The San Francisco call., 1895-10-16
SAYS THERE WAS FRAUD,
D. G. Reid Tells How the Rail.
road Got GoId-Producing
Lands.
Men Swore That Mineral Sections
in Trinity County We're
AGRICULTURAL.

In connection with the so-called mineral
land controversy pending between all rail
roads having land grants in this State and
the California Miners Association D. G.
Reid, one OF the delegates from Trinity
County to the Miners convention in this
City, relates an interesting story lin elab-
Grafton of his statement of yesterday of
the manner and means the California and
Oregon Railroad Company employed to
have sections of land lying in the richest
gold-producing sections of Trinity County
declared mineral by having affida Wits
sworn to before Justice Philbrook bv one
Whiteside.
In the spring of 1893 the railroad filed list
of lands lying outside the twenty mile limit
that is the indemnity extension limit of
ten miles additional to the original grant
covering Trinity County lands.
The odd-num bered sections of this in
demnity grant included the country sur
rounding and portions of the mining
towns OF Weaveryille, Douglas City, Dead
wood, lewiston, Minersville and Trinity
Center.
There being much patented mineral
land in that vicinity. the Commissioner of
the General Land Office directed the rail-
road to furnish additional proof of the non-
mineral character of the land before the
lists should be approved.
The railroad company first sent Mr..
Hobbs through the district, and he OBJ
tanned some non-mineraI affidayits from
reputable citizens in a regular manner.
Mr.. Hobbs left Trinity County, and in
short time a man by the name of White
side, generally called Beau" Whiteside
appeared and began obtaining affidavits OF
the non-mlneral character of certain Sec
tons from such men as Jerry Bennett and
Phil Brown.
Hughes & Paulsen, who own large
tracts of mineral lands thereabouts, heard
of these atidavits and employed Mr.. Reid
to see whether any had been filed on the
section on which they had mining claims
Mr.. Reid sent to the Redding Land
Office and found that such an affidavit had
been hled there. He then sent to Wash
lngton and procured copy of the affidavit
OF Phil Brown that the Hughes e. Paul
sen land was on-mineral: he also secured
copy of the appointment of Brown as
agent for the railroad, and then instituted
contest in the Redding Land Office, but
was obliged to get the permission of the
Land Commissioner to do that.
At the time of the making of the Brown
atndavlt two men were prospecting on the
ground in question and had for nearly two
months been finding gold in paying quan-
titles at every place prospected. Part of
the section had been worked every year
iOA IL oc0h y cars as q mining CialIn.
Alter lnstltuting the contest Reid called
on Brown to find out why he made the
affidavit, and Brown stated to him that he
(Brown) had not been on the land for if
teen years, but that Philbrook, the Justice
of the Peace before whom the affidavit had
been made, told him that it was all right,
and that Whlteside paid him (Brown) S5
for making it, and that he was willing to
Tetract If they wanted him to-speaking of
Hughes and Paulsen.
Reid believes that the matter should be
inve stigated by the United States courts to
ascertain where these affidavits were made,
and also to procure copies of them and see
|, that those who have made these non
mineral affidavits be properly punished.