The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-10-03
Mr.. GUTHRIE
REPLIES TO
THE PROTEST
Answers Criticism of District
Attorney Warren onAssess-
ment of Railroad Lands
COMPARES VALUES OF LANDS
Desires Full lnvestigat OF His
Work, and Asks Examination
Of the Land In Question

Winnemucca, Nevada. October 8,
1903.-Editor Silver State-I have been
away for the past week on a trip to
Kyle Springs and Unionville and have
just read the articles which have re-
Gently appeared in the newspapers OF
the state relative to the assessment
made by me of the Southern Pacific
company in this county.
The district attorney in his state
ment takes the position that the land
of the railroad company should be as
sessed as high a valuation as other
lands In the county. His position
land was as valuable as the land in
other ownership, but is it? The land
owned by others than the railroad COM
pany, as every one knows, has been
carefully selected. while the company's
lands are located in every odd section
no matter where it comes, and covers
alkali fats and barren mountain tops.
The selected land in many cases is a
string of forty acres along some stream
which gives the owner control of Ihon-
sands of acres of land adjacent which
is either owned by the government
or railroad company, on which he pays
no taxes.
l maintain that the forty acres are
more valuable per acre than the sur
rounding land and should be assessed
higher. The district attorney would
have it that an acre of land in this coun-
ty is just as valuable as another acre,
regardless of the nature of soil, loca-
tion or surroundings. l do not agree
with him and am willing to leave IL
to the good people of this county to
decide who is right. Another point
made is that range land patented in
Elko county is assessed at s1.00 per
acre, while have assessed the patent
ed land in this county at fifty cents per
acre. / contend that the range land IN
Elko county is more valuable than
similar land in this county and in sup
port of this can get several good men,
who are tax payers in both counties to
snbstatiate it and go SO far as to state
that one acre in Elko county is worth
three acres in Humbold couny. In
furher support of this, | will ask why
it is that sheepmen living in this
county are locating range land in
Elko county with government scrip
which costs $500 per acre? If range
land in this county is as valuable as
in Elko county, why do not these men
locate their high priced scrip on land
here? Some of the land in Humboldt
county is fair range during the spring
time but at other seasons of the year,
ten thousand acres would not support
jack rabbit, and anyone familiar with
1t knows this to be true.
/ have lived in Humboldt county
for Al years and for the past thir-
teen years have been assessor, and |
might add at all times by the will Oh
a majority of the voters of the county.
therefore l feel that l am fairly well
acquainted with the value of all land
in the county. If the measure OF value
of land is what it will sell for, there
is no question but the railroad land
in Humboldt county is assessed at its
full value. Let any fair minded man
draw line in his mind OF the land
from the line of Lander county to
Churchill county, located for twenty
miles on each side of the track. then
deduct all the land which has water
on. or ON which water can be placed
because all such land has passed out
OF the ownership of the railroad com
pany, and If he is not willing to ad'
init that fifty cents per acre for the
balance is all it is worth. l will be
greatly mistaken.
1t has been said that my assess
ment OF this property should be inves
tigated. ! will say that is just what
want, but as the value OF the land II
the point in Qestion, want the lant
investigated or examined and will ado
to accomplish this, l will furnish team
and surveyor to go over the land
locate and appraise it. i know where
1t Is and what it's value is. but wan
Others to see 1t. The only condition
l exact is that all the several people
who seem to think they know more