Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-20


western superintendent OF the Superior
Coal company and at the same time chief
engineer OF the Union Pacific Coal COM
pany. The Superior Coal company's prop
erty is located in swestwater county Wy
oming.
Mr.. Clark said he had bought six sec
tons of coal lands in this section for this
company from Separate individuals and
that he had made an independent filing
OF his own and sold TIE claim to the SUI
petfor Coal company for sa,9O0 other coal
claims were bought from William l. .Gif-
ford of Denver, an enpfoye Of the Union
Pacific Coal company. also from Charles
II. Doane aud Frank S. Brstes employees
OF the Union Pacine from William l..
Ritter, travelling sales agent of the Union
Pacific Coal company: Frank c. Gillespie
Joseph A. Clark, nephew of the Witness
Charles n. Durham. George A. Murphy OF
Rock Springs. all employees OF the Union
Pacific Coal company; d. H. Elias, q
miner: Henry Ray Berstwyem. civil en-
gineer in the employ OF the Union Pacific
Coal company; Elisha c. Stevens, EN-
ploye Of the Union Pacific Coal company;
c. w. Spaulding, counsel for the Union
Pacific Railway company; Cyrus Beard OF
Evanston, then an attorney in the employ
OF the Union Pacific Railway company. but
now on the judicial bench OF Wyoming;
Felix Legue, agent Of the Union Pacific
at Rock Syringe, and Charles Morgan Of
Spring Valley, Wye. an employee Of the
Union Pacific Coal company.
All Sorts of Prices Pstd.
Witness paid. all kinds of prices for
these claims, furnishing some of the money
himself. The Union Pacific, Coal company
advanced the money to take up and prove
UP on these claims, THE Abbott land was
paid for in the same, way. 1920 was paid
for the land and. $1,000 as a bonus to
Warwick Saunders, said Mr.. Clark.
These lands we're all procured. at differ
ent times. The deeds were not recorded
The Superior Coal company pays the taxes
on these lands as an individual.
~ ask how much the tax is on a GER
tain piece of land and then pay it," re-
piled the witness. land so far as the state
Of Wyoming is concerned the title to the
lands is still in the possession OF the gov
eminent. Some development work has al
ready been done on four Of the mines
from which we have taken out eight or ten
thousand tons of coal The lands are about
eight miles from the, main line of the
Union Pacific. Seven miles OF track have
already been built to these mines by the
Union Pacific Railway company. hold
the stock OF these mines in my own name
as trustee for w. p. Cornish, vice presi-
dent OF the Union Pacific. Railroad COM
pany, I thus holding $500 OF the 8503 shares
of stock Of the Superior Coal company
The conveyance was made to me within the
last eighteen months.. l presume that the
Union Pacific has been reimbursed for this
outlay at least have been told So The
general Offices of the Superior Coal COM
pany are in Cheyenne. having been re-
moved there ten or twelve days ago from
the, Barker block in Omaha"
Mr.. Clark stated that he was owner of
l 10 shares of Union Pacific railway pre-
ferred stock and that his wife owned
fifty shares of the same stock
The Union Pacific Coal company oper-
ates five mines at, Rock Springs and three
at Hanna. The output of the Rock
Springs mines Is ABOUT 1000 tons daily.
and that Of the Hanna mines 1900 tons
daily. There was always a shortage of
soft coal. he stated. and the reason they
did not mine more coal was because of
the shortage Of labor, and transportation.
Reasons for Refusal.
Relative u. TO- his objection to fsrhishins
transportation fatfnties for the Sioux
City & Rock sbfiAkse Coal company. he
said at is because their coal was in
ferior to Our coal and we did not want il
put out In competition with Rock Springs
coal. and we feared II would come into
the market and AFFECT prices The reason
we desired to acquire the Abbot property
was that it was In d strategic position,
between our mines and the Sioux City
company's property. and for the further
reason that We did not want that coal
| on the market as Rock Springs coal 1t
was mot done to suppress competition.
we have not undertaken to discourage I'm.
dependent companies. The Union Pacific
Coal company IL bonded for IS, 100000 and
the Union Pacific Railway company owns
the bonds. The linton Pacific Railway
company pays us $l.25 for locomotive
coal. We ship no ooalsto Omaha but at
the ten car lot rates. We have RECENTLY
acquired property in the vicinity of the
Sioux City and Rock Springs lands be-
cause we thought NJ was a good PROPOSE
tion and may possibly prevent the Sioux
City people from getting to the railroad.
This proparty we acquired from the
Union Pacific Railway company. We do
not Intend to let the Sioux City company
put its coal onto thee market az Rock
Springs coal If we can help It. This is
our only objection 20 them. We object to
this company crossing over our lands 10
get to the railroad Some of this land
we purchased with soldiers scrip at $3.50
per acre as soldiers additional home
steads" ~ .
Mr. Baldwin objected to going into the
question of acquiring title to these lands.
as this matter had already been tlreshei
over before the land Office In which the
Sioux City company was beaten out, and
II should not be inquired into here. Said
Mr. Baldwin;
No human being on earth can obtain
title TO government land by strict and
technical compliance with the land laws
MarchRHd Charges Fraud.
Mr.. MaTchand replied with some spirit:
we propose to- show that those lands
were acquired by fraud. and that some Of
your witnesses have already admitted that
fraud.", ---
Mr.. Baldwin replied. "Fhis new act may
place a new light upon the methods OF
acquiring these lands."s
Mr.. Clark. continuing his testimony
said: wv. l. Gibbon had been instructed
to file four deelaratory statements on
lands In Horse Greek canon. II there was
any expense for the filings authorized
the payment The development work In