Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-02
DRAPER GETTING CUT RATES.
Mysterious TypSter Would Run
Midnight Excursion to Govern
ment Timber Lands.
Those He is Inviting to Join Him Are
Young Men Who Have Not Eek
hausted Their Entry Rights.

Hcs tllt surface OF
being n Hcheme to defraud someone
on very large scale, is being laid here
in Salt Lake.
Who the defrauded person is TO be-
it is yet too early to report but 1t
will be either a large number of resi-
dents of Salt Lake and nearby towns
or It will be the United States govern
mert.
Can n person who is now here talk
ing into his confidence residents who
will take the bait" for $500 each, de-
liver to them 10000 acres Of govern
ment timber land designated by him
in the mysterious manner of a wave Of
hand towards the northwest?
Can these people in RETURN ket $4,000
each for their holdings from lumber
trust. ready to deliver the cash as soon
as the persons can turn over their
rights as entrymen?
Can the mysterious statesmen of the
offer. turn over to prospective entry
men at Draper for $500 each the game
proposition he is promising 10 salt
Takers for $500 each?
Mon in Salt Lake are being persuaded
to give up $500 in cash, and IN Draper
the bait is being held out for $500.
Young men of the latter town have
been known to put up their money in
considerable quantity. an astonishing
number of mortgages on homes ann
chattels for sums ranging from 5000 q
$500 being the mute testimony FUR
Id ~ ia.
! been drawn into the venture
Here is the experience of one who
refused to take up the proposition IT,
does not wish his name used just gss
but he gives out the story. believing
that the proposition ought 10 stana
the light OF publicity If 1t is genuine
| and is not TO be carried out as a gil
gantlc fraud either on its dupes or the
! government.
WOULD GIVE NO NAMES.
II first learned of the proposition,
| he said. "at my home In Draper. a
man came TO me who would not give
| me the name of the people he repre-
| scented nor the name of himself.
| HE told me that for 5000 he could
| lead me to spot where | could locate
| on timber land. Tho only people he
| wanted We're those who had not ex-
hausted their timber land rights. He
said we were to pay our own expenses.
to put UP 5000 with him TO pay expenses
of surveying and plating the land, and
| then we We're to go to a
place he designated. file our claims, and
we would then receive $4,000 for
| each claim we could turn over TO a
purchaser who would then appear
SKATING ON THIN ICE.
He was careful to explain that abso-
lutely no United States layT was to
be violated. We We're to go on our
own responsibility. pay our own eN-
penses. and when we had a good title,
he assured us of a market.
Il thought the proposition a good
one at first, but l finally put II to this
test: / offered to put 5000 in escrow
for him, To be delivered when was
located on my land and had my title.
This would not do. he said. at all. He
must have the money and have IL
right away. At this the proposition
began to look like "a "phony' one,
with the men that go in on the re-
Cciving end Of q little easy way to
lose their money.
II tried to ind out where the land
| was, but could not | was assured II
was off across several states TO the
| northwest, that $50 would paw my
|
that the total expense of making the
trip would be less than 800. outside
OF the 5000 l was 70 put up to him.
MIDNIGHT EXCURSION.
From others who went into tho
proposition. / learned that they were
ordered to leave Draper on Feb.
40. and that thsy were told
shortly before that time that
the opening OF the land had
been postponed until March, and they
now plan TO leave here on the midnight
train FOR tho north March z. ! believe
that the land Is supposed 10 be In
Oregon or Washington. The official
| Transaction rs one In which the tipstcr
acts an no mans agent the entryman
pays only for tip" and has vague
and irresponsible information that A
buyer will come along whenever the H.
Tie OF the entrympn Is legalized
Surprising this 10 be true, / ngure
that the 5000 forfeit Is to give the entry
man a real value IN his prospective
claim. so that when he gets II he Will
want To get nd OF It TO get his morey
back, and will not try TO hold up tho
prospective buyer tc an unreasonable
sum, or more than rh0 $4,000 that Is
held out.
UNCLE SAM TAKES NOTICE.
An inquiry at the u. g. land Office
here developed the fact that a great
dsal ~ Information concerning the
plan forming here had come TO them
| from all parts VI the state and mat
they had wired DO Washington the M
formation SO far as gathered, together
with requests Tor instruction ar 10 how
10 proceed The lalief there rs thlt
unless tho matter is cold bloodod
''bunko game ON the subscribers IL rs
an EFFORT N some large lumber company
TO obtain by an indirect manner what
81 cannot ohIain IN a direct manner on
account of the laws made TO protect the
governments interests. II Is admitted
that the thing has been figured out 20
a point whore no law Is actually brok-
an ana an methods of procedure arc
made sumronuy Indirect TO grarntoe
nm lmrossibllity 20 convict, as Nouli
Dr. ne cnse in an ordinary use OF c.ti-
lens as dummy entrymen
The reports In the hands OF the gov,
srnmont detectives include lists OF sub
scrlbars in salt lake, Ogden. Draper.