The record-union., 1895-08-22
MINERAL LAND SELECTIONS
Miners Now Ready to Accept Mr..
Mills Proposition.
rsan Francisco Examiner, Aug. 21s


San Francisco Examiner, Aug. 21st1
A proposition to arrange for confer
ence with the land officials of the South
ern Pacific Railroad Company came up
at the last executive meeting of the Cali
fornia Miners Association, upon the basis
of an arrangement suggested during in
formal and unofficial interviews held by
representatives of both sides. 1t was
then and there decided by the mem bers
present to instruct the Committee upon
the Protection of Mineral Lands to
use their best discretion in the matter,
and q resolution was accordingly passed
to that effect, and also agreeing 10 sane
ton any action upon the part of said COM
mittee in furtherance of the object in
view. Since then negotiations have been
carried on between nom bers of the COM
mittee and representatives of the rail-
road, without much in the way of re-
suits, until yesterday afternoon, when
John NJ. Wright, who has been acting
for the committee, with its consent and
approval, brought matters to focus by
forwarding the following letter to Mr.
Mills, the Southern Pacific Land Agent
stating the miners case exactly and re-
questing an immediate reply:
SAN FRANCISCO. August 20, 1895.
W. II. Mus. Offices Southern Pacific
Company. San francisco, Cai.-DEAR
SIR: [ have received from j. j. Craw-
ford, State AIineralogist, a communica-
ton of which the following is a copy:
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Aug. il, 1894.
John u. Wright-DEAR SIR: Ia reply to
your inquiry OF this date will state: About
two weeks prior TO June 9th last visited the
Offices of the southern Pacific Company in
TINS city and held an interview with w. H..
Mills and l think Mr.. Singer was also pres
emit Isuggested to Mr.. Mills that it was de-
sirable that some sort of agreement should be
reached between the Miners Association and
the railroad company, and that a stop should
be put to the hue and cry which the valley
press were making against the miners.
After considerable discussion. Mr.. Mills
finally proposed that the railroad company
and the Miners Association should each selec t
q Commissioner; tbat the railroad company
would furnish transportation to the two Com
missioners TO the different points throughout
the State which they might desire TO visit,
and that the two Commissioners should
Jointly act IN determining the mineral or
! non-mfneral character of what are known as
the ''unpatented railroad lands" throug hout
the State.
Mr. Mills stated that the railroad company
would abide by the decision of the Commis-
Sioners selected in this manner and would
file accomplishments TO the Government it's
claims against any and all lands determined
by such commission TO be mineral land.
Yours truly, j. j. CRAWFORD.
| The subject matter of the above quoted
! letter was stated by Mr.. Crawford TO the
| EXeeutive Committee of the California
/ MlnerI ASSOclaLlOn at lIs IneSIlng neiu
in The Maple Room of the Palace Hotel,
| San Francisco, on or about June 8, 1895.
| The committee took no definite action
| regarding the matter at that time for the
reason that your proposition stated by
| Mr.. Crawford had not been reduced to
writing.
Said committee, at its meeting held on
| Friday. August 8, 1895, however, in
structed the associations Committee on
| Mineral Lands TO communicate with
your company. and with yourself as its
representative, with the view of ascer-
| tanning definitely whether some such
arrangement as that proposed by you in
| your conversation with Mr. CRAWFORD
can be reached between your company
and the California Miners Association.
| 1t is with this view, and in pursuance
of said instructions, that. as member OF
said Mineral Lands Committee, aud at It's
req uest and at the request of A. ID.