The herald., 1896-11-29
JUNEAU CITIZENS EXCITED
But Not Over New Gold
Discoveries
THE TITLES TO CITY LOTS
Are Rendered Invalid by an Ancient
Mining Claim
Mrs. Goldstein Makes Good Her Claim
to Twenty Acres in the Center
of the City.
Associated Press Special Wire

neau as a result of a decision by the gov
ernment that will result in the loss of
great many homes and considerable
business property in the best part of the
city. The decision referred to is one that
has just been rendered by Secretary of
the Interior Francis and it gives to Mrs.
Goldstein a little over twenty acres of
land in the town of Juneau, on which her
husband flied in her name as a mutual
claim. The decision returned by Sec
retary Francis ends the matter in which
at one time or another good portion of
the citizens of Juneau felt personally in
terested. In 1886 Rufus Goldstein, cit
izen of Juneau, which was then not
much of a town, filed a mineral claim in
what was afterwards the best property
in the place. Not much was thought of
the matter at the time, partly for the
reason that there were not many people
there to think about it and partly for
the reason that there was little oppor-
tunity for the matter to become public
property, the only steps necessary to be
taken in filing a claim being for it to be
noted with the local land official. who
was receiving so many applications of
the kind that he thought nothing of this
one that was afterwards to create such
a stir. 1t was not until two years later
in 1888, that the public knew of the fact
that a part of the townsite was being
claimed for mineral purposes. In that
year a government surveyor was sent
north to stake off numerous mining
claims that had been acted on. Mean
time Juneau had grown, and when the
people there saw the government mining
surveyor at work right in town stalking
off some of the best back yards and resi-
dence lots in the place they were more
than curious and set about to learn what
it all meant. They were not long in find
ing that it was a mineral claim which
had been filed on the property in the
name of Mrs A. A. Goldstein by her hus-
band, and that it.was being surveyed
under the same law that governs all
similar filings in that territory. The citi-
zens finally decided to call public meet
ing to discuss the matter and at this
meeting ii was shown that if the claim of
Goldstein should be sustained it would
seriously injure the town and the rights
of citizens, and so much feeling was
worked up over the matter that 1t was
actually and seriously proposed to either
hang Goldstein or throw him in the bay,
on the ground that he was public ne
emy. The case was finally gotten into
the general land office under the title of
Goldstein vs. the townsite of Juneau.
and it was there decided in favor of the
townsite 1t was then carried to the su-
preme court and that body at once re-
ferred it to the interior department,
which has now considered that the claim
of Goldstein is valid and must be sus~
tained.
II is held by Secretary Francis that
where the claim conflicts with the land
occupied by other parties prior to 1856,
Goldssein will not be allowed to have
prior privileges. but this will affect a
very small portion of his claim. 1t is
said that at present prices for property
in Juneau the Goldstein claim of twenty
acres Is worth 5000. 600 to 81 100000, most
of it being property held by those VINO
will find it to their advantage to pay
round sum per month as rental to their
new landlord rather than suffer him to
enforce his right of ownership.
THE CLAIMS COMMISSION
VICTORIA, Il. c., Nov. 2S.-The Count
ess Of Aberdeen, accompanied by Lieu
tenant Governor Dewdney, Premier
Turner. Privincial Secretary Baker and
Attorney General Eberts attended this
mornings session of the eBring sea
claims commission. ladies of the Ameri-
can and British parties being also pres
ent. and the galleries presented bril-
liant and animated spectacle. The pro-
ceedings througout We're more interest
ing than on any previous day since the
opening.
At the commencement General Dick
enson proceeded to make two motions
notice of which had been given. In regard
to the claim for damages on account of
warning given the Black damon in
July. 1886. he moved to strike out the
entire claim, because it does not appear
properly in tn eschedule Two claims
are madef or the Black Diamond, one
for the warning in 1856 given by the col
lector of customs at Ounalaska, and the
other case is where two claims were
made in respect of the same vessel be-
fore the tribunal of arbitration The
l.
To illustrate this Dickinson cited the
cases of the Triumph, Pathfinder and
Alfred Adams. afterwards called the
Lily. The question is important in that
it goes to the fundamental ground work
of the jurisdiction of the commission
and if this case is not within the terms
of the convention it may follow that
either government may criticise the
findings of the tribunal on cases based
on other facts outside the convention.
Hon. F. Peters, senior British coun-
sci, in reply, contended that the reason
the Black Diamonds name did not ap-
pear twice in the schedule was, because
the date was only piece of the informal
tion, and not absolutely necessary. AT
the time the treaty was made there was
an Important question at issue, namely
the Fight parties In Bern sea- Another
question, and subsidiary one was the
right Of certain injured parties to re-
ceive compensation. He quoted from
a letter of Sir Julian Pauncefote to Mr.
Gresham showing the list of claims in
tended to be submitted. containing the
schedule and the Black Diamond was
distinctly stated, and no objection was
raised by the United States govern
ment The real reason it was left out
was at the suggestion of the Canadian
delegates a. 1t already appeared in .he