The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-12-04

ueS that 10 discriminate against any
upright citizen because he belongs
to a particular church or because,
like Lincoln. he belongs TO none, is
an outrage against that liberty of
conscience which is one of the found
ations of American life" He says /
he has tried to act toward Catholics |
as he would wish a Cathol president |
to act toward Professionals, and points
to the fact that in his cabinet SIT
side by side men of both faiths.
AS the end of the year approaches
that spectre of the prospector and
claim holder annual assessment"
looms up like a big, black cloud and
he begins to look around for that
500 which is necessary to hold each
claim for another twelve months.
The man who holds a patent TO his
ground is wearing a broad smile,
but the one who must dig up or lose
is not in such a happy mood. II has
been a hard struggle for many and
it seems little unfair that the de-
mand for additional expenditures
should come at just this time How
ever, it is an obligation that must
be met and it would be well for claim
owners to fully ascertain the require
ments of the law Ignorance is no
excuse and many fine properties have
been lost because the owners did not
take the trouble to investigate the
law or were to lax in its application.
The law demands that 500 worth of
work be done on each claim each
year. The best way to avoid any
trouble is to comply with this law to
the letter. The work for group,
however, may be done on any one
claim, provided that this work tends
to develop the whole group. A per-
son who owns claim may allow
his title to lapse and relocate the
same on the first Of the year, but this
method has its risks and disadvan-
tages. The other fellow is liable to
feet right to do. Then, again, work
done on prior location cannot APP
ply on a patent If the claim is relo-
Gated. So the best plan is to do
the necessary work. If the claim is
worth anything it is surely worth
500 every year The spirit of tire
assessment law is broad In most
mining properties it takes into con
sideratiOn circumstances and nten-
ton. If person is prevented from
starting his work till the first day of
the year and he can prove that his in
tentions were not to defraud. his title
is usually accepted. Claim jumping
is on the wane and the claim Jump
er and horse thief are given the same
treatment in the majority of cases.
The National Conservation Com
mission, which grew out of the first
conference of governors, and other
notable men at the White House last
winter, has now completed its inven-
tory of the nations resources with
the aid of the executive departments
of the government, and these facts
will be reported at meeting of the
commission called for Tuesday, Dec
ember /
The announcement was made by
Secretary Of State Root Monday, af-
ter conference with President
Roosevelt and President-Elect Taft
on Sunday, that he was ready to ac-
cept the New York senatorship as
a successor to Platt, although he in
sisted that he was not seeking the
office. The announcement was TAX
en- to mean that all the strength Of
the administration and of the Taft
influence would make the election of
Root foregone conclusion.
An unofficial list of the members
elected to the Sixty-frst Congress,
with only one district in Rhode Is
land unsettled. indicates that the
next house will consist of, PIG repub-
licans and 172 democrats, republic
can majority of At The majority
! nthe last congress was 81. The
senate will consist Of 60 republicans
and 32 democrats, the democratic
gain Of Chamberlain in Oregon and
the Indiana legislature having the
majority its two-thirds control.
| Some details of recent correspond
ence between the governments of
the United States and Japan have
been given out by the state depart
ment at Washington. Officials of
both countries now assert that the
long standing friendship between
them has never been strained, but
that in view of the various matters
discussed in the papers, it will be
desirable to restate their respective
positions on all questions Of common
interest, including Japanese school
question in California and the lin
itation of Japanese immigration.
AS soon as it became known that
the Oscar Wilde opera, Salome,
which was forced out of the Metro
politan opera house at New York,
two years ago, was to be produced
in Philadelphia by Ascar Hammer
STEMS movement was started among
the strictly church men to have all
the church bodies protest against it.
Resolutions to that effect were adopt
ed by the Presbyterian meetings Of
ministers, but when they came before
the Protestant Episcopal clergymen
strong opposition developed. 1t was
said that to condemn this would
lead them into censoring other plays,
| and 1t WAS agreed that these matters