Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-04-13
ALIEN CLAIMS.
Senator Hansbrough's Amendment
Stirs up Interest Regarding
Alaskan Claims.

w. L. Curtis, the we'll known Wash
ington correspondent writes:
There is an interesting controversy
in the Scnat Over an amendment OF
fereu by Senator HansDrOugh to the
Alaska government bill prohibiting
aliens from locating. holding or con-
veying mining claims in that territory.
1t is retroactive also, II declares IL
legal all mining claims hitherto ac-
Quired by location or purchase through
an alien. This amendment is directed
chiefly ut Il California capitalist named
Charles Lane, who was an active par
t~icipant on the democratic side in the
last presidential campaign, and is sad
to have contributed S2l,oOD to Mr..
Bryan's election fund. Mr.. Lane is
an all-round Spectator in mining
properties. and has purchased a num-
Der Of valuable claims at Cape Nome.
some Of which were located by for
cigners. including three Laplanders
who wen to Alaska with the Rev.
Sheldon jackson as hcrders of the
reindeer imported by the United States
some years ago. These Laplanders
are under contract with the govern
ment to remain in charge of the rein
deer for a term of years, when they
are to be sent back to their native
country at the expense of Uncle Sam.
The Cape Nome mining camp was
discovered by one of these reindeer
drivers named Linderberg in me
ton with a sailor deserter named Lind
biom and Il Michigan miner named
Brintensen. The two latter are AM
erican citizens. Six other Lapland-
ers employed by the government with
the reindeer herds and a large number
of Swedes also staked out claims at
Cape Nome. Three of the Laps sold
their claims to Charles Lane for $1lo.-
600, and Mr.. Lane purchased from
both foreigners and natives several
other claims, making a total invest
ment OF about SSOO,OOO.
After the transaction became known
it was declared illegal by the several
miners who jumped the claims and
brought suit before Judge Johnson in
the summer of 1899 to dispossess Lane
of the property he had purchased and
forty-three other aliens of the claims
they had located. The cases did not
come to trial. but the American miners
when attempting to interfere with the
aliens were arrested by the military.
and Johnson resigned his position On
the bench. so that there was no Il
to try the cases. He is now in charge
of Lanes litigation. Another Of
Lanes lawyers, named Jackson. who
lives at Seattle. was recently inter-
viewed and charged that Senator
I~1ansbrough has q personal interest in
relocating these claims. When this
statement was called to the attention
rs Co... -, 1 -, ,rl ,,~ ~, ~, {1,o 1of{1, cn;1.
Il do not know this man Jackson.
hut am informed that he is II of the
attorneys employed by persons inter-
ested in robbing American miners in
Alaska. have no interest in any
alien mining claims at Cape Nome or
elsewhere. My amendment is in
tended to protect the American miners
against the alien Laplanders who went
to Alaska in charge of the reindeer
sem there by this government and
who, | am told. have an agreement
with the government to he sent back
ished. These Laplanders each took
from 20 to 100 placer claims. twenty
acres in size. They have given OPP
capitalists. Suits to dispossess the
tllNll loIItioiS "tlC AOlllllAIAllINt bSlolS
the options were given. Therefore
the capitalists are not innocent pur-
chasers; neither are the aliens legal
locators."
If congress passes a law prohibiting
aliens from locating mining claims in
Alaska it is likely to provoke retail
iatory legislation from Canada. In
the Klondike foreigners have the same
Tirhtc &c notirDc jCynrNhnIv &c 20
quired to obtain a miners license. for
which he pays q fee of SO into the
Canadian treasury. and all miners. ma
tives as well as foreigners, are taxed
10 per cent Of their gross output. There
is a great deal of complaint Of this
but there is no distinction anywhere
between Canadians and foreigners, anG
as long as American citizens arc
granted equal rights by the Canadian
government the Canadian citizens vii
expect the same from the United
States government. There is expected
to be Il rush to northeastern Siberia
where there have recently been i'm.
portant gold discoveries. and the Rus
sian government. like the Canadian
gives equal privileges to foreigners
A miner who wants 20 work on Rus
sian territory must first obtain a per
nit from the cZar at the office of TIN
minister of state domains in st. Pet
ersburg. for which he pays a small
fee. Upon arriving at the mimi!
camp he files this permit with tn
nearest authorized official and receive
a license to work within a certain limi
and to locate claims Of certain dimen
sions, but no distinction is made be
tween foreigners and natives.
Until now Alaska has been open t
everybody, Cinnamon included. TIL
question of citizenship has never bee,
raised. Any man who had the nerv
to go there and dig for gold was con
sidered as entitled to all he could get
but in many Of the states aliens ar
prohibited from taking up minin
claims. at least until they have dc
clared their intention to become cit
Zens.
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