Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-07-31
A SLOW PROCESS.
hcthod or rvaminiuE mineral Lands
GnsatiHfnStorY.

WAsmNGTOS, July 3l.-The work
thus lar done under the law passed ny
tho last Congress for the examination
and ClutsiilCation OF mineral lands In
the grant 81 the Northern Pacific In
Montana and Idaho has shown that
the method IL far from satisfactory aud
that some other plan viii have 10 bu
adopted. The law contemplated that
tue examinations were 70 be iiuishe q
Ia two yosts, but II has heou figured
cut that In tho small district OF Mon.
tana, that Of B0zrmsu, u three COM
missiOnefs should each mount u horse
every morning ani ride directly
through tho lands 10 be examined at
the rate OF twenty miles day, IL
would tAkn them three years merely g.
ride across the lanu, and they would
thon DO able 10 HoI only little strip
on either aide " them, leaving a strip
unstUn on eacn side tcAtiy hhlf y mile
wide. They could not make the tx.
animation with any accuracy what
ever, Hnd their work would 10 lat from
complete.
Il las also boon shown that
tho examinations thus lar made
have cost the government %
cents an acre. There are l2,uOy, 900 acres
to examine anu tnn total cosl 10 thus
figured at $4,000 900, though this Is
said TO hu "a low rstimGlp btCguse the
process 4, much Hlpwsr where DISPUTES
Eflso ami where testimony hns 10 be-
takcr. Bsdje', the examinations hu
far made are In the agricultural regions
where there IL little qucs Ion " the
quality OF the lauds, IL 90 also said
ss.Ns OF
procedure are cumbersome and uugatis.
factory.
Commissioner Lamogeaux aays tho
method bcirg adopted with lauds 0
other roads seems 10 be n much better
one. In u mineral country the land
Oilics before patentins lands ~ the
railroad companies advertise tho Ia.
tenIion Of tuch patching, Withholding
Tor sixty days all Janus within elk
miles Of known mlueTAl claims aut
inYiting protests TO pnsslng 10 patent
lands which are supposed u be min.
ersl. IL protest IL msdo tue land
covered ~ Withheld until an examine
ton 10 male. Considerable cOnttO.
versy arose between the department
and the Southern Pacific railroad before
this regulation WINS made. The South.
eth Pacific controls and owns near.
~ all OF the grants In thu West which
arc valuable for minerals, this being
the CAGE OF tho old grants to toe Call.
fnrnia anu Oregon aud Oregon and
California COmpzulep. The people
along these reads represented to ,nr
department that tho Southern Pacific
Nv making efforts TO rush ils lands TO
patent, thus olOeing out all possibility
VI further efforts 10 secure the mineral
lands by prospscIors. The patents
which were about 20 issue vera with.
held until the regulations were msdr,
not, however, without "a protect from
the southern Pacific company, which
iusisloi that ample opportunity nau
buon given pruspecIOfs to locate miu-
efhl claims " they desired. The de-
partmsut issued the order anu the
settlers ana pTOGpecIOTs along the line
Of road ate now given nh opportunity
TO mako sn examination OF the laBds
nnd have their attention called 10 tho
fact that certain mineral claims nav q
heretofore brsn located and for sixty
days they may prospect within AK
miles Of the claim aud any land that IL
thought by tbs pTOspeotOrs u he MIN
eral l. expected when the patent passts
for nui 0ining lands. The protests have
resulted In holding M lands which II
one passed to patent might DO found
10 be- very valuable IN pos,rtBiJn Of the
con paDy anu II mineral Was discoy-
cred after patent was Issued II would
not Affect the title Of the company.