The record-union., 1895-09-06
MINERAL LANDS.
Clear Statement in a Nevada County
Paper.
Walter Mead Tells Some Things
In Regard to the Present
Controversy.
From the Nevada City Transcript ]


| Editor Transcript: "Man proposes and
God disposes' has been said for ages.
From one day to the other our thoughts
change, and what we planned for to-
morrow becomes memory of the past,
to be resurrected as occasion arises or in
clination inclines.
had mapped out this letter some time
ago, but so many things arise in q short
space that new ideas crowd upon the
brain, and one is at a loss where to begin
| and where to end. Above all things, one
must try to be interesting to ones read
ers; and such has been my aim through
all this correspondence. The truth in all
cases is what desire to state, and if | fail
in that particular it is because my means
ofinformation are not good.or that I have
| been misinformed.
| | want to speak of this mineral land
matter again. 1t is subject that | have
given great deal of thought to; and If
my conclusions are cOrrect-and l am
certain they are-the miners who con-
| tinue TO contribute TO the support of The
! agitators down here deserve TO lose all
they subscribe. These agitators-these
miners" who never mined-these disin-
terested (?) unseltish (?J friends OF the
poor miner are trying TO make IL appear
that the railroad company Is endeavoring
10 rob them of all their rights. Why, they
got one poor fellow so excited that he
wrote to them asking ii he was going TO
lose his land-land which was clearly min
eral in its character, and which he was
then working This gentleman wrote
from North Bloomfield, and his claims
are located on sections and IL, township
II north. range 10 east, NJ. ID. M, and he
claims that the Land Office notices. al
though they were published in March
and April, he did not see until July,
i'll "obscure papers ~ Great Scott Is
the Transcript an "obscure paper ?" and
have | been writing all these years for a
paper that is not seen beyond the con-
! fines OF its place of publication? Per-
haps he did not see the advertisement
printed in your paper in which the rail
road company made the most generous
Offer not only to the miners. but to ell
others. Out of pity refrain from mem
tiOning his name, but | imagine that he
must be one of Mr.. Ricketts, private
clients" Did you observe that in an in
terview the latter said that he might be
willing to waive the rights of the Miners
Association, but that under no considera-
tion would he consent to surrender the
equities of his private clients" No
reading between the lines" is necessary
here; and Mr.. Mills manly and honest
letter stands out in such a strong contrast
TO the tactics pursued by these selt-styled
friends of the miners that l wonder
whether reason has fled, and how long it
will DO before the miners come to their
senses.
Let me state first that the Miners AS
sociation was organized for the purpose
of devising some means by which the
hydraulic mines could be worked. Sim
ply that and nothing more. A commit
lee was appointed 10 60 to Washington,
two MEM mbers of il being former residents
OF Nevada County, the Hon. Niles Sears
and the Hon. Robert McMurray. This
resulted in the passage OF the Caminetti
Act, under which many mines are now
being work cd. Although not all that
was wanted, 1t was the best that could
be done, and IL was supposed that the
association would disband. But no. In
all such assem- DlageS selfish and design
ing men force their way to the front, and
80 it happened in this case. New issues
were sprung, and the original idea has
been lost sight OF in The great bugbear
that has been thrown into the amazed
eyes of the miners.
The railroad has loomed up as their
great enemy and despoiler, and all of
this in the face of the fact that the rail-
road company has been doing everything
in its power to show the miners that they
are friendly to them.
But such good opportunity could not
be lost, nor was it. The issue was raised,
and down with the railroad' was the
shi ibboleth. 1t has been worked for all that
it is worth, and | am inclined to think
that the lead had "petered out, and that
these noble sympathetic men
God save the mark y will in the future
have to depend upon their private cli-
ents' for the means 10 carry on the selfish
schemes.
Let me briefly state few facts, and
challenge contradiction: First-In order
to obtain title to any land it is necessary
to have doed from the righful owner,
whether it be private party, the railroad
or the Government. The deed of the
latter is called d patent.
Second-This fact being conceded, it
follows that. like all purchasers, the
miners would naturally look TO the party
or parties with whom the best bargain
could be made. What do we find Should
the matter be decided in favor of the con-
testants they would be compelled TO pay
81 % per acre, under the provisions of the
Act of May 10, 1872. as well as the costs of
litigation. The railroad, by an advertise
ment in the Transcript, by which it is
bound, offers to sell the same for 81 % an
acre. Can anyone fail to see the point |
am endeayoring TO make for the miners
All honor, all truth, cannot possibly be
contained in the persons of Mr.. Rick etts
and his followers. | met Mr.. Mills once
aud he impressed me with his sincerity.
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