Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-11
o,,stion of Ownership OF Valu-
able Tracts Hinges on
Naval Point.
uRo1EsrS GO TO WASHINGTON
Frank Pierce and Senator Suth-
erIand Are Striving to
Clear Up Title.
NJ Tooele County Deposits Is
enhanced by Transportation Fa-
cIlltles Now Afforded.

/ vhother the University of Utah is
;. 10 made richer by the acquisition
4 :. az 900 acres of salt deposits in west
:. Irtab estimated at 100000 in
,airs or whether private parties are
:, make good their title TO placer claims
sI,5 on this land, is the question in
,olved in controversy now being
vaeed at Washington, d. c.
Graat western fortunes have often
N come from the fact that someone was
n s6le 10 get from the government pubic
\ pwperty thought to be of little value,
II ,hst proved afterwards to be a source
Fl NJ immense wealth. The builders of the
n transcontinental railroad were perhaps
Fl of the first so to prosper, and the mod
III ern dry farmers who are asking SIS pei
Fl acre for lall they bought at So ara
Fl among the latest. Fortunes are now
N thought to lie in Tooele county, and
II The question of who Is to exploit them
n has been prominent since October,
n 1906: with railroad employees and their
friends, who were let in on the secret
OF the discovery, matched against the
Ia
II governmental positions.
In Ogden number of men at once
organized Into which the members put
$50 each for capitalization. They Iilad
on several sections with 20 acres as a
| placer claim for each member. rhess
filings were recorded at the T1oeic
county recorders office, and the trans
action was apparently legal under the
l. S. placer mining regulations.
But State Senator Peter Clegg heard
q the matter and lost no time in call
Ing the attention of the state land
! board TO the new salt bed. The u S.
pyernment in the enabling act, think
Tug to do something handsome for the
University of Utah. had decided 10 It
10000 acres Of land and all the saline
Ands In the state,
The question came up as to whether
rs salt deposit was saline land. or
Inland underneath 1t after the surface
niherai had been carried away, it's dis
coVery having come subsequent to the
making Of the grant, left room for the
doubt
TO INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The state land board thought its title
was good and applied Immediately TO
me Interior department to have the salt
iraet surveyed, and withdrawn from
snlfy, to become part of the land grant
. the University of Utah, under the
Terms Of the enabling act.
WORK UNDER WAY.
On behalf OF the University Of Utah,
sisto Senator Peter Gle and the
lsts land beard began work in 1905,
SMe N behalf Of private ownership
number OF placer claims were filed
.ha an attempt made to establish title.
soth sides have continued their fight
al Washington, Hon. Frank Pierce,
scently appointed to a position in the
interior department, and United States
sestor George Sutherland having taxi
"a up the university's side OF the CON
,Toveisy, while applications filed be-
lore The attorney general represent the
.aofts Of the other side. A bill now
teiole Congress seeks to make the uni
'gs!ty's title perfect.
me history Of the discovery of an
Immense new source Of wealth in Tooele
yates back to the building OF the West
tih Pacific railroad. Long before that
'uhe cowboys and sheep herders had
l.uaen across the level, white stretches
ING salt deposit but had not pene-
S S.a'gn the surface to find that it had
OVpui ana quality almost pure.
WEALTH is DISCOVERED.
When the Western Pacific surveyors
started west they laid out road
nough the heart OF the salt deposit.
ORGANISATIONS developed the fact that
Was from four to 10 feet deep and
extended over an area of 3s 900 acres.
n~W Senator Clegg thought that
s sais order, when secured, would inVali-
W dii the placer claims, and would
W,u lhe tile secure. As soon as the
"asHIhgton authorities wrote that
!, sMTyors would be sent, the recorder
lpoele county was ordered to ac-
wW no more placer filings, and the
i9euse was discontinued late In the
10y l9OB When MIR. Pierce went
W. Idsl year 10 assume his duties in
he carried with him full
. .aa ABOUT the salt land discovery. and
aacquehtly he was able TO shape the
. ~ n policy towards It. He wrote
H. W. Young here for his interpreta-
ucn Of the enabling act. as Mr.. Young
Fellow member OF the board of
tens or the university. Armed with
W. s opinion he took up the matter
m secy. Garfield. and this official
o nGN working hard to have the uni
WY certain.
suTHERLAND's BILL.
ne blll which Senator Sutherland
IA. ~" introduced amends the enabling
20 mat there can be no question
ana the meaning OF the section,
Al Az ,s secretary Garfield has recommend
H. n%, ms bin be made law.
not s, ,ai,suage Of the enabling act does
Speety distinctly whether the one
anS a'ea ana ten thousand acres OF
and, IN addition To "nl the saline
M p, pl me state" or whether Il was
ann ,eht TO cover this area of the
,alea lands Of Utah The local land
Mem, vi ulah held that the acquire
trea W. lahas must stop when one hum
,alsr 10 zen thousand acres have been
gas ,Ms lhe uniYersity. This decision
MI sustained by the commissioner OF
,oneral land ONCE In Washington.
"o.yyilslon read:
scfes u addition TO the above 10000
,atea WI lahd, to be selected and To-.
ion 90 gs provided In the foregoing sec.
hnds ms act ana also all saline
"a AZ shld state, are hereby granted
iets,,nl state for the use of said uni
N an uid 100000 acres for the uso
Tia ssrleultural college therein"
n re"t,,. 'a'ue OF the salt deposits is
4 Nest. increased by the fact that The
ners'th Pacific railroad, soon 10 be In
IN avn goes directly through the
hlnsnas providing q ready means OF
seo '''''ns the product TO San Fran-
\ Ivy question OF the salt deposits ORR