Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-03
SECRET EXCURSION A FACTOR
Was to Be Run to Carbon County
In the Former
Case.
This Time, However, Washington
state Was Selected With March
: As Date to Go.

| From conservative estimates over
100000 has been raised in Salt Lake
alone to 80 to the payment of an in
formant who is to give the clients in
return Information where they can use
up their rights TO enter on timber
land.
who this informant is none of many
subscribers approached this morning
would say. None were sure they were
not biting" on an extensive bunco
game Many felt safe because they had
insisted on placing their fees OF $500
each and $20o each in other cases. In
escrow with Mr.. Poulton, of Poulton.
MADISON d Owen, who was at liberty
10 release the money only after they
| were located on a good timber claim.
with Uncle Sans title to il waving in
| the breeze
The way the soliciting appears to
nave been done was for the original
solicitor, whoever he is, to work on one
| mans enthusiasm. and then start him
out among his friends, these people
coming In because OF their faith in
their neighbor None OF them appear
to know who the original promoter was.
SPECIAL TRAIN SATURDAY.
There was plan to run a special
train out of here to the site OF the land
In Washington on March Z, and this
was n postponed date from Feb. 20.
when the Draper boys. who were pro-
tected by no escrow precaution. We're
notified TO be ready. after giving up
their money.
Il have no means TO know whether
this is bunko game" said one Salt
oil Faa
certainly was represented to me that |
was paying only for a tip where to get
some unoccupied timber land, That
| looked good to me. II | could get leo
acres OF timber land $500 would be
cheap for the tip, and ] knew L would
be breaking no law II Is true ! was
| assured a buyer would appear to take IL
up for $4,000 later. but did not care
| about this. or whether sold or not. II
my 5-year-old boy had let loose of his
money on the representations made to
me l would have whipped him for II,
and preached him a lesson In business,
but ] put my money in escrow with
Mr.. Poulton, and L feel absolutely pro-
tected from bunko game If the
thing Is carried to conclusion, and
actually get on good land, ! don't care
what becomes of the $500. as | win
have got my moneys worth"
AT the United States land offices It
was learned today that there are no
large tracts OF timber land I'm Utah.
Wyoming or Idaho. and that this land.
If 1t exists anywhere, must be In
Washington. where many Of the sub
scribers definitely place It.
TIMBER LAND RULES.
The timber land rules are that the
entryman must file a claim for land
with the land office, accompanied by
q so fee. Then lie must visit each legal
subdivision of the tract, and pay $3.50
per acre for 1t, after which 1t belongs
to him, and his title g clear,
This information comedies with the
declarations of the tipster In this casa
that the subscriber must pay his way
10 the site costing him $40 or 50, all
told. and must sleep on the land day
or two, after being told just whore
TO go.
If the thing turns out to be just II
plain fraud, as the detectives consider
IL, with no actual excursion ever plan
ned, no land anywhere in sight, ana
no lumber trust governing the use OF
timber enlrymens rights. then it viii
have the excellent precedent behind IL
OF another scheme worked In Utah
one year ago, OF exactly the same chnr,
aoter.
CARBON COUNTY INCIDENT.
The former string held out to pro-
spective subscribers was that there
were excellent coal lands IN Carbon
county. still unoccupied, and that the
promoter would run an excursion to
this land, come spring time, when he
would locate each subscriber on a nice
tract. In the meantime they couln
be paying for their lands. at the rate
Of SO per month.
MANY BIT At BAIT.
The sohomo appealed to about 10
people. nearly all OF whom wero
brought In by friends, unconscious OF
the real character Of the original boos-
ter. They paid their 81 per month
for six and seven months, and then
woke up 20 find that the man had dis
appeared from sight. He has never
yet been located, The scheme start
ed IN November 1906 and was operated
until April, 1907, These people pu;
In from $50 to $50 each and as none
thought OF the escrow" test for tho
crook, all were buncood, the sum OF
over 100000 being cleaned up by the
operators.