The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-05
c, CLEVELAND'S PROMISE
A. II. Ricketts, of the Miners
Association Says 1t Has
Not Been Kept.
REFERRED. TO MINERAL LAND
Light Thrown on Clear Lists Of
Lands Patented to the
Railroad.

A.. H. Rickett of the California Miners
Association, who recently went to Wash
ington, d. c., as the duly accredited agent
of the association to consult with Presl-
dent Cleveland and Secretary Hoke Smith
with regard to the issues which are of vital
importance to it, due to the action of the
railroad companies in seeking patent for
mineral lands lying within the limits OF
their grants in the State of California, is
not pleased with either President Cleve-
land or Secretary Smith. The cause OF his
displeasure is based on dispatch received
Yesterday from Washington, which is to
the effect that Secretary Smith, in spite of
his assurance to Representative Camlnettl
and of the manner in which Mr.. Rickett
recently presented the case of the miners,
continues to patent lands to the railroads
in California.
In expressing his opinion of the action
of Secretary Smith, Mr.. Rickett was de-
cidedly emphatic when seen IN regard to
the matter Yesterday. "lf this is true, he
said, land / have no reason to doubt it, L
saw that it is an outrage and failure to
keep faith" Reading from the dispatch,
Mr.. Rickett added: sit says, To-day he
(Secretary Smith) approved clear list
consisting of 100, 293 acres within the grant
MIA. There is no way of discovering here
what steps were taken to ascertain the
character of this land
This is what is meant by a clear list, +"
said he. al read from the rules and regu-
lations of Hoke Smith, announced July 9,
1894:
Where the lands selected by the company are
within mineral belt, or proximate to any
mining claim, the railroad company will be
required to file with the local land officers an
Z In nTTlr
which affidavit shall be attached to said list
when returned, setting forth in substance that
he has caused the lands mentioned to be care
fully examined by the agents and employees
of the company to their mineral or agrlcul-
tural character, and that to the best OF his
knowledge and belief none OF the lands re-
turned in said list mineral lands.
Upon receipt OF said list you Will cause 1t to
be examined, and clear list TO be prepared of
all lands embraced therein that are not within
radius of six miles from any mineral entry,
claim, or location, which list shall be trans
rnitted TO the department for Its approval. If
any of the lands embraced in said list OF selec-
tions are found upon examination to be within
radius of six miles from any mineral entry
claim or location, you will cause supplement
tai list of such lands to be prepared, and return
the same TO the register and receiver of the dis
trict in which they are situated, and notify the
railroad company that they have been SO re-
turned.
"Of course have no means of knowing
at this time what the land is that is in
cluded in shis clear list, but I do know
this, Commissioner Drummond in a COM
munication to Secretary Delano wrote:
A former Commissioner of the Land Office
Saws: Aside from the obstacles growing out of
the peculiar character of the lands, which rem
dered il difficult even with the utmost circum-
spection and care. to carry out the intention of
Congress and prevent the disposition of min
eral lands as agricultural, nave found that,
owing to the grossly careless, not to say fraud
ulent. manner in which deputy surveyors exc
cute their work in the field and make their
Thn XUh hod
drawn between agricultural and mineral lands
was not observed, and whole townships of the
richest mineral land in the world, including
well-known mines which had been worked
successfully for years, and which were still
being worked successfully and proftably, were
returned to this office and to the local land
Offices as agricultural land, and SO posted on
the tractbooks, and became from the date of
such return subject to sale and to selection by
railroads, etc., as agricultural lands, in direct
violation OF the plain intent of Congress, as
expressed not only in previous legislation but
in the very act under which these lands were
surveyed.
81 drew the particular attention or the
President to this matter and added that
yet under the rules promulgated by Secre-
tary Smith the only examination provided
for on the part of anybody representing
the Government, of list of railroad selec-
tions, is an examination of the same or SIM
liar data to that which was condemned by
Commissioner Drummond.
II have President Cleveland's letter to
me, and it has been published, in which he
advises me that it was not necessary for
me to remain longer in Washington, as no
further patents to the railroad would be
granted and that grants would be sus-
pended until the railroad had settled its
Indebtedness to the Government.
at would appear that that promise has
not been kept"
at would appear that way" said Mr.
Rickett.
The whole matter will be discussed at
length at the meeting of the executive
committee of the California Miners Asso-
citation to be held tomorrow night in the
Palace Hotel