Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-09-14
DUBOIS ON THE CLIMBER CUES.
TON.

der consideration, was introduced by
the distinguished Senator from Neva-
da, who Is the father of all our min
ing laws. He understood the needs
aud wants of the mining country so
we'll that when he was in the Senate,
twenty years ago, he framed, you
may say, Nil the mining laws which
are now on the statute books, which
80 fully and well protect the miners
and the Government that there has
scarcely been any amendment or
change made in them by subsequent
Legislation in the various States or
Territories. This amendment pro-
vides that persons living In the min
ing regions shall not be prosecuted
for cutting and using for mining and
domestic purposes timber which is
not fit for any other use, which can
not be used for lumber or for COM
mercial purposes. This amendment
can do no harm to any one either in
the present or in the future. There
are some gentlemen on this floor who
have become so used to defending
the poor farmer and agriculturist that
they seem to forget every other class
of people.
Now, ] can say this to them, that
In my country but for the miners
there would be no farmers. Take
the Wood River country, so called,
in Idaho, for an illustration, which
was founded in 1880, where now
there are several towns of two or
three thousand people. In 1880
there was scarcely person located
there. There were no farmers. We
had magnificent prairie land, the
Camas Prairie and other fruitful val
ieys near by, with scarcely settler
upon them. / travelled over Camas
Prairie in 1882, and there we're hard
ly dozen people upon 1t. Now,
since tho large number OF mines
which have been discovered there
yield an enormous and ever-increas-
ing supply of precious metal, that
prairie is covered with farms and
ranches. The farmers are absolutely
dependent upon home market for
their products. They live so far
from the markets of the world that
they cannot ship, and they must sell
what they raise at home. The mines
bring persons to engage in mercan-
tile business, and all other businesses,
and the people are supplied by the
farmers who would not be there il it
were not for the mines. There has
never been protest from any farmer
in those countries against the miners
using this class OF timber. ! am safe
In asserting that the Commissioner of
the General Land Office has not a
protest from any rancher or farmer
in my Territory, and they would be
very quick to resent any infringe
ment on their rights and any viola
ton of the law detrimental to their
interests. Their prosperity and that
of the miners goes hand in hand, and
they do not sanction depriving mi
ners OF timber which would never be
used at all unless by and through mi.
ners.
They do not complain that they are
being deprived of timber they want
for their own use. The complaints
come from those who do not under
stand the situation. The agents who
10 out there representing the Gov
eminent have been very Jealous in
late years, and much trouble has come
from their over zeal.
My attention was attracted to a
case in my own Territory, in which a
special agent who is now in the ser.
vice arrested the officers of the
ketchum Smelling Company, the ma
jority of whom are residents of Phil
adelphia, found indictments against
them oriminally, and prosecuted them
for some $4,000 or $4,000 for us
ing timber unlawfully. The case
was so fragrant that l went before
Secretary Lamar with 1t, fortified
with strong letter from the COVER
nor of ny Territory, who is Demo
crat and who has lived there for TWEEN
ty years, and who takes as much in
terest III the Territory as any man in
it. | went to Secretary Lamar with
the facts, and showed him that this
timber was species Of pine called
lodge pole or black pine, which
seldom grew to be more than s inches
in diameter.
After understanding the facts he
dismissed the suit and issued an or.
der that hereafter that species of tim.