The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-15


$500 in work must be done for each
claim embraced in group of mining
claims before government patent can
issue is meeting with much opposition
in mining circles in the west. and par
ticularly so in Utah, as it is believed
that il will have Il detrimental ana
bhghting effect on the industry, mas
much as it will almost prohibit the
prospector and miner Of limited means
from securing patents to his claims
and also hinder him in mis- efforts IN
securing the aid of capital in their de-
Velopment.
In fact. SO great has the opposition
TO the new ruling become that ever
since its significance has been realized
the wires between Salt Lake and WASH
ington have been kept hot with petl-
lions to senators and representatives
urging its suspension or entire abroga-
ton.
! Among thuse who realize what this
new ruling means and threatens to the
mining industry OF Utah are to be
found number of the Wide-aWake
mining men Of Salt Lake, among them
being j. A. Cohen, the representative
Of Captain J. r. De Lamar. who yes
terday telegraphed Senators Stewart
and Jones, of Nevada, and Representa-
tive King, of Utah, as follows:
Please secure suspension TO April
of rule 5S of regulations issued by land
Office Dee. 70, 1897. Many investments
and applications We're made on faith OF
old rule, and the enforcement of this
now viii be gross injustice, besides
jeopardizing many locations"
The following telegram was also sent
to Senators Frank J. Cannon and
Joseph L. Rawlins. by r: Mackintosh'
4. c. Chambers, W. Y. Rice, and Ben
nett, Hardness, Howat Bradley &
Richards, viz.
Rule 50 of regulations issued by
land office Dec. Is, 1897, viii cause
great hardship in our state, and VIII
imperil the investments Of many who
relied in good faith upon the old rule.
Do what you can Immediately to miti-
gate the injustice of the new rule, by
securing its suspension for 80 days from
this date
Besides which similar messages We're
sent to senators and representatives by
Hon. John Dern. J. N. Cannon and
many other leading mining men in this
city.
Judge Henry Rives has been especi-
ally active in the matter. as he feels
that if allowed to stand the new rule
viii be u stumbling block i'll the way of
the advancement of the mining in
dustry of this intermountain region,
and in an interview with a representa-
tive of The Herald on the subject he
said:
The former regulation of the land
Office which permitted the patenting OF
groups of claims after $500 Of improve
ment work had been done upon any
one of them. has been in force for u
years and has been found to work
well and To suit the people.
- 1t is well understood by all miners,
and through its operation many claims
have been patented which would not
operation during this past period
The result of the old rule has been
to aid the government in selling much
Of its public lands 1T s. per acre,
which it wiz not do under the present
regulation; besides. the patenting of
claims should be encouraged and ev-
cry facility therefor be cheaply af-
forded.
PATENTS render titles secure and re-
liable. and thus the investment of
capital IS encouraged, ana the mining
resources through the aid Of capital,
become more thoroughly developed,
and communities thus are benefited
1t Is well known fact that if a
prosDector discovers one good location
on vein he always endeavors TO sur
round it with other locations partly to
protect the one valuable claim and
partly to secure surface ground for
working purposes, and, when he patents
he could have done after completing
$500 worth OF development on his prin-
cipal claim, his group then becomes
m2rketa bic and capital is more ready
to negotiate for its purchase or aid
Kim in its development and in most
instances it is largely due to the fact
OF the patent; or in other words. that
he has 4 reliable title.
II he has located five or six claims
in his group, under the present rule,
he would be unable TO obtain patent
until after he had expended from 50 500
to $1,000, which few Individual miners
or prospectors are ever able to do At
least il would require an average of
three years Of constant work uDOn his
group before he could secure the GOV
ernment's title 10 the same and in the
meantime he would be placed at
great disadvantage in handling his
property.
1t appears to me that the purpose
and spirit of the mining laws should
be shaped to encourage mining and
afford every facility for the sale of the
public mineral lands by the govern
ment, and to aid the miner in obtain
ing q perfect title to his locations"
In speaking on the same subject. Hon.
Z. c. Chambers said:
Il think the old rule a very good one
as long as il secured to the prosDector
and locator the right to do his patent
work at one point on his group; and at
the same time there should be a limit
10 the numler of claims embraced in
the group. which should be confined TO
four or 1--WE claims at the utmost
Yet al the same time the government
gets 81 or s. per acre for this ground
which otherwise would be left vacant
for the prOspector TO relocate year af-
Ter year, the result being that the gov
eminent would get nothing for it. as if
would be held by locators for purposes
OF speculation in nine cases out of ten
instead of for development
Therefore. under the old ruling. the
government really is the winner. and
the real investor in mining enterprises /
is enabled to get title TO his property. /
not for purposes of bargain ana sale /
but for real and legitimate work and
development. and at the same time the
application of the old rule would not
work any hardship on the real and hon
est prospector."
The new ruling continued Mr..
Chambers. will have the effect Of re- /
stricting the obtaining of patents upon
mining ground"
IT is hoped that pressure will be
brought to bear sufficient to secure a
suspension of the new ruling for a time
at least.
DEALINGS IN THE PIT.
Considerable Activity Disclosed For