The record-union., 1895-07-19
DOING A LAND OFFICE BUSINESS.
Two Federal Officials Who Are Earning
Their Salaries.
A Multitude of Contests Between Min
eral, Agricultural and Home
stead Claimants.

Register Fraser and Receiver Gardner
OF the Federal Land Office in this city
manage to keep themselves occupied
without having to bear either OF the al
fictions of Texas busiest citizen. a
man who recently visited the Lone star
State said he found one very busy man
down there. He had the salt rheum and
Waterbury watch, and when he wasn't
scratching himself he was winding his
watch.
In the local Government Land Office,
however. the officials have all they can
do hearing and determining contested
land cases. The more recent ones are
II. Zadig and others, mineral protest.
ants, against the Central Pacific railroad
Company and Anthony Clark, transferee
(respondents), involving the mineral or
non-mineral character OF the northeast
quarter of northeast quarter OF the soutn
half of the northeast quarter, ana the
southeast quarter OF section ., township
l3 north, range III east, NJ. D' Nj eh-
bracing go acres.
The land lies on the Forest Hill Divide
in Placer County. The mineral protest.
ants alleged the existence OF valuable
deep auriferous gravel deposit on the
land mbraced within their mineral To-
cation of the "AnneX Placer Nine"
This they failed to substantiate at the
hearing, as no testimony was given tend
ing to snow that gold had ever been dls-
covered in any part, of the lands III near
ing The protestants' claim, that min
erals do exist therein, has no support on
demonstration, but rests wholly III the
theories and belief oftheir witnesses, that
the Forest Hill channel does trend
through them, deep beneath the surface.
The testimony on behalf OF the re-
spondents shows the use Of the land Tor
agricultural and grazing purposes for
many wears, and valuable agricultural
improvements thereon, consisting OF
fencing. two houses, barus and other
buildings, estimated TO be worth $1,000.
The value OF the land for agricultural
purposes is estimated by Clark, one OF
the respondents, at from $40 to S4o per
acre.
The decision Is that ''all the lands the
subject of the hearing are valuable agri-
cultural lands, and that none thereof
have any value for minerals discovered,
or known to exist therein; that all Of
said lands inure 10 the Central Pacific
Railroad Company under its land grant
of July 2, 1862"
AN AAIADOR CASE.
In the case of L. A. Roberts, mineral
lode claimant and contestant, against
i
respondent involving the question as 10
whether or not within the exterior linn
its of the land embraced within the placer
mining application of the respondent at
and prior to November 2, 1892, the date of
respondents mineral application. there
was a gold-beariDg located known lode"
in existence.
The Register and Receiver decide the
issue thus presented in the affirmative,
and that the mineral application of the
respondent should be Cancelled.
The land involved in the case is stu
ated in Amador Comfy, near Jackson,
and adjoining the celebrated Kennedy
quartz mine. It is more particularly de-
scribed as the north half of lot ), section
IL, township north, range II east, Mount
Diablo meridian.
FROM Ell DORADO.
The case of Henry NJ. Koerner and
Others protestantS and mineral contest
ants, against David W. Gipe homestead
claimant and respondent, has been tried
and submitted. The land involved is the
southeast quarter OF the northeast quarter
OF section 80, township 10 north, range IL
east, Mount Diablo meridian, embracing
forty acres, lying about five miles south
east of Placerville, FL Dorado County.
The questions at issue are whether or
not the homestead claimant has COM
piled with the req qulrements OF the home
stead law as to residence, cultivation and
Improvement of the land in dispute, and
whether or not the said land Is more
valuable for mineral than for agricultural
purposes.
The case was stubbornly contested on
both sides, and is one of considerable
local interest in Ell Dorado County.
The case OF Frank L. Garrett, contest
ant, against Frank A. McManus, home
stead claimant and respondent, involving
The south half of the southeast quarter of
section 81, township II north, range 9
east, Mount Diablo meridian, embracing
eighty acres of land in Placer County,
about one mile from Weimar Station, has
also been tried and submitted.
The question at issue is, Has the re-
spondent. McManus. abandoned the tract
OF land in question? ?"
In view OF the conflicting testimony
the Register and Receiver will on the 2lst
inst. personally inspect the land in
volved in this contest, and will use the
knowledge so acquired to better under
stand and apply the testimony.
ANOTHER MINERAL CONTEST.
The contested case of Martin McNally.
mineral affiant and contestant against
Frank G. Hood, homestead claimant and
respondent, is now on trial. The ques-
ton at issue in this case is, whether or
not within the exterior limits of the min
eral location of the st. Joseph mining
claim, as embraced within the homestead
claim of respondent Hood, there is
known to exist a valuable gold bearing
quartz ledge.
The land covered by the homestead
claim of respondent is the northwest
quarter Of section s, township Is north,
range 10 east, NJ. d. NJ, in Placer County,
near Gold Run.
1t Is in evidence that the agricultural
improvements thereon amount in value
to IS 600. They consist OF a dwelling
house of six rooms, two barns, woodshed,
chicken house, fencing, thirty-five acres
inorchard, partly bearing trees, twenty
i've acres more cleared and partly
plowed and all ready for cultivation, six
acres in alfalfa; also 1000 black berry, 200
raspberry and 5000 strawberry vines.