The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-28

A short time ago The Herald made
mention of the fact that recent sur
yey made by the government OF the
west boundary line of the Uncompan-
gre Indian reservation had divulged
the fact that number OF asphaltuii
locations, previously believed ana sup
posed to be outside of the reservatfon'
had been thrown a considerable us
lance within its boundaries, and reIer-
ence was especially made that some Oh
these claims had passed to patent the
supposition being that later on the gov
eminent would cause trouble 60 the
supposed owners Of these valuable de-
posts of asphaltum, although the IN
ference was that the claim hoiders hdu
obtained title in good faith and with
the understanding that the landS SO
located were open to entry, as IL Is
claimed that 1t had been impossible TO
find the corners and corner STAKES es-
tablished by the government surveys.
AS predicted in these columns, a test
is to be made as to the leganty OF the
patents to the claims alluded to, ana
limited States Attorney Whittemore IS
gathering data and facts to be used IN
a suit soon to be instituted against une
patentees of asphaltum claims now
claimed to be located within the lines
of the reservation, and the folloWlnS
letter to the surveyor general, anu the
reply of that gentleman, as puDhshed
below. will be of interest to those who
are interested in the premises or who
are keeping tab on reservation mat
tiers:
DESIRES INFORMATION.
Salt Lake, June 20, 1888.
United States Surveyor for Titan, SAT-
Lake City:
Will YOU please furnish this office
with a. statement, in duplicate, show
ing the United States patents for min
er+al lands embracing asphaltum depos-
it's that are now shown to be on the
JJncompahgre reservation, according TO
the survey of the west boundary OF
said. reservation, made by William 6
DougaN, United States deputy survey
or. under contract No. 221, dated March
90. 1898?
I desire the date of each patent and
the person to whom the patent was
issued together with the lot number
of each survey and the description CT
the land embraced within each patent.
This information is desired for me
purpose of instituting suit in behau
of the United States for the cancela-
ton of these patents. Your early at
tention to this matter will be greatly
appreciated.
Yours very respectfully.
C. o. WHITTEMORE,
United States Attorney.
REPLY OF. JUDGE BLAIR.
Salt Lake, June "a. 1898.
Hon c. O. WhittemOre, United States
Attorney, City:
Sir-In reply to your letter of June 20,
1898, you are informed that from an
examination of the records of this and
the United States land offices, the fol-
lowing named patented claims are
found to be situated in the Uncompah-
gre Ute reservation, according tn the
re-suryey of the west boundary Of said
reservation, made by William B. Dou-
gall, United States deputy mineral sur
veyor, under his contract No. 221, dated
March 30, 1898:
Lot No 37.-Helene claim of the jan
uary lode, patented May 16, 1896, to G.
E. Loesh and Adolphus Bush of st.
Louis.
Lot No. sS.-Solomon claim of jan
uary lode. Patented May t. 1896. to
William H. Remington of Salt Lake.
Lots No. SO, 40, Al and 42.-For the
Tillie, Dalton, Alice and Remington
lodes. Patented May II. 1892. to A. D.
Ferron, Sam H. ellison and William H.
of Salt Lake.
Survey No. 3319.-For the Brunette,
Raven and Blackbird placerS. Patents
issued to H. L. A. Gunner of Salt Lake.
The following are the descriptions of
the several claims taken from the plats
of this office. To get the exact descrip
ton as contained in patents you will
have to get a certified copy of patents
from the commissioners office in
Very respectfully,
JACOB B. BLAIR,
U. S. Surveyor General.