The San Francisco call., 1895-10-11
LOCAL DEL EGATES CHOSEN
Fifty to Represent San Fran
cisco In the Miners Con-
vention.
RALsToN AGAIN A CANDIDATE
MIR. Ricketts, Replies to the Rail-
roads Argument in the BenIa-
min Appeals.

The San Francisco Association chose its
delegation of fifty yesterday to represent
it in the Miners Convention to be held in
Pioneer Hall Monday forenoon. Nothing
was done at yesterday afternoons meeting
other than to elect its officers, as follows:
A. J. Ralston, president; Andrew Corrigan,
S. J. Hendy, Thomas r. Church, E. a. Belcher
and Henry L. Dodge, vice-presidents; Charles
6. Yale, secretary.
Vice President A. J. Ralston filed the
chair in President Graysonfs absence. The
nominating committee was: S. K. Thorn
ton, w. w. Montague. w. G. Ralston,
Julian Sonntag. f. ChappeIet, c. w.
Cross and Thomas r. Church. 1t selected
these fifty delegates:
E. A. Beleher, Henry L. Dodge, Charles G..
ton, Thomas Barbour, W. c. Ralston, Charles
Watt, Carl Davis, F. W. C. Kasson, A. q. Rick
etts, A. Derre, Julian Sonntag, William Irelan
s. w. BacLus, D. E. miles, William % Volimers,'
NJ A. Hurley, Ed J. Smith, Patrick O'Connor,
John Coleman. Edward Coleman. George Y.
W. Cross, Thomas R. Church. Henry Piehoir,
Jaco Frowenteld, Joseph Sloss, Wakefield
Baker, Joseph A. Marshall, Jane. Spiers, George
Ames G " Gig GfsssoP hsnd Gfogs
out, Levi Strauss, Adam Grant, J. F. Halloran,
George W. McNear, T. s. Ssmuels and Prentiss
r. Smith.
Julian sonntag is making an active can
vass for the secretaryshipof the State asso-
citation. Richard /. Thomas of Nevada
County will also De candidate, and unless
W. c. Ralston gets into the field will prob
ably be elected.
The story that John NJ. Wright is after
A. II. Ricketts, place as the head of the
mineral lands committee is denied by Mr..
Wright.
Chairman Ricketts, of the mineral lands
committee has his report ready. 1t gives
brief history of the mineral lands con-
troyersy, including the unsuccessful efforts
to have the Idaho Montana act made appli-
cable TO this State; the status of the Ben
jamin protests, involving about 900 900
acres; Mr.. Ricketts, visit to President
Cleveland at the request of the executive
committee, and the Mills correspondence.
1t concludes with an explanation of Mr..
Benlamln's position as the association s
commissioner.
AS Mr.. Ben jamin will not be able 70 act
in the examination of any lands covered
| by his personal protests and appeals, a
correspondent has written TO Chairman
| Ricketts, suggesting, as substitute, to act
| for him whenever he is disqualified, the
| name OF Waldemar Lingren. Mr.. Lingren,
| says the correspondent, was one of the
Government field biologists who surveyed
| the Central Pacific grant.
The counsel for the railroad companies
have endeavored to show that the Benia-
min protests and appeals are irregular, but
Mr. Ricketts, sweeps that aside with the
| following:
The allegations in the protest upon which
| these appeals are based show that the lands
| selected by the railroad companies "are more
valuable for mineral than for agricultural pur-
poses, and that is sufficient to set the machin-
cry OF the Government in motion.
4
1 has been charged that Mr. Benjamin had
his affidavits without first qualifying him.
self by personal examination of the lands
/ The LAWYERS of the Southern Pacific anC
| Central Pacific Offices had shown how the
| railroad selections were made in the fol
lowing, which Mr.. Ricketts, quotes:
First the company files its lists of the land.
at the local land Office, attached to which Ii
the affidavit of the land agent OF the company
| that the said lands are vacant, unappropriated
and are not interdicted mineral or reserved
lands, and are OF the character eontempla ted
/ by the grant.
Mr.. Ricketts, gets back by using letter
| from w. f. Herrin to Frank r. Weihe oil
! Downieyilie. From that letter Mr.. Rick
| etts quotes in italics this expression oi
/ Mr.. Herrin:
All lands, however, present about the same
appearances on the Governments survey maps
and the company's applications for patents are
in&ue from thosc maps Wl1nout any EnOwle dge
| of the lands other than that afforded by the
| Official notes and plats of the surveys.
In the language of Mr.. Ricketts,, "There
| is not scintilla of evidence to show that
the land agent of the railroad company
ever examined the lands selected to ascer-
tain their character, or that he had ever
been over single acre, but everything
| points to the fact that he did sit down in
his office in San Francisco and make such
affidavits as appear in this case'''
To be brief. Mr.. Ricketts, appends al
the correspondence that has passed be,
tween w. IL. Mills and the Mineral Lands
Committee, including also the letter
written by State Mineralogist Crawford to
John NJ Wright