The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-25

operated by the Oregon Short Line, h'
saId.
From fifteen to twenty-five cars Of
coal per dav ere shipped from 'Wyom
ing TO Butte. Diamondvlle was re
sponsible for 1900 tons per day, and
Kemmerer the same amount In output
On the question of car shortage The
witness said when such a condition
arose that the railroad company had
6rst call on coal, and then the mines
The equipment was divided as equally
as possible among the three mines.
Mr.. Bancroft also detailed to Mr..
Iroutv the transporta ton of heets, and
this concluded his direct testimony.
ReplvipP to Attorney Williams, Mr..
Bancroft said the rush for cars started
early in the fall, when there were large
shipments of live stock, beets, coal and
merchandise.
Mr.. Marchsnd asked whether or not
the Oregon Short Line had denied the
Adaville Coal company railroad trans
porta tion rights, but this Mr.. Bancroft
denied, and this concluded his examiua-
tjon.
Rate to Anaconda, sS,25.
John A, Reeves, general freight
agent of the Oregon Short Line, was
then sworn In answer TO Mr. March
ard he said that the rate on coal from
the Wyoming mines to Anaconda was
S3.25 q ton This rate applied on all
classes of coal and had been In effect
ever since be had been general freight
agent Of the system. lie asserted that
rbe Diamondville company paid the
same rate on all commodities as did the
general public He did not know, how
ever, who paid the freight rate, but
denied that any rebates were given. He
did not know whether the rates We're
IL l,r Il N..-r Il,
he know whether the bills were paid in
Chicago.
Answering Associate Counsel Thomas,
the witness denied that there had been
= secret rate of mills per ton a
mile for the Diamondville company dur
ing the term of Gov. Lynn. If such
rate existed be was ignorant of 1t, and
traffic manager would be the official to
know about it. He absolutely denied
any knowledge of q contract between
the srnelter men Of Butte and Anaconda
and the Oregon Short Lire.
AS the next witness, Robert S.
Spence OF Evanston, Wyo., was sworn.
He is land lawyer and told some IN
teresting things in connection with the
oil fields. He stated that he had per-
sonslly traversed the coal and oil fields
of Uintah county. There was large
body of coal living undeveloped at Ada
Vile. The Adaville company devel-
oped a mine and built road TO connect
with the Short Line.
At this point P. L. Williams inter
posed an objection to this line of testi-
mony
Commissioner Prouty, however, in
structed the witness TO proceed, He
had been told by Mr., Stearns of New
York that the Oregon Short Line had
declined 20 furnish the company trans
portation facilities.
Tho witness, continuing, stated Mr..
Stearns offered him lease on the prop
erty for $4,000 year If be would take
it over. - He had also told the witness
that he could do nothing with the Ore
gon Short Line. There was an S0-foot |
vein and the coal was inferior to Rock |
Springs or Diamondville fuel. The coal |
could be shipped and prohtably sold at |
$500 a ton; but Mr.. Stearns had told |
the witness that the Short Line had |
declined TO give rate or furnish cars.
hc Rocky Mountain Fuel and Iron
company was compelled to abandon its |
mine at Amy under similar conditions.
This organization was formed and con-
trolled by the c. P. Huntington in |
.erests. At orc time Almv was large !
producer, but was now virtually aban-
5oned. although there was plenty Of !
coal TO be mined He also named an I
instance where mine known as the |
Lezart, about fourteen miles from |
Evanston, was opened up for business, |
and the Union Pacific raised the rate,
and when the mine closed down the |
rate was promptly lowered again.
The witness said ne had never made
my application TO ship. although he
owned an interest in mine No 9 at
Amy, because he did not believe he
Il -.
abroad or coal companies. His neigh
oors had been injured, and Judging
from the experience of the Rocky
Mountain Fuel and Iron company, he
.hought il would be useless waste Of i
money, He could put his mine in work
ne order at an expense of $1,000.
How Lands Were Acquired.
Mr.. Spence detailed at length the
ground taken up by the Union Pacific,
aemmerer and Diamondville compan-
es, which, he asserted, had been ac-
,uired as agricultural lands from the
government, under the soldier home
tesd scrip act.
Commissioner Prouty objected TO a
multitude OF details, but Counsel
Thomas stated that the point was i'm
oortaut. as therc appeared to be an
greement between the three companies
% divide between them the coal en-
,ire OF Wyoming. to the exclusion of
III competitors. To him it was a sig
oiicant fact that each company had
apparently taken an equal acreage.
Judge Lacey objected to testimony
questioning the legality of the fling
IN coal lands, the interroeations tend.
ng TO show that the lands owned and
operated had been secured by the com
oanies By fraud.
Commissioner Prouty took up the
natter and brought out the inform ton
hat the coal lands had been secured
oy scrip, which covered agricultural
auds only. Superintendent Sucddon
'f the Diamondville mine had personal.
y taken up twenty-five entries under
1is own name
The witness enumerated instances
where land had been taken up bv men
'rho paid $3.50 an acre for it. At the
lime IT was filed upon as agricultural