Gilpin observer., 1904-02-04
Reservoir Withdrawals.


The secretary of the interior has
rendered a decision in relation to the
withdrawal OF lands for reservoir
sites.
Under the operations of the irriga-
tion law 30.O00,0O0 acres believed to
be susceptible of irrigation have been
| temporarily withdrawn by the secre-
tary and the local land officers have
been directed, in case of lands with
| drawn for irrigation works, such as
reservoir sites, etc, to allow no en-
tries of any kind whatever within the
areas withdrawn until the withdrawal
shall have been modified or revoked
/, In timber and stone applications,
where no payment for such lands has
been made at the date of the with
drawal, it is held that no segregation
has been effected, no vested interest
in the application accrued, and conse-
quently the government Withdrawals
| become operative upon such applica-
tions AMI effect withdrawal thereof
so as to terminate the contingent right
of the applicant, and devote the land
to the objects and purposes of the act
| under which the orders OF withdrawal
were made.
The effect of this decision is to pro-
tect the government from hold-ups by
| spectators. These spectators, by ap-
pearing early in the sections where
Withdrawals are made or cOntemplat-
| ed, secure locations on valuable res
ervoir sites which they afterward hold
at exorbitant prices and thus delay or
| prevent the construction of important
| irrigation works by the government.
On recommendation of Senator Hey
burn of Idaho, the President has ap-
| pointed H. Smith Woolley, former
bishop of the Mormon Church. to be
assayer of the mint at Boise City.
Representative Brooks is preparing
a bill which he will introduce to es-
tablish new land district in northern
Colorado. The new district will in
clude portion of Larimer county and
Routt county.
Delegate Kalanirofe of Hawaii has
introduced bills in the House prohibit
ing the employment of Mongolians on
public works in Hawaii and making
eight hours days work in such en-
| ployment, also appropriating $3.50, 900
for survey of the harbor of Homo
lulu; also appropriating 100000 for
survey of Hilo harbor and the con-
| struction of breakwater at that
| place.
The Interior Department has ar
ranged for a complete survey of the
boundary line between Idaho and Mon
tana, and Howard B. Carpenter of CAL
ifornia has been appointed United
States surveyor to conduct the work.
ne survey, it is expected, will take
about two years. Under the contract
the government will pay Carpenter at
the rate of S100 for every mile of the
boundary permanently established.
The following bills have passed the
Senate: Authorizing the secretary of
the interior to restore to public entry
lands embraced in segregatiOns for
reservoirs. Authorizing the recorder
of the general land Office to issue. GER
titled copies of patents, records.y etc.
Extending to the mints at Denver, San
Francisco and New Orleans the prfvi-
$4,000 acres of public lands each in the
states of Idaho and Wyoming for the
maintenance of soldiers homes.
Secretary Hitchcock, through the
commissioner of the general land Office.
has notified the registers and receivers
at Pueblo, Leadville, Del Norte and
| Gunnison that the order of withdrawal
| from entry of lands located in their dis
tricts dated October Bird, for the pur-
pose of augmenting the San Isabel for
est reserve, has been revoked and those
| lands restored to settlement and entry.
After investigation 1t has been found
advisable to restore these lands to set
tlement and they are restored to the
public domain, subject to homestead
entry. .
Representative Mondelrs school Of
mines bill was authorized to be favor
| Ix,, &J.<, ,sv.<, x,x,I tai
committee. The bill as reported ex-
cludes the proceeds of sales of public
lands in sixteen irrigation states from
contributing to the fund for endowing
state universities and agricultural col
leges with the school of mines. The
bill appropriates $4,000 per annum to
state universities and state colleges
with an increasing amount each sue
ceeding year, each of forty-eiGht
states to receive the same amount.
The objects of excluding proceeds OF
sales of public lands in irrigation
states was, 1t was thought, that the
total amount taken for school of mines
purposes would encroach too heavily
upon the irrigation fund, that fund be-
ing derived from the sale of lands in
these states.
Representative Hardwick Of Georgia
speaking on the race problem rejoiced
at the happy relations now existing
between the North and the South. He
said the South yielded to no section in
loyalty and in that spirit he invoked
consideration of the question. The ne
groes. he said. constitute about thirty
six per cent of the voting population
In eleven OF the southern states. Re-
Viewing the voting qualifications i'm
posed by constitutional action in south
ern states, Mr.. Hardwick said It was
not believed by southern lawyers of
ability that any of these qualifications
was in conflict with the Fifteenth
amendment He said the negro can no
| longer stand as q special Ward of the