The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-15
MR.. RICKETTS, COMES HOME.

A. II. Ricketts,, a competent mining at
torney, who went to interview President
Cleveland in the interest of the State
Miners Association of California on the
subject of Government patents to railroad
lands, has made most encouraging report.
He informed the President of the loose
manner in which the Federal Land De-
partment was issuing patents to the Gen.
trail Pacific for granted lands, which, had
they been properly classified, would have
been excluded from the operation of
patent by the fact that they bear deposits
of precious metals. The President took
strong interest in his representations and
gave direct assurances that the matter
would receive the most careful attention.
One of the Oldest of the constant scan
dals which have afflicted the State is the
matter of patents for railroad grants. This
has taken the double form OF patents with
held that should have been issued, and
patents issued that should have been with
held. For many years it has been almost
byword in California that certain inferior
attaches of the land department. have
found the railroad land grant an exceed
ingly profitable matter. The game has
Trajectory results, ana it began years ago.
At this time the Southern Pacific has
thousands of contracts with bona-fde pur-
chasers of its granted lands for which it
has not yet received patent. The COM
pany declines to issue any deed until it has
received patent, although many of the
settlers would be satisfied with a mere
quitclaim. Meanwhile the settlers have
paid amounts ranging from one-ffth up
ward on the purchase price, and are paying
interest at per cent on the remainder.
Not even the most rabid hater of the
Southern Pacific can show any reason why
the issuance of patents to the company is
delayed from year to year, except in few
cases where the courts have not given a
final decision in favor of the company
where contests were raised. 1t is con-
ceivable that the various commissioners
of the land Office might have been infu-
enced in this perverse course, which has
been so hurtful to California, by a desire to
make political capital out of the railroads
unpopularity; but it is not possible to &C
cept this as an explanation of the Gov
ernment's course with regard to the pat
enting of granted lands which are believed
to bear gold and silver.
If President Cleveland is moved by a
very earnest desire to investigate this mat
ter of patenting lands that the Miners
Association is ready to prove are not pat
entable under the grant, one of his most
profitable sources of inquiry might be the
singular unanimity with which the special
agents of the Land Commissioners have
reported on the absence of precious metals
in these disputed areas. Perhaps Mr..
Ricketts,, himself, might be able to en-
tighten the Presidential understanding on
this subject. Of course it is one thing to
surnise the inspiration of these reports
and another to prove its character, and
Mr.. Ricketts, may not be in possession of
such evidence as would convince the Presi-
dent and open the doors of the peniten-
tiary to his agents; but we may be sure
that if the President is sincere in his as
surances to Mr.. Ricketts,, the overhauling
OF these reports and an investigation into
the conduct of the Government inspectors
while here on this mission would be one
of the clearest duties that confronts him