Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-03-29
TACOMA GOLD CLAIMS.
Comments of a Mining Journal on
the section 10 Decision.

the Section 10 Decision.
The Engineering and Mining Jour
nal, published in New York, has the
following to say in u late issue con-
corning the decision of the land office
regarding the right to locate placer
gold claims on sections IL in the city of
Tacoma:
Under the present, as we'll as the
last administration of the interior de-
partment, State titles to vacate sections
l6 and sc, donated under the general
land laws to the newer States for educa-
tiOnal purposes, or, As a basis for public
school funds, have frequently proved
anything but boon. They have be.
come the natural and easy prey of
land grabbers whenever they seemed
to he of value. Especially in the
vicinity OF growing towns were such
sections fled upon at An early stage Of
town development, wherever pretext
could be formed for plausible mineral
application.
Such applications. on file previous
/ to the donation act, have usually been
granted, either for lack OF resistance
on the part of the State, or because
the mineral claim was worth so much
that it became corruption fund to
influence those in position to facilitate
the grant of patent TO land office at
torneys and Others skilled in getting
things through the departments. These
adopts are wont to follow their briefs
and papers from hand to hand among
the so-called law clerks of the depart
ment with all the zeal inspired by
contingent fees or by a fractional in
terest in the property at stake.
The recent decision of the placer
claims filed by one Mcbride on school
section l6, within the city OF Tacoma
WASH, is an illustration.
After a second hearing before the
local land office at Olympia and sec.
ond reference to the general land Of.
fee at Washington City the claims in
question, six in number, covering l2C
acres OF city improved property, have
been affirmed by the commissioner Of
the land office. The preliminary de
cision of the land Office at Olympia in
favor of the mineral applicant was
most surprising in view OF the
testimony heard by these local officers
From trustworthy evidence submit
ted to us, it appears that the State
showed by credible and experienced
experts that no gold in appreciablt
quantities has been discovered on the
several claims, except what wa,
fraudulently introduced That foreign
character of the gold exhibits wa,
proved by the fact that it was not onl,
a miscellaneous aggrega tie in point o
size, crystalization and color. but wal
mostly amalgamated.
1t was obvious that the granules al.
legged to have been native to the ground
at Tacoma were, in fact, amalgamated
material from different river washings
like the Fraser, Columbia, etc, ant
bore the marks of having passed
through rifles. Other exhibits WERE
introduced which were artfully pre-
pared for purposes of the hearing, by
panning with quicksilver, SO tina
amalgamation should be incidental Il
its separation.
One witness testified to an attempt
at bribery and sailing" Though
denied by the implicated party, thi,
WAS not disproved. Quicksilver wa.
found in paintings not particular,
guarded against trickery, and again il
most of those made by the Applicant
party. wherever inspected by the State,
experts.
Its occurrence as globules doubles.
arose from the attrition and rough
treatment of small amalgams in pan
ming, along with pebbles and iron
sands. 1t was sought to explain it.
presence by saying that quicksilvel
had once been freely used on tn,
ground, and had either -econdensed il
concrete form or else had been spilled il
such quantities as to appear in nearly
every pan taken from different part
of the ground near the grass roots.
The inspector general of local lane
offices, who was detailed from Wash
ington City to superintend the practica
examination of the ground, appears t
have actively sided with the land grab
bers. He was The first to volunteer a
a witness for the mineral applicant, il
which capacity he proved willing an,
eager, and even claimed to be an ex
pert in the mining OF the precious met