The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-06


ham familiar with its provisions.
The Bulletins reporter this week in
terviewed a long-headed and well-in-
formed miner on the subject, and his
views seem to pretty well illustrate the
pernicious character of the measure
He said, in substance:
If the bill becomes a law it will
work a great hardship on the common
classes, and it was apparently only
gotten up for the benefit of a few cap
italists, who can afford to comply with
its requirements.
THEY NEED GUARDIANS.
1T is strange that mining districts,
! which were formed in compliance with
section 1924 of the revised statutes of
the United States, are not good enough
all of a sudden. 1t is strange that
miners, who were able to care for them
] selves and adopt laws which do not
interfere with the mining laws of con-
gress and intended as they were for
the miners benefit, should now be
told by the Utah legislature that they
| do not know what is for their own
good, and that it is proposed to pass
over their heads a measure to deprive
them of the right of doing business in
their own district and keeping their
own records.
There is not section in the bill
which is unobjectionable to the poorer
!
a manner as to deceive anyone unless
carefully read, and it seems that it is
/ so worded that it can be railroaded
! through the legislature. in imitation.
! if you please, of the crime of 1873.
TO ILLUSTRATE.
In section l is found the following
words: but no location of a mining
/ claim shall be made until the discov-
cry of the vein or lode within the linn
fc- .f > he. a,I1f,, A
and B own a claim each on the same
veins and that there is a fraction be-
tween them; c comes along and wishes
to take up this fraction, but has to
run a tunnel 100 feet to strike the vein
before his location is legal. What is
to hinder A or B. who are already on
the vein, heading c off the moment he
begins work?
In section we find how a claim
shall be located. and a person who
wishes to hold his ground must prac-
tically at once employ a surveyor TO be
sure he is right. This is a fine layout
for poor devil prospecting on grub
stake, without a dollar TO his name,
Then the prospector who goes on the
hills must. if this bill becomes a law,
pack in addition TO his grub and outfit
few AKA scantling to be sure to have
on hand the stakes required.
AN EYE-OPENER
In section is found something
which may look as though it were for
the benefit of the poor miner (?)-the
charge for recording, 81. But we see
throughout the whole bill that if this
same poor miner wishes TO look up the
records he must, under an expense of
ten or twenty times that amount travel
to the county seat for the information.
If there is any doubt in this regard,
section s explains it in full, and if any
one thinks the office of mining recorder
is not to be abolished. this section
ought to open his eyes. Even if there
were a district recorder he would not
have the records.
Section 6 compels every one. after
doing assessment work for the current
year, to incur the extra expense of
making an affidavit, also compels him
to employ a pretty good bookkeeper to
comply with the third proviso.
A CORKER.
"A careful perusal of section by the
members of the lower house ought to
result in their everlastingly killing the
whole bill
The odious section is as follows:
Sec. s. The county recorders of the
respective counties shall perform the
duties heretofore performed by the |
mining recorders in such counties, re- |
spectively; and the district mining re- |
days after the revised statutes take
effect, deposit the books. records and
seals pertaining to their offices with
the county recorder of such county |
Any district mining recorder who shall
fail to deposit as aforesaid the books
records and seals pertaining to his of
fee shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
dene arCr.
A DEAD LETTER.
r>1,;- Hill 1r-;II Ja caa, NV tho ahoya /
section, proposes to virtually put out
of existence the mining district as
local organization. In its present
shape, at least. or until a concurrent
law shall have been enacted, it will
prove a dead letter. If we were re-
corder of West Mountain mining dis
trict. duly elected and under bonds to
prepare and protect its records, not
one book. record or seal to the office
should leave our custody
until the Office of mining recorder had
been duly legislated out of existence
and we had been lawfully relieved of
every responsibility in the premises.
ITS EXTENT.
On its face the mining bill seems to
be of a piece with the general ten
deney of legislation nowadays to pro-
mote combinations and Capitalization.
II would largely increase the impor-
lance of the office of county recorder
and swell his salary and fees accord
lngly. This fact would almost seem /;
to be a lever that is boosting the !
measure. The old records would have
to be copied and that means. at least !
in this old district, a $4,000 job for po-
itical hangers-on. The county seat
records, when completoI. would doubt ]
ess prove gratifying convenience TO S
4 few operators, but if the district Of {
ice were discontinued they would be !
favored at the expense of the hundreds ]
If poor men who have access to the i
records during the course of a season.
A SUGGESTION.
It seems to us the proper thing for !
he legislature to kill this bill, and in
IS stead adopt one that Will provide
or all future records being duplicated. =,
he duplicates to be certified to and /,
lied with county recorders. This can !
)e done at the expense of the miners.
through increased local fees, and they
will not kick Later when the luxury ,
an be afforded. an appropriation may !,
,e made for copying all old mining !
ecords throughout the state
The Ohio Mill.
Democrat. Baker City. Ore: Mr..