The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1895-08-03
Classification Of Railroad Grants
Unsatisfactory.
IN MONTANA AND ALSO IDAHO
Commissioners Can Not Finish Their
Work by the Present Method in
Hundred Years.

Washington, July 31.-The work thus
far done under the law passed by the
last congress for the examination and
classification of mineral lands in the
grant Of the Northern Pacific in Monta-
ma and Idaho has shown that the meth
cd is far from satisfactory and that
some other plan will have to be adopt
ed. The law contemplated that the ex-
aminatiOns were to be finished in two
years, but it has been figured out that
in the small district Of Montana, that
of Bozeman, that if three commission
'ers should each mount horse every
morning and ride directly through the
lands to be examined at the rate of 20
miles day, it would take them three
years merely to ride across the land
and they would then be able to see
only little strip on either side nearly
a half mile wide. They could not make
the examination with any accuracy
whatever and their work would be far
from complete.
1t has also been shown that the ex-
aminatiOns thus far made have cost
the government Is cents an acre. There
are IL, OOO, 600 acres to examine and the
total cost thus figured is 100000,
though this is said to be a low estimate
because the process is much slower
where disputes arise and where testi-
mony has to be taken. Besides, the
examination thus far made are in agri-
cultural regions, where there is little
question of the quality of the lands.
1t is also said that the machinery and
methods of procedure is cumbersome
and unsatisfactory.
Commissioner LamOreaux says the
method being adopted with lands Of
other roads seems to be much better
one. In a mineral country the land
Office before patenting lands to the rail-
road companies advertises the inten-
ton Of such patenting, Withholding for
60 days all lands within six miles Of
known mineral claim and inviting pro-
tests to the passing to patent of lands
which are supposed to be mineral If
a protest is made the land covered is
withheld until an examination is made.
Considerable controversy arose be-
tween the department and the Southern
Pacific railroad before this regulation
was made. The Southern Pacific con-
trolls and owns nearly all of the grants
to the west which are valuable for min
erals, this being the case Of old grants
to the California & Oregon and Oregon
& California companies. The people
along these roads represented to the
department that the Southern Pacific
was making efforts to rush it's lands to
patent, thus closing out all possibility
of further effort to secure the mineral
lands by prospectors. The patents
which were about to issue were with
held until the regulations were made,
not, however, without protest from
the Southern Pacific Company, which
insisted that ample opportunity had
been given prospectors to locate miner
al claims if they desired. The depart
ment issued the order and the settlers
and prospectors along the line of the
road are now given an opportunity to
make an examination of the lands and
have their attention called to the fact
that certain mineral claims have here
tofore been located and for 60 days they
may prospect within six miles Of the
claim and any land that is thought by
the prOspectors to be mineral is ex-
pected to be named when the patent
passes for adjoining lands. The pro-
tests have resulted in holding up lands
which if once passed to patent might be
found to be very valuable in possession
of the company and if mineral was dis
covered after patent was issued it
would not affect the title of the COM
pany.
Petroleum Story Denied.
st. Petersburg, July 29,-The directors