The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-06-07
THE RAILROAD COMPANIES POLICY.
ReIinquishes Mineral Grounds Without
Compensation.
People Who Discover Minerals Need
Have No Difficulty With the Com
pany at ANY Time.
[From the Nevada citr rranscript.

From the Nevada City Transcript
Hon. w. II. Mills, Land Agent of the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company,
writes to T. H. Wehe, District Attorney
of Sierra County. long letter in relation
to lands held by the railroad company,
from which we make the following ex-
tracts:
We have adopted every device to pre-
vent the prima facie title of the company
from obstructing mineral operations.
L have already indicated that where
mines are found in odd mum bered sec
tons we relinquish without compensa-
ton the title of so much OF the land as Is
covered by the mining claim and enough
for the convenient working of the mine.
We recently relinquished eighty acres to
Q mining company in FL Dorado County.
We keep q record of those rellnqulsh-
ments, which is open to inspection. There
are over 200 cases of voluntary rellnQulsh-
ment, without consideration, in favor OF
miners, and in very many cases no mines
were eventually found.
The company has pursued the policy
OF encouraging mining anywhere in the
State. What it has resisted is the attempt
OF persons to have large areas of land, IN
which at intervals minerals are found,
withdrawn from public occupation or set
Element for the benefit of nomadlc pros
pectors. Immediately contiguous to
mines there is sometimes agricultural
land of the finest quality, and land should
be devoted to its highest use. Every in
terest of the company is completely
identified with the interests of industry
of every kind. There are communities
of this State which would be without
population but for mines, and the rail-
road is serving these communities with
transportation. On the transportation
ai6 nf a
mine pays far more to the railroad than
the value of the land, even though 1t
should be profitable mine. We are
often called upon to resist the claims of
people who take up land under the pre-
tense Of mining, In tending to take timber
under the pretense that II Is mining land.
There are many instances where patents
have been obtained for mining land and
the land Immediately planted to orchard.
Parties taking in this way have eX-
hausted their homestead right and are
not eligible to take land in any other
way than by mining claims. There are
single mining corporations In this State
holding from LOCO to 0.OUO acres OF land,
chiefly timber land.
The question has been asked: Gould
you inform me whether or not 1t will be
possible in such cases to get an agree
ment from the company to the effect that
if the patent is issued the company will
convey it to the owner; and, If SO, upon
what terms?"
Permit me to say that if the land is
actually mineral, it is not patentable to
the company. 1t is not actual mines, as
already indicated, that will give US trou
BILE in this matter. Ii is mining pros
poets, nine out of every ten of which fail
TO develop q profitable mining property.
Whenever a prospector desires to enter
upon railroad land we will enter into
l. y oh, will tae,
him against any menace of the COM
pany's title. The company sells its land
always to the prospect owner, or to those
who are in good faith searching for mines.
There is no reason to apprehend any
trouble with the company. The COM
pany itself could not prosecute q mining
industry. 1t has never asked a mineral
price for any land. Its gradings are open
for inspection, and throughout the min
eral region - 90 an acre Is about the av-
erage valuation placed upon lands where
there is no tim Der.
We are offering now in Nevada County
all the land remaining to the company in
the western portion of the county at 81 %
an acre, whether it's character is mineral
or non-mineral. There is not the slight
est occasion for any apprehension that the
discovery OF mine upon railroad land
will subject the discoverer to extortionate
charges. If he discovers an actual mine
on unpatented land, the land on which
the mine is found becomes unpatentable.
II he desires TO prospect for mine on
railroad land he can make an arrange
ment to do so which Will be entirely sat-
isfactory. Occasionally mineral lands
have been patented to the company. In
all such cases we have relinquished the
lands covered by the mining claims, and
stand ready TO pursue that policy. In
fact, what land remains to the COM
pany in the mining regions of California
is of such small value that the whole
question is very unimportant from a rail-
road standpoint. There are many COM
munities wholly dependent upon mining.
The railroad company on the transporta-
ton side of the account is benefited by
the presence of population in these re-
gions 1t has done and will continue to
do everything IN its power to encourage
legitimate mining enterprise.
l should be pleased If the widest pub
licity could be given to these statements.
They will be confirmed by all persons
who have had dealings with this depart
ment