Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-13
ALL ROUND The WORLD.
sharks Rcport-A Chicago Swindier-
The Packers Strike-Lynching
X. Of Lite.
SPARKS REPORT.
x,.kes An Excellent Showing For the
v.ud naDartmonG.

r Makes All EXC0AAOAS sAAo
Land Department..
,su,yGroN, October 9.-CommiesiOner
Ills Of the General Land Office, has
identified to the Secretary OF the Interior
his report since the occupation OF his office
,ar the last fiscal year. At the outset the
Commissioner says: In my previous re-
Es.t 7 referred to the imperative need of
pm in the administration of the public
,.sd laws to the end OF protecting the
cutie interest rather than ministering to
~. advantage of speculations and monop-
~. nriyate or corporate. The steady
=. in which l have endeavored to re-
ps.t tho aims OF all good men has been the
lection OF the public domain and it's
reservation for inhabitancy by actual
rnl,;vators to whom it rightfully belongs.
T,.;dences OF widespread and persistent
,nnd robbery laid before you in my last
.onort were furnished by the officers and
,cents appointed by the last administra-
tons. The developments OF the past year
,,nder the agencies OF the new administra-
tion have justified every word said in my
last report. The sales, entries and selec.
tion of public land under the various acts
Of Congress, say the report, embraces
1891. 967 acres, and OF Indian lands L.
lag, SOC, making a total of 4.124,563
acres, being an increase over last year of
1929. $50 acres. The public surveys re-
ported during the year embraced 2 1902, 1916
acres.
On this subject the Commissioner says
that IA, 600, 900 acres in the Territory of
Arizona nave been surveyed, principally in
the southern and central portions Of the
Territory; II 900, 900 acres have been sur
veycd in California and about So, 1000
in Colorado. Concerning the surveys in
this State the report says the eastern por-
tion, known as the "Plains." which is
largely dominated by cattle corporations
and was returned as surveyed several
wears ago but no monuments
existed and there is no II cans of indenti-
fcation OF subdivision OF sections or even
Of the locality of townships. 1t is of the
utmost Importance that prompt steps be
taken to fully ascertain the condition OF
muhlic surveys in that part of the State.
In dakota the eastern half has been sur
yeyei e cept in portions along the Inter-
national boundary line OF Turtle Mountain
rsgion. The surveyed area of this Terri
torv is about Al, OOO 600 acres. In Flor
ida the surveyed area is 80, 67S, 1868 acres.
In Idaho 1O,256,4O9. In Minnesota A.
S3l.SS7. In Nevada about 1880 ,O0O.
In Montana Is, 600. In New Mexico
about 81, OOO,O
In steaking of the surveys in this Terri
tory the Commissioner quotes from the re-
mort of Mr.. Julian's survey OF original New
Mexico, in which he expresses the opinion
that the Territory will have to be resur-
viewed on account OF previous inaccuracy
and OF fraud. The area OF surveyed land
in Wyoming is estimated at 1000, 900
acres. THE country" the report says,
lis occupied chiefly by cattle companies,
who control the lands along the streams
under the desert and other entries"
The work of the office is reviewed at
great length, showing that 3,OS7 cases OF
entries were investigated, OF which 1,16S,
embracing It's, 900 acres, were Cancelled as
fraudulent; Ass cases, containing 225,OOO
acres, have been held for consultation.
The Commissioner says his attention has
been called to 375,O 900 unlawful enclosures
containing GAL, 900 acres and that pro-
ceedings to compel the removal OF fences
have been recommended in lightweight
involving 2,25O,OOO acres and final de-
crees ordering removal obtained in thirteen
cases involving 10000 600 acres. Agents
report sixty-five enclosures removed from
l,374, S62 acres and fOrty-seven~
covering $50, 900 acres removed without
resort to the courts. In several cases. no
area is given and in one case the amount
of fencing is stated as 40 miles. Two
hundred and forty-seven cases, embracing
$780, 900 acres are pending examination.
The total area over which the fences have
been or are being removed is 2,714,926
acres mostly in Colorado.
The report continues: Twelve hundred and
nineteen cases of similar depredations have
been reported, involving a value in timber
and timber products amounting to $685.
679. recoverable to the United States,
about 500, 900. This has been recovered.
%Depredations upon public timber by pow
erful corporations, wealthy mill owners
lumber companies and INSCRIPTIONS mo-
nopolists are still being committed to an
alarming extent"