to
cutting timber on mineral lands has
created the greatest alarm in Montana.
The entire Territorial press foresees the
disastrous result that will follow, and urges
upon me the most strenuous resistance to
your approval of it. 1t is believed that
the fifth and seventh subdivisions OF the
! circular were SO manifestly unjust that
there is no danger of either OF them re-
cciving your official sanction. But the
third and fourth are more plausible, and
at first blush would not appear to entail
any hardship upon the settler; but they
are unreasonable, and practically prevent
the use of timber for building purposes, as
| will be seen upon a moments investiga-
| ton.
First-This fact will not be denied: That
lumber or timber cut and sawed in Mon
tana this season is not fit and suitable for
| building purposes until the next season.
This is true anywhere, but more especially
in Montana, where the climate is unusually
dry and the shrinkage consequently
greater.
Now, then. if this is true. the result would
follow that a citizen could not supply his
present or approximate necessities so lar
as building material is concerned, because
the shrinkage in the material, if used, would
produce so many apertures that Il building
would become uninhabitable i'll such II
climate.
The consequence is that if lumber cannot
be cut and sawed for sale, that the citizen
must wait a year from the time che" or'his
personal agent" cuts and saws it befor he
can use it, and when that time arrives he
may not need it-possibly may have frozen
to death. But this whole thing is wrong.
Wealthy people might get along und r and
possibly evade it, but the impecunious
classes-the prospectors, the day laborers
n those who are not able to go to the
woods and cut for themselves or employ a
personal agent, and who, ii they get wood
or lumber, must pay in small quantities and
at such times as they can raise the money
cannot possibly live in a country where
such an unreasonable and unjust regulation
exists.
have the honor to be, our obedient
servant. j. X. TooLE.
Mr.. Toole has been active and energetic
in his efforts to have COMMISSIONS Sparks
idiotic order set aside. He has earned the
gratitude of the miners and mining compa-
MES, and all the people OF Montana, in for
saking his personal business and hurrying
to Washington to urge this and other i'm
portant matters upon the attention OF the
heads of departments. That he has sue
ceeded in convincing the Secretary OF the
that the Commissioners rulings
are unjust, unfair and destructive to the
prosperity of the Territory, is f~oreshadowed
by private kilograms from Washington, to
the effect hat Mr.. Lamar on Monday SO
modified the rules as to render them salts
to the people OF Montana.