The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-08

posed that they had secured possession
of the placer ground in the gulch, i'm
mediately adjoining their lode claims,
and on this superstition they gave the
Rio Grande Western the right of way to
build over it to the Winnamuck mine,
but the work of construction had hard
" begun before Charles Watson and
Steve Hays appeared on the scene of
action and demanded a stay of pro-
ceedings on the ground that they were
the owners of the placer claim in ques-
ton.
This led to an investigation, the re-
suit OF which proved the truth of the
assertion made by these gentlemen, for
several years ago Mr. Watson had Sc
cured a patent on this tract of land. a
fact that the late records at the land
office failed to show
An effort was then made to compro-
mise the matter, but without avail.
The Winnamuck people offered to pur-
chase the strip of land, about 12x100
feet, for switching purposes. or lease it,
but without avail, as the opposing par
ties insisted that the railroad should
buy it.
Work in the construction of the
switch was vigorously pushed, however,
and to stop it Messrs. Watson ard
Hays went to Salt Lake and secured a
writ of injunction
All the men at the Winnamuck mine
were employed in the construction of
the switch, and also all Of the men in
the camp in the employ of the road, be-
sides which Mr.. Welby sent out a car
load of graders and track layers, and
the work went on without INTERRUPT
ton night and day,
The officers charged with the Sarvin G,
Of the writ of injunction came out and
asked for superintendent Logan. OF the
Wmnamuck, but he was not to be
found; neither could the officers find
anyone in charge of the railroad men:
and as last resort he tackled the
foreman of the mine, but that gentle
man had been discharged from the SER
wee or the company few minutes be-
1ore by telephone orders from Salt
Lake. The officer then returned to
salt Lake without fulfilling his mis-
sion, and the work of construction went
on r1ght merrily until the switch was
completed, and Friday at 3 p. M the
engines and cars of the Rio Grande
western company were running upon
The affair caused more or less com
motion in this camp, especially as
some trouble was Anticipated last
night, as it was reported that Messrs.
watson and Hays We're going to tear
up the track
To prevent this the Winnamuck and
railroad companies had guards out all
last night. thirty-five in number, ready
TO resist any such attempt. No dis
turbance occurred, however. although
it is expected that an effort in this d.
rection may be made at any time now:
to illustrate which the switch is being
kept under close patrol by alert guards
and loaded cars are kept constantly on
| the track. THEO.
A Herald representative called on
Colonel Sewers of the Winnamuck last
night. who stated that the above was
virtually correct, but that he had every
reason to hope that the difficulties eX-
listing between the Winnamuck COM
pany and Messrs. Watson and Hays
would soon be satisfactorily adjusted,
as he had no desire whatever to dis
possess these gentlemen of an inch of
! ground that belong to them.
He also stated that the switch was
! constructed on land owned by his
company before it touched the small
| strip of ground that interviewed be-
tween the company's holdings and the
| Winnamuck mine.
When my company gave the rail
| road the right-of-Way to build the
! switch he said, I'VE had no idea but
| that we owned the ground in question.
If we cannot get from the mine to the
railroad, our business is seriously in
| iured and retarded-in fact, without
being able to make this connection we
| might as we'll close down the mine
J as the owners will not allow us to build
| a chute over it. I do not believe that
they have any design to injure us, as
we hope to do considerable for the
camp; but it is evident that they want
| the railroad company to pay them a
good price for the right-of-way over
their land