The San Francisco call., 1903-01-03
MARYSVILLE
LAND OFFICE
IN TROUBLE
Heads Of officials
Shortly to Be.
Removed.
Register and Clerks
Are Accused of
Neglect.
Charges of State Mineralo-
gist Aubury Form the
Basis Of Action.
-. DLsaatsh 10 e. q caLl.


Special Dispatch to The Can. =
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2.-It. is: reported
here that Register johnson and other ot-
hcisls connected with The United States
I5nd ehce at AIarysville. Cal; are about
10 be removed and that letter signed by
the Secretary Of the Interior: is: on the
way conveying the .unwelcor1ie. news to
MarysT-ille. The direct cause Of the re-
movals. according TO the talk about lhe
department.. is the charges. thz.s.' were
Hied some time ago by State- -SIfneralogist
Aubury Of California. -A9bsry sent Her
acc Stevens Of California last October 10
Investigate the susarxiile. sdistrict. land
enairs and also 70 look. into the land
transactions at MaTysylLles These facts
- appear ln a report that was :sent by All
bury 10 Commissioner Hermann of. the
General Land Office. rhe- substance: Of
which was published in The Call: It ap-.
peared from Stevens report that ne visit
ed the AIarysville land. office. In: October.
1872 Among the statements that ne. made
which were submitted to Commissioner
Hermann. were the following
The register. whose duty it is. TO. guard
3. =
the interests OF the general publlc is
business manager of theaA Appeal a local
. newspaper and Is seldom AT his -officiaI-
Iest The receiver was also absent upon
MS vacation. while Mrs C0nlt, a sister Of
Charles T. swezy, IS. the chief clerk Of
the land office, Mr.. SEyezy himself .per-
forming many Of the functions which
should properly come Wifhif the scope OF
dlty Of either the register .or receiver.
Lax BUSINESS METHODS.
"AYhile il might be- argued that even
such lax methods were no. positive indi-
cation of wrong. still. in view Of the fact
mat out OF I70 selections or tracts under
the forest reserve lieu land. law in. the
Marysyille district. up 10 October l0+ as,
sregaung 2a.o95 59 acres. Mr. swezy's
ranae appears as attorney II record for
l5 q such entries, embracing 2z9T9:l6
acres, Il goes without saying that no min
eral claimant could reasonably be. expect
ed 10 receive fair treatment IN any cor
test of a forest reserve. selection there.
Mr. swEy admitted "a me that lie had.
made selections Of land under the scrip
Fer law. embracing 2 800 acres. in. the.
Marysviile district. 10000 acres in. the Su-
sanyille district and 1900 acres at the
Itedding Office. or a total Of III 900: acres,
within very few months. -
Ever since the reception Of this report,
vnch was addressed to the. Commits
sicner of the General Land Office. Bin
ger Hermann, there has. beer. a great deaf
81 SIR in the department. Inspector
burke WAS seat to California and made a
repcrt on The AIarysyiHe .oaioe. which con
q 7-.a
ground Tor complaint against the United
States officials ia Marysyill9. Burlze.s re-
1}9rt- has never been published and. is hell
fc ne a Part cE the con9aeatiaI records
ri tie department SuB RI mas been. seen
end was read 70 Senator George C.. Per.
lsins of calrQniao w. C. RaJston. pres
ieer1 OF the board or trustees Of the cal
torHia state Mining Bureau: was with
Senator Perkins and called upon Commits
sioner Hermann. Hermann took the view
that Inspector Burle's report was. fnaF
and he did not seek any further inforrna-
t!on, 50 FAR as can be aseertained
PRESIDENT. TAKES A HAND.
There are rumorss that the interview he
tween the California Senator, W. c. Raj.
sion and the Commissioner OF the Cen.
e-al Land once was quite animated. pa
ston IS said TO have Denounced the repo-t
that had been made by Inspector Burke
as Untrue and he IS also credited Win
standing by the reTort made by Horace
Stevens that the State MlneraIoglst; the
executive officer Of the State Mining Bu-
reau. had in6orsed and approved.
The matter did not stop with the Com
rsissioner Of the General Land once: The
Secretary Of the Interior and, later Pres
ident Roosevelt was visited. by Senator
Perkins and Ralston and general dis.
cqssion Of the Mary.svilie Office. and the
charges that were made against II took
place. President Roosevelt was much in
tcresteo IN the matter. Since then COM
missioner Hermann, has been deposad
eom ofBce, though be. win act as
Commissioner until his successor oi,aIz
nes. He firmly stood by Fsurl1e.s
report to the last subordinates gave opf
stories attacking Auh1ry and Stevens ana
lively passage OF kilograms between
san Francisco and Washington took
place. Il was vigorously denied by Her-
mann that he had attacked the accurac cy
or Aubury's report. The removal ef the
Bsrysyille land officials, II verified. vva-e
brought about as the result Of the renort
sont on by AUblry, over the signature. of
stevens. and the action of the secret,-,,
q the Interior would seem TO be a victorx
foT Asihurv OC 20