The Dillon tribune., 1886-06-05
DEFENSE OF MONTANIANS.
Gov. HMu>..r CLEANS Up" the on Man
sparks.
TERRITORY OF MONTANA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT..
llainnn Nav - ,SSI

Helena, May -, 1886. !:
Hon. l.. q. Z. Lamar, Secretary nf tine In.
terror. Washington. DC:
S1H:--l would respectfully request your
personal attention to the accompanying
letter IN reference to Commissioner Sparks
recent circular. The signers are Individual
owners Of small mills n this vicini,v---the
respective location Of each am familiar
with and their statement ".hat the land |
from which the timber is cut is mineral in
character" is true, AS evidenced hv tive
fact that every stream it, this region con-
tains placer gold; most of them are being
worked, or have been worked ou: Also
in the fact that there are more or less gold i
square mile. Yet. as they truly state, a
"rigid enforcement o,' the circular would !
compel them and nine, tenth> OF the small !
mills in the Territory 10 shut down." As
!, would liz very expensive, il no, i,,po>si.
Bile, to prove that each particular acre ri
land from which the timber is being cut
was more valuable i.r mineral ~ the time
than for timber. though perfectly evident
that the district l>ilv ot ten on twelve miles
square) was a thousand times more v,,.
able for mineral than Tor timber. or any
other purpose.
This is the fact as to two.thi,ds OF this
territory. You can prove, or it is srlCcvi.
dent that any district as u whole is many
! times more valuable tor mineral than tor
, any other purpose. Nevertheless it NIGH,
be impossible to prove that some l,artcu.
| lar acre or even square mile was more val.
| uabic for mineral than other purposes; YET
it would be entirely possible or even prob
able tha. that particular acre or square
mile was the most valuable for mineral
owing to the hidden or "blind" leads On
lt'des therein contained AND undiscovered
and developed. Bear in mind that daily
discoveries of new lodrs and new mining
districts demonstrate This fact
There being NO way to get titles TO tim.
Der land or tin,ber--thc timber absolutely
necessary to working Or developing Of
the mines and settlement OF the Territory
Congress- passed the las.. as take it, to
ovrcome the difficulty, aud to give the set.
tier tho timber for ''building, agricultural,
mining and other domestic purposes to
be- regulated by your department. The
object certainly was to encourage the de.
velopment OF the mines and the settlement
OF the Territory. 1t seems TO me so long
AS the timber is not exported and it can
not be used for anv other purposes than
those named. the manner or mode Of pro.
curing il cannot be OF material Importance
whether it is done bv the individual in per-
son, through an agent, or by third party
--,he fact remains the same the timber is
not exported and it is used for the purposes
named and required.
As cacl, individual, miner or ranrhman
able to own Il saw mill, and il those who
were able attempted to procure and saw
thci. own lumber it would cost them one
hundred per cent. more. Therefore to
prevent individual mill men who under.
stand the business from cutting and SAW.
inv the timber to sell 70 those who use it
tor the purpose specified. will seriously re-
tard general improvement an! progress in
this Territory, and cripple mininy--,h.
principal interc>t-to the extent Of millions
of dollar> and throw thousands Of laborcr>
out OF employment.
Therefore, would respectfully >uyyc>,
and request tn, modification of rule No. ,
80 Us to allow the timber to be cllc,: and
sawed in any countr, or di>tric, where
mining is an important interest and mines
known to cNi>t--aud in the event the tim
Der in these counties and districts no, being
sufficient rs to quantity or quali,N-that
the cuttin. and saving OF timber be al
lowed in the CONTIGUOUS counties and dis
tries for the uses of thr counties and dis
tries first mentioned. And that rule
owning mills hc allowed to fell and saw
timber in counties and districts known TO
be mineral. and sell the same direct TO
miners and ranc,men or anyone who uses
it for domestic or mining purposes. which
would certainly be in harmony with the
spirit and intent of tho law .A> there is Il
large quantity OF timber ". this Territory
which is extensively used tor mining p.r-
possesses known u> Lodge Pole Pine that
rarely exceeds cish' inches in diameter,
and the greater portion will average less
than six inches whcl ,ull grown, would
rcquc>, that r.le nur.bcr Five i,e rot!i.is.l,
! IN road ~i< ir,.rcS ir.Y,..t,i ,)i firl,. I,o,.