The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-07-15

compelled 70 dispose OF their goods AZ a
loss.
Meanwhile. It would seem that those
transportation companies which should
be most sincerely interested In the de-
velOpment Of the camp have enjoyed a
monopoly Of high prices all winter by
means other than ereditable With this
summers influx Of men and materials
they played bear with the prices, to the
irreparable injury Of the new comers.
But these are not the worst features
Of the situation. Commercial conniving
and sharp practices with respect TO the
sale Of human necessaries might have
been anticipated, What is most dis
couraglng is the mining entanglements.
Never before. IN state or territory OF
the Union, has the possible output Of a
camp been complicated with such sell
fish disregard OF Individual right under
the federal mineral act. Five. ten.
twenty. five. fifty twenty-acre claims
comprise a uiflng area of personal
ownership. The man claiming
ownership to 100 locations is common.
For the first time in the history OF min
ing under American law the power OF
attorney has become an Instrument OF
fraud so far-reachIng that only the ted
ious test of wholesale litigation can
frustrate It.
For miles and miles the country
seems to have been closed to personal
efforts; the industry which solves min
Ing problems is going begging. Invest
Ors who bought titles to alleged miner
al deposits. and shipped machinery to
develop the ground find themselves dis
possessed; their plants useless. All Is
war of titles.
The results are traeeabIe to a cause
the court. once established. should lose
TO time in affirming. When Price. the
agent. and Lane. the grub stalker, found
gold through the accidental discoveries
Of the alien Laplanders and swedes,
they should have lived by the mining
laws, instead OF organizing to take ad-
vantage OF non-citizen locators whom
they could manipulate. One Of their
alien partners. apparently acting under
the advice Of the Americans. was glad
to become the representative Of an un-
American miners association, as recor-
der of the district. The records show
that in his own case. and that Of his
associates. location after location was
made AMI recorded. in the gulches, on
the tundra and on the beaches. Not
satisfied with personal and partnership
claims they. as cooperative companies,
filed one after another group Of claims
in the best gulches. All this in one and
the same district, organized by small
number Of men. the majority Of whom
were not citizens Of the United States.
The aliens are not to be blamed Sc
verely. From all accounts they acted |
under the advice Of full-hedged Ameri-
cans, who planned to take advantage,
by theoretic purchase and cooperative
absorption, of the powers OF attorney
invented for the occasion.
1t is a matter OF no surprise that the
American miners from the KIondike
coming after, last winter, should have
jumped and relocated in all directions.
In every instance Of peaeeable posses
sion these latter loeators have an ad-
vantage Of occupancy the court may
fully realize upon proof OF the conduct
Of the recorder and his confederates.
At the bottom Of the trouble in the
mineral bearing area is a question new
er raised before in this country. Min
ing camps and mining associations have
always been tolerant Of a foreigner
who located and worked property with
the intention Of becoming citizen to
protect his title. But never, until the
organization Of the Nome district, did
aliens constitute the majority of the
local lawmaking body and elect one
Of their ilk as recorder. The question,
in brief, Is, can a majority Of aliens
legally comprise a law-making body
under the federal mineral act, or under
the constitution Of the United States?
In the light Of such information as
has been received, people who have
turned their eyes Nomeward should be
warned that the present year at least
VIII be consumed in settling the legal
disputes affecting the most promising
placer areas in the district, and that
commercial enterprise is greatly over
dove