Gilpin observer., 1908-10-08


for both state and national affairs.
l can only name few of them 10
this letter. The Democratic state
ticket is good one. 1t is ticket in
which the people of the state had a
voice in naming the candidates. The
head of the ticket, the HOE. Johu
Shafroth, has demonstrated to the
people of Colorado that he would
rather be a private citizen than hold
a high office in the national govern
ment by fraudulent votes. The sub.
serviency of the Republican party 10
the absolute will and control of Sem
ator Guggenheim, by men whose greed
for money outweighs all their sense
of propriety and patriotism, is GER
tainly sufficient to drive all patriotic
citizens as far from the Republican
camp as it is possible for them to get.
AS to the national ticket-if Mr..
Bryan is elected president, he can
and will render the country great
service by calling a halt to paternal.
ism and Capitalization of power. He
will not spend millions upon the army
and navy for the sake of making an
excuse to maintain a high protective
tariff which benefits principally the
trusts and robs all the citizens.
But you and l are not deeply inter
ested in the tariff question or in bank
ing, or railroads, but we are vitally
interested as prospectors and miners
in the administration OF the public
domain. You and l want to know
whether the general land laws which
have been in force in reference to the
public domain in the past shall pre-
vail in the future, or if they can be
set aside by a political bureau in
Washington headed by man like
Pinchot, who believes in and advo.
Gates and is trying 10 enforce a des.
potism more calling than thn' prac-
ticed by the Car of Russia in refer
ence to the mineral lands which he
claims belong solely to the crown as
divine inheritance.
After you have spent years Of harr
work and all the money you were able
to earn. by working for others Part OF
the time. in opening up a mining
claim, it is very important TO you as
well as to other miners and prospect.
ors, that you should be able 4. get
title to your mineral ground in fee.
You not only want the mineral that
is in the ground. but you also want
the timber that may be growing upon
it, to use in the development of your
property and for domestic purposes.
Under the present administration,
this seems TO be almost impossible 10
get. Mr.. Pinchot lately visited Den
yer. On that visit. in conversation
with a friend of mine. who is an eml.
nent mining engineer Pinchot said
that his department had never caused
a mining application ior patent to
be suspended and that his department
had never put extra costs on miner
when he had applied for patent ii
he had complied with the laws of the
United States and had legal and
valid location. My friend told him
that he was very much mistaken
4 hn hn toh hn t.,.,
facts. he had been grossly deceived
by his suoordinates: whereupon Pin.
chot asked my friend to furnish him
with some specific cases where the
forestry department mas worked an
injustice by hanging up patents on
mineral ground, unjustly.
Here are a few instances which my
friend has furnished to Mr.. Pinchot.
Several of the parties herein named
are personally known 10 you - wei
as to all the citizens of your count
and from your own KNOWLEDGE yon
will recognize the truth of several OF
these statements and the others are
attested by gentlemen of unquestiou.
able truth and veracity.
20. F. Shattock. county attorney,
Greeley. Colo, says that the forestry
laws were calculated to do great good.
but as administered. they are public
nuisance. The forestry offices ar,
filled with men ignorant of forestry,
they are engaged In petty matters be.
meath the consideration OF d,gnifed
government and the collection oi
fees"
%. II. c. Lay, mining engineer. Tel
luride. Colo. personal friend of Mr..