The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1906-12-22

provided for by u. s statute respecting
annual labor. The invention of this act
amounts to genius. the highest sort of
criminal genius. It IS the biggest bid
for perjury tina exists 1t demands
neither feet nor inches. hxes no maxi
mum and no minimum. CLASHES no en-
deavor, and is altogether senseless.
Judges have attempted to interpret II
and to say of what. and to what amount
OF work. Some admit roads. houses.
feucsngs. holes of any sort. structures
of any kind. materials. time going. and
time looming. others AVE rung down
~ actual work on the land. and at the
going wage Of the district" What
would that mean in Goidheld. So for
eight hours. IS for six hours. or
whatever price might be agreed with
the owner, under stress of having and
fling an afidavit?
After January LIST last year. men
openly state that lin the performance
OF annual labor. I made ss5 per day.
Every three days 1 performed an as
sessment."
Did you make the ahidavitg" And
the unhesitating answer came. Sure.
Mike"
What did you do to make the 800 Of
labor in three days?"
Il threw out 24O cubic feet of the
softest ground in the country"
There Is no more law for $40 feet of
soft earth than there is for $40 inches
of hard rock.
There is another u~nwarranted theory
among prospectors. viz: That 40 feet of
work on one claim will sufice to hold
eighty acres of ground laid in four
claims. and so on
This came from an Interpretation of
the tunnel act, to the effect that when
| claims lie parallel on a mountain side
and a tunnel will tap them all. II is
better employment of the labor than to
scatter Ii.
Judges have done their best with
statutes that are hopeless. The az
idavit shifts the burden of proof. and
the owner make a prima facie case. 1t
can be overthrow. To save non-resi-
lent owners, decisions have been rem
dered that the proof hat they paid 800
shows their good intent. and excuses
barest pretense.
The expenditure does not benefit the
owner when honestly performed, not in
one case in ten thousand.
The money is thrown away If honestly
spent.
II the requirement was thai 500
should be paid for public good, should
go to o school house fund, for every
location, there would be few who would
claim to have 100 claims, fifty claims,
even twenty claims, and every camp
would have q fne building for all the
children in 1t, and the country's best
teachers.
Not only is the money thrown away
that is actually spent. that is actually
paid l hould say, but in very many
cases that legal" amount is not paid.
Every sort of a stand in, between the
resident owner and the resident af-
fidavit man. is practiced against the
nonresident who puts up. Men have
honestly asked me to draw contracts
that would divide the proceeds between
them and the men in the field, and so
make a record" that would give the lie
to the affidavit.
What difference does it make who
gets the money, or what becomes of 1t?
Any old a incapable of doing a fair
day of work in ten days. can put in a
number of days doing his best, that will
make the sum of 500 for each claim at
the general wage, and his affidavit is
incontestable, and it will be honest.
I had a letter this week from a man
who has lost a fortune since he acquired
holdings here, and he informed me that
he has arranged to have the annual
labor done on his five claims and has
sent $3.50 and that the work will be
done and sworn to. I burned his letter
and have forgotten his name. This man
is honest. 240 feet of work will be done.
The man who does it will earn SIS per
day at the least.
Isn't it a fine law?
Last year we had the case in this
form-holes were scratched 40 feet
the 240 cubic feet. The owners paid
800 and took receipt for each such an
nual labor. That is simple. The whole
thing can be done with plaw. scraper.
the ends trimmed up. all of and over in
four hours. o, 1t is a fine law and a
masterful Interpretation!
win men swear to this? AS sure as
that you live. They do it honestly, too.
They understand that 240 feet has been
done. can measure and prove 1t, and the
common belief is that 240 feet fills the
bill. and is for the purpose of fulfilling
an idiotic law the requirement.
There you are, the owner has paid.
the afidavit has been filed. the work is
there for you to measure.
To be rid of the whole thing, to escape
the bother, to avoid the perjury owners
contract to have annual labor done. to
pay 500 dollars for each claim when