The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-18
LANDS FOR PEOPLE
How The Miners Have PrOfted by
the Idaho Montana Act.
WHAT GEORGE IRWIN SAYS
California Needs Just Such a Law
to Prevent the Southern Pa
cifio From CobbiIng Up
Everything In Sight.

George w. Irwin, ex-mineral land
commissioner of Montana, is at the
Palace. en- route to Honolulu on a va
cation trip. says the San Francisco
Examiner. The gentleman is an inter-
ested spectator of the fight now going
on between the California miners and
the Southern Pacific railroad. He was
one of the leaders in a similar contest
in Montana against the Northern Pa
cific railroad two years ago, and had
much to do with the passage by con-
gress. a year since, of the so-called
Idaho Montana act. The law was in
tended to effectually prevent the Nor
thern Pacific from patenting within
the limits of its government grants In
Idaho and Montana mineral lands, un-
der the plea that they were agricultu-
raj in character. The miners of Mon
tana for a number of years bitterly
complained that the Northern Pacific
was getting patents for thousands of
acres of land to which il had no right,
as the land was mineral in character.
They say that the law passed for their
protection is working SUCCESSFULLY.
Mr.. Irwin. in talk on the subject
last night said: California needs
law similar to the one we have in
Montana. / know that the Southern
posed to the passage of such a law.
1t is true that we have nothing to do
with the Southern Pacific up in Mon
tana. That company, however, thought
the law we wanted would be a pre-
cedent hostile to its land policy in
this state. Mr.. Huntington's people
were good enough to inform us that
they would withdraw opposition to our
bill If we excluded California from its
provisions. The law has been a big
| success. and may therefore be the
means of making trouble for the
| Southern Pacific.
1--WE have three commissioners APP
pointed by the president, who person.
| ally examine and classify all the lands
which the Northern Pacific seeks to
have patented. About a million acres
have already been examined and class
| flied by them within the railroad grant
in the state and about 25 per cent of
| that amount has been found to be min
eral IT, character. This has been a big
saving to the miners of the state.
| Montana has a great deal of undevel-
oped mineral land, and 1t is of vital
Importance that IL should be kept out
| of the clutches of the big railroad
| corporation. Our law accomplishes
that end. California needs just such a
law"
According to the Spokane Chronicle
| the Northern PACING has adopted a
new policy in regard to mineral pro-
tests and will hereafter have special
agents to quietly examine all sections
in dispute. and IL the agents report
that the lands are more valuable for
mineral than for agricultural purposes
that will end the contest. The Chron-
icle quotes a railroad attorney as fol-
lows:
81 am instructed that this will
henceforth be the general policy OF
the company in regard to mineral pro-
tests. The company will take up each
case on its individual merits and make
thorough examination. Where the
land is found to be mineral we pro-
pose to withdraw from the courts and
permit the claimant to complete hi,
! title. and in such case we are anxious
to cause the claim holder no needles.
expense by useless litigation.
but IL should be understood tina
the company proposes TO give a stric
and searching examination to eacl
| separate case. and where claims ar,
| set up for lands which we believe n,
more valuable for agricultural thai
for mineral purposes you may rest as
sured that we will fight for what w
believe to be our rights with all tn
skill. energy and persistence the Nor
thern Pacific can control"