Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-05
THE YOSEMITE INVESTIGATION,
Witnesses Called Against the Commits
sioners Make a Good Case for Them

A meeting of the Senate Committee on
Forestry, Yosemite Valley ana Mariposa Big
Tree Grove, was called for half;past o'clock
last night, for the purpose OF hearing test:-
mony in regard to charges of alleged misman.
agement of the Yosemite valley. At that hour
Chairman Meany was the only member of the
committee p. esent, and there seemed to be little
prospect OF much being done. AT five minutes
past O'Clock quorum of the committee was
present-Meany, Roth, Byrnes and Hamill.
Still there seemed TO be no inclination to pro-
ceed.
W. H. Mills and Senator Goucher, members of
the Yosemite Commission were present The
former said that he had been in the southern
part OF the Stale with his wife, who was iii,
when he received a telegram telling him 10 ap-
pear forthwith He was present for the purpose
of hearing any charge which any man had to
make, so lar as he was concerned. and if tie
matter was rot TO be proceeded with he in,
tended to return home il the morning.
1t was then decided to proceed with the in
vestigation and hear such witnesses as were
present and wished to be examined.
Judge Jas. Grant was the first witness called.
He wa sworn TO answer questions. The Chair
man stated that there were no written or formal
charges and Judge Grant had better tell his
story in own way.
Judge Grant then went on to say that year
ago last February some OF the Commissioners
went TO the valley and stopped at his house,
and wanted him TO bid on the keeping of the
hotel. One Baxter barkeeper of Mr.. Cook
had stated that if anybody but Cook got the
There were four bids Witness bid 81 $50 year,
iyke 81 SEQ, Jew in San Francisco 81, 500, and
Cook 81 200. Cook got the hotel. He further
said that in justice to Mr.. Mills he ought to say
that the latter was not present at the meeting
Mr.. Mills said that though he was not present
he had since reviewed the action of the Com
missioners and approved of it. He was perfectly
vii ing to assume his share of respo:s sibiity in
the matter. If he was not present he had a
right to be there and it was his duty to be there
consequently he was ready to share the respon-
sibility
The witness was cross-examined by Mr. Mills
and admitted that in addition to the 81 ,2G0 paid
by Cook, he also paid $3.50 for the bar and bill
lard privileges, making the total amount paid
by him 81 $50 He did not know where the
money went TO or whether the state or the COM
missioners got it.
Mr. White who came in during the examin-
alton. then questioned the witness about COM
plants agaiLst the management. Witness said
that he had heard a great many things but
knew nothing about it of his own knowledge.
He had been told by one Lidig. who once Kept
hotel there, that he had been boycotted by
the State Company. Among mis- other COM
plants was one that when he visited the valley
he noticed that tourists were furr ished with
very poor horses and he had TO take mule to
go upon the trail.
Mr. Mills stated Lidig had never paid cent
of rent since he had been Commissioner, COW
ering period of ten years.
Chairman Meany stated that he knew that
Lidig never paid anything while he was Com
missioner.
Mr. Goucher said that the Commissioners
would prefer that some written charges should
be made out so that they could know what they
were called upon to respond to.
Mr. Roth said that, as there seemed to be no
one who knew what the charges were or what
questions to ask, they might put Commissioner
on The staud and have history of the proceed
ings in the valley.
Mr. White Thought that this would be an un-
usual and extraordinary proceeding.
Fred. Brightman was called, sworn and ex-
amined by Mr.. White. He said he lived
in NJ ,riposa, and had been living in the
Yosemite valley for twenty years. He went
into the valley many years ago with
six horses for saddle-train. He was
years and lett before 1880, the time at which
the present Commission came into Office The
only man on the present Commission who was
on the old Commission was Mr.. Madden He
quit the valley because Ames would not give
him privilege to run his train He wanted
the commissioners TO fix q rate of 81 for horses
so that he eou d live. He was carrying people
under competition for 25 cents and could not
live at that rate. He afterwards wanted to
lease barn in the valley and could get no an
swer from the Commissioners. Three years ago
he telegTaphed 10 Mr.. Cook TO see Guardian
Dennison and ask him to let him have house.
Cook telegraphed back that witness could lot
have 1t. He was also refused a tent privilege
there: He had heard great many complaints,
but did not know anything about them of his
own knowledge.
In answer 10 questions Dy Mr. Goueher he
said that he wanted TO rent a house or put up a
tent, and could not get 1t. He never reported
the matter TO any one of the Commissioners,
and so far as he knew, no member of the Com
mission ever heard of it until tonight. He said
that all of the grass land in the valley was
fenced up.
Answering questions by Mr.. Mills he admitted
that fences were necessary.
DR.. John I. Mclean was called, sworn and
testified in answer to questions by Mr.. White.
that he had been familiar with the valley since
1867, when he went there. He had written to
the Governor in 1855, recommending the ap-
pointment of Mr. Hutchings as Commissioner.
This done without the knowledge of
Mr.. HutchiDgs. The letter was acknowledged
by the Governors Private Secretary. but Mr..
Hutchipgs was not appointed. He thought in
the main the MANAGEMENT of the valley had
been very good, but he thought the Commits
sioners had made some mistakes. He thought
one OF these was the putting up of fences. If he
had been Commissioner he should have done
some things differently. He thought the fenc-
ing of the valley was a departure from the in
tent of the Act of Congress- He did not make
any complaint about the Commissioners. 1t
was simply mistake, according to his judgmers {.
lie thought the farmers in the vicinity of me
valley ought TO have the privilege of ta,xing
hay and grain into abe valley to sell instead oi
the Commissioners allowing it to be 1s..seSi in
the valley. He had often opposed Mr.. Hutch
| Jugs in his schemes in the valley.
Answering questions by Mr.. M.ils, witness
said that ne was very familiar Win the valley
| and he had no knowledge of arr rings there OF
any ring mapsserpept. He t.nourhf the Com