The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-16
UrNTAH,s MINERAL LEASES.


The leasing of those valuable asphaltum
lands on the Uintah reservation to east
ern people for the personal emolument of
q few individuals, hae stirred up num-
! Der OF miners who made locations there
some time ago, but have kept off their
claims oD learning they were on the In
dian reservation, intending to return as
soon as it should be thrown open.
1t appears that two years ago last fall
claims were staked eli and recorded.
These covered mineral lands, including
In some instances the vast asphaltum beds
that run for miles, and when worked
will be Of immense value. At the time
they did not know they were on the reser-
vation. AS soon as they discovered this,
some of them by very sudden and forcible
means, being driven Off by the Indians,
they vacated their locations. The
report that the reservation was to
be thrown open for settlement
induced them to wait, expecting that they
would be able to return and work the
mines they had prospected and the beds
! they had staked off and recorded and on
which considerable money had been ex-
pended.
Now comes Major WAUGH and leases
these lands to private company, claim
ing his right to do so under the law as
Indian Agent, and giving a number of
arguments why this should be done,
which are outside of all law and all
reason and have nothing tn do with the
case.'' The miners propose to get up
remonstrance and petition and send to
cur Delegate in Congress to present to the
Secretary of the Interior, and to make
such other use of as he may think proper
to protect them in their rights and for
the public interest.
The gentleman who has done this leas-
ing argues about the great benefits that
will accrue to Salt Lake. But as the
asphaltum which will be taken from
those beds, il the leasing is approved ut
Washington, will be shipped eastward,
where Salt Lake would be SO vastly
benefited does not appear to the naked
eye.
This matter should be closely investi-
gated and judged on its merits. If there
is an intention to throw the reservation
or part of it open for settlement, the pol
icy of leasing the most valuable portion
for term of years to a private company
does not strike US as very wise. That an
arrangement ought to be made, in perfect
Justice 10 the Indians, but SO that the
grazing, farming and mineral lands OF
that reservation may be utilized, seems to
be almost uudisputed. But that any por-
ton should be leased SO as 10 hinder set
Element, and SO as to enrich private
company and bar out bona fde settlers
and claimants. is at least open to dispute.
We have no doubt if the facts in the
case are laid before our Delegate and the
claims of the locators are properly pre-
scented, that he will do his whole duty in
relation to the matter to preserve the
rights of the petitioners and the welfare
OF the pablic. The leasing is not final,
being subject to approval by the Secre-
tary of the Interior.
Major WAUGH, by blowing his own
trumpet, speaking of his own ''meritori-
Gus services, interfering plans for the
settlement Of the Utah problem, which
has settled itself without his aid, and
showing at what small price a rich
company has been accorded lease to
immensely valuable properties, has not
improved his position in rushing into
print, nor banished in the least the sus-
picions that many thinking people en-
terrain in regard to the whole transaction.