The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1906-11-03
BEST CLAIMS
GO TO S0ONERS
Indian Police Ignored In Rush Into
Walker Lake Reserve.
Law Was Entirely Ignored by Miners
and When Law Abiding Settlers
Rushed in at Proper Signal They
Found All Valuable CLAIMS Taken
land Agent Very Angry.

HAWTHORNE. New, Oct. 30
Walker Lake Indian reservation was
opened at noon yesterday and half an
hour after the signal admitting thous-
ands of prospectors had been sounded
countless mining claims had been To-
Gated, townsites established and mush-
room cities are now springing up at
the mouths of Dutchman and Cotton
wood Creeks, in the vicinity of which
the richest mining territory is sup
posed to lie.
Although many preferred to locate
claims according to the law surround
ing the opening of the reservation and
waited at the boundary lines. numer-
GUS men had rushed into the coveted
land the night previous. AS a result
the race from the boundary was a
farce. ]. p. Miller, who started from
Hawthorne with about 500 men when
the dynamite signal was fired, beat au-
tomobiles and vehicles with his feet
horse, covering the distance of seven
miles In 20 minutes He secured as
locations valuable mining property.
| George Green, with A. Nye and P.
I.OBrien, of Tonopah, in the race from
| Walker Mountain from the Yerring-
ton side, covered four miles of precip-
itous country in 81 minutes. They
also secured IA Arastra properties.
George Nagle, supposed to be acting
for United States Senator Nixon,
staked out a townsite at Dutchman
| Creek.
Holders of claims Immediately pa
trolled them with Winchester, but
as nobody cared to dispute their loca-
ton, there was no bloodshed. 1t is
feared, however, that when surveys
are commenced tomorrow there may
be disputes which may cause trouble
Half dozen participated in the strug
| gle for mining land, and in some In
stances succeeded in securing rich
properties.
AS a rule the people who waited
until the regular time before rushing
into the territory did not secure any
thing for their efforts, and many hon
est prospectors who had spent all
| their savings to participate in the
opening turned back defeated.
So great was the rush across the
desert from the line nearest Thorne
that a number of persons narrowly
escaped being trampled over, and il
numerous instances injuries we're re
ported Horses were ridden until they
dropped, and men recounted their ii
fortune when their automobiles be
came stalled in the deep sand. -
faded and overcome by thirst, mum
bers of prospectors barely summoned
enough strength to make their loca
lions. Those who had waited for thu
signal from the top of Mount Gran
before rushing into the reservation
found that all the most valuable
/ claims in the vicinity of the ricl
Dutchman, Cottonwood and othe
creeks emptying into the southwest
ern portion of Walker Lake had beel
taken up by men who had rushed il
the night before. Even men who EN-
ployed launches to take them acros
Walker Lake from the eastern sid
found that their efforts were of n
avail, as they were much too late t
! be on an equal footing with the mel
who had disregarded all law.
Special Land Agent Frank Park
has received no reply from Washing
ton to his recommendation that tn
present opening be annulled on az
count of irregularity. He asserts tina
today's proceedings are an injustic
to those who sought to obey the law
regarding the opening and whose e.
forts were baffled by those who rusf
ed through ahead of time because tn
boundary lines were not properl
guarded. Had it not been for tn
work of private citizens, who assiste
the IA Indian police, there would nc
have been the slightest semblance c
regularity in the opening.