The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-02-22
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Latest Big Land Fraud.

by officers of the interior department
the department Of justice has charged
o large number of New York and New
Jersey people with making dummy en-
tries Of valuable coal lands to the ex
tent of 10000 acres in the Big Horn
basin Of Wyoming. The Northwest
ern Coal Mining company, a New Jer
sey corporation, capitalized at 100000
and the Owl Creek company, incorpo.
rated in South Dakota, both doing
business in Wyoming, are the concerns
whose operations have been made the
subject of Investigations. Behind these
companies is said to stand a big rail.
road system that was DESTROYS of OBJ.
tanning the land alleged to have been
entered and subsequently patented in
violation Of law. The Hartman and
Gould roads are mentioned, as we'll us
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy.
The Burlington Is now building a
branch from its main line to that part
Of the Big Horn basin where the lands
alleged to have been obtained through
fraud are situated.
New Santo Domingo Treaty.
1t was learned at the state depart
ment Feb. 4 by cable from Santo Do
mingo City that Our minister, Thorn
as G. Dawson, and a representative Of
the Dominican government had signed
a treaty to be substituted for the pres
ent one, which has never been con-
firmed by the senate. The new treaty
is simpler in form and provides for a
continuance of the modus vivendi un-
der which for a year and a half the
Dominican customs have been collect
ed by American agents, chief of whom
is George r. Cotton. So far the diver
sion of So per cent Of these duties has
placed $2,300,OOO to the credit of Santo
Domingo in the National City bank Of
New York. At this rate it is estimated
that the entire Dominican debt will be
wiped out in ten or twelve years, but
If the treaty is ratified there will be a
bond issue of $780, 1000 on fifty years
time.
Federal ShipbuiIding Costly.
A statement issued by Secretary of
the Navy Metcalf dealing with the con
struction of the battleships Connecticut
and Louisiana. the former by the gov
eminent navy yard at Brooklyn and
the latter by the Newport News Ship
building company, shows that the gov
ernmcnt built ship cost $780, 25 more
than the private built one. The cost of
the Connecticut was $6,34O,247 and Of
the Louisiana $5,9S0,S22
divers Canal Company. .
The Panama Construction company,
which William J. Oliver, the Knox
vile (Tenn.) contractor, has organized
at New York to support his bid for the
contract to build the Pan
anna canal, has chosen for it's president
John &. Mcdonald, the man who SUI
the construction Of the
New York subway. Mr.. Oliver himself
is to be first vice president and general
manager. +. G. Stevens does not ap-
pear as officer or contractor, although
be is the financier behind the enter
prise. The capital stock of the CON-
.any is $4,000 shares of 500 each, and
the cash in hand is $1.5OO,OO0. Nine
contracting engineers have become in
corporators, each of whom has a large
Of men and experts at his dis
posal. George ]. Brennan Of Washing
ton and Robert Russell Of Lynchburg.
Va, will share with Mr.. Oliver the
actual supervision Of construction,
while the Pierce Brothers will have
Of the masonry. Patrick T.
Walsh will look after the excavating.
II. Sayre and John H. Gerrish
will see to the dredging.
sustains Hitchcock.
In a letter the president has approved
the policy of Secretary of the Interior
relative to the withdrawal
IF coal, oil and gas lands in the Indian
Territory to prevent their falling into
the hands of certain monopolistic corr
oorations. This comes in. response to
he recent talk of certain senators, who
proposed to impeach Secretary Hitch
cock.
President Praises Davis. :
In. a letter to Secretary Metcalf the
president, referring to the report Of
Admiral Evans in commentator Of the
course Of Admiral Davis at Kingston.
expresses hearty approval Of all that
Davis did during the earthquake panic
1T the Jamaican capital, saying that he
upheld tile best traditions Of our navy
thus rendering distinguished serv-
ice to humanity"