The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-14
GOLD CLAIMS IN TACOMA.
A Mining Journals Comments on the
Land Once job.

Engineering and Mining Journal.
Under the present, as well as the last
administration of the interior department,
state titles to vacant sections Is and IS,
the newer states for educational purposes,
or. as basis. for public school funds,
nave frequently proved anything but a
boon. They have become the natural and
easy prey Of land grabbers whenever they
seemed TO be of value. Especially In the
vicinity Of growing towns were such Sec
lions MED upon at any early stage OF
town development, wherever . pretext
could be formed for plausible mineral APP
piications- Such applications. on file pre-
vious 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 IL
became corruption fund to influence
those In position to facilitate the grant of
patent to land Office attorneys and others
skilled In getting things through the de-
partments. These adopts are wont to fol-
low their briefs and papers from. hand to
hand among the so-called law clerks Dr.
the department with all the zeal insured
by contingent fees OF by a fractional In
terest In the property at stake.
Inc recent decision of the placer claims
nled by one Mcbride on school section I6.
Within the city Of Tacoma, Wash, is an
illustration.
After a second hearing before the local
iand ONCE at Olympia and second refer.
ehce 10 the general land Office at WASH
ihston City, the claims In question. six In
understanding 120 acres of city i'm
proved property. have been affirmed nv
the commissioner of the land Office. The
preliminary decision Of the land office at
olympia In favor Of the mineral applicant
was most surprising In view of the testi-
mony heard by these local officers.
rroM trustworthy evidence submitted to
US, IL appears that the state showed nv
creaioie and experienced experts that no
gold In appreciable quantities has been
discovered on the several claims, except
what was fraudulentiy introduced. The
foreign character of the gold exhibits was
proved by the fact that 1t was not only a
miscellaneous aggregate in point of size.
Capitalization and color, but was mostly
amaigamated. It was obvious that the
granuies alleged to have been native TO
the ground at Tacoma were, I'm fact.
amalgamated material from different river
washings like the Fraser. Columbia, etc.
ana bore the marks of having passed
through rifles. Other exhibits We're in
trodueed which were artfully prepared for
purposes of the hearing by panning with
QUICKSILVER so that amalgamation should
be incidental to It's separation.
One witness testified to an attempt st
bribery and sailing" Though denied by
the implicated party, this was not dis
proved Quicksilver was found I'm pam
nings not particularly guarded against
trickery. and again In most Of those made
by the applicants party. wherever in
spected by the states experts.
Its occurrence as giobuies doubtless
arose from the attrition and rough treat
ment of small amalgams in pannine,
nln wit a.,A
was sought to explain It's presence by say
ing that quicksilver had once been freely
used on the ground, and had either recon-
densed In concrete for or else had been
spilled in such quantities as to appear in
nearly every pan taken from different
parts of the ground near the grass roots.
The inspector general OF local land offices.
who was detailed from Washington city
to superintend the practical examination
of the ground, appears to have actively
sided with the land grabbers. He was the
first TO volunteer as witness for the
mineral applicant, in which capacity he
proved willing and eager. and even
claimed to be an expert In the mining OF
the precious metals. An engraved and
published map OF Tacoma showing the
urban environment Of the mineral claims
was ruled out of the hearing by the reg
lister.
Inc Etacial urfft or Inc PuEet sound
basin. as OF other sections. contains no
gold in appreciable quantity. Colors of
gold set free from pyrite are occasionally
met with In the paintings. but II takes
from 500 TO SO OF these TO make the value
OF one cent Assays OF paintings from
unsuspected ground at Tacoma gave only
negative results. A single thin sheet of
hard pan at water level. below $50 feet of
cover, afforded the only trace of aold. not
more than cents per cubic yard. In
comparison with such an occurrence the
red alluvions Of Virginia would. meas
TIRE for measure, be regular bonanza
In the first proceedings the son OF the
land commissioner was the attorney of
the mineral applicant. Abundant evil
dence has been. IN vain, laid before the
department showing the employment of
fraudulent practices In the interest OF the
applicant. yet the decision IL in his favor
and against the state. The 40 acres in
question were at one time counted TO be
worth AT least sl.o00ooo for building lots,
and this apparently has been sufficient to
convince those who were charged with
the determination OF the point that the
property is gold bearing"
The domination or the land Office by
outside attorneys and inside law clerks IL
altogether too apparent. Whatever re-
course yet lies open TO the state must be
sought In the United States court. That
the mineral applicant and his coadjutors
have any other purpose than to divide
their claims up into town lots has never
for moment been believed by the citi-
gems OF Tacoma, who have watched these
proceedings with mixed feelings OF indig-
nation and astonshment.
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