Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-07

An interesting story OF corruption,
dishonesty and injustice Is told by Hon.
James II. Moye, who has Just returned
from Washington. Mr. Moyle went to
the capitol TO prevent what he terms an
alleged steal of Uintah mining property
by one Of the most influential combin-
atoms ever formed In this country, and
for over two weeks he fought heavy
odds. This is his story Of the difficulty
and Of the way in which some legIsla-
tion is effected In Congress:
IN the early hfties. said Mr.. Moyle,
today" man named Rhoades, who
had passed through Utah prior to the
coming Of the pioneers and who had
subsequently returned from California
and located here, discovered where the
Ointah reservation now Is, valuable
mine. He was then q member OF the
Church. aud he took samples OF ore TO
Brigham Young. II was claimed that
the mine was very rich, and Brigram
Young advised him not to let II be
known publicly because of the excite
ment II would create. Rhoades with his
son caleb b. Rhoades, who now lives
at Price, located. IN the fifties, this
property, While going TO the property
at one time one Of old man Rhoades'
sons was Killed by the Indians. They
held on to the property up TO 1861,
when President Lincoln established the
Uintah reservation This excluded
them from the reservation, but they
ta 4tett he nj " "a
ways maintained their rights, anu as
serted that whenever 1t was open to
re-entry they would again take pos
session..
About 1894, F. W, c. Hathenbruck of
Provo became interested with Ca
leb Rhoades in this property, ana
with the assistance Of others, secured
a permit from the government TO nego-
llate with the Indians for lease on
the mine. They spent year OF more
In getting the signatures OF Indians.
and did get practically all OF the In
dians--ll5 of the males on the reserya-
ton. This was approved in an open
council where practically all Of the III =
dams were present, This is the onlS
lease obtqined with all the Indians
signing H. The Indians were to obtain
a large royalty. for which heavy bond
was given In order to secure APP
prevail by the secretary of the interior
and protect the interests of those con-
oerned, q lease was prepaied and sect
TO Secretary Bliss In 1897.
when the matter was presented at
Washington, others learned Of the sup
posed great value Of the mine, and II
was claimed that Mr. Myton. who was
then on the UncOmpahgre commission
and Is now Uintah Indian agent and
who was familiar with the efforts OF
Hathenbruck and Rose. with others.
undertook TO prevent the approval OF
the lease In order 10 get the property
themselves. As q result of their ef-
forts. very strong corporation was
formed, now known as the Florence
Mining company II Is now claimed by
all Of our representatives In Congress
that those interested In the corporation
have sufficient influence In Washington
to block any legislation concerning the
reservation that Is not In their interest
"That Is the substance OF the reG-
sons given for the provision being i'm
properly tackled on to the Indian APP
preparation bill, giving the Florence
Mining company exclusive right to pro-
spect the reservation for precious met
ais up to October, 1908 the time when
the reservation VIII be opened, and to
locate $40 acres of such precious metals
before the dear public and the or
binary public Is permitted TO go upon
the reservation. This provision does
not. In express terms. say that the
FlorenceMining company shall have the
exclusive right, but IT has that effect,
and was so intended by the members
Of Congress who formed the resolution
and were familiar with the situation.
In fact, Senator Stewart, who is
chairman Of the Indian committee In
the Senate. said TO me that they knew
II was steal. a barefaced steal but
they consented TO II because OF the
great advantage II would be to the
state to open the reservation, and
knowing It could not be open without
the demands Of these parties were first
satisfied While | am not authorized
20 speak for our own representatives.
as near as | could learn In the two
weeks that was I'm Washington work.
ing, their only justification for this con-