Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-05
VALUES WERE FICTITIOUS.
Best Timber Land in Country Not
Worth $4,000 Per
100 Acres.
Government No Longer Fears Raid on
Land, But Thinks Common Chi
canery Was Practised.

That common chicarery Of the most
usual variety was. the highest and
most subtle art used in inducing Utah
residents 10 part with tips to secure
information where they use up their
rights TO enter on timber land. is the
evidence of today's developments in the
case.
The center of interest moves today
from the offices of the United States
government detectives to the group Of
those who subscribed, and among them
there is the liveliest kind of struggle
TO get their money back from the man
with whom they put it in escrow, while
"niggers" are beginning TO look forth
from a number of woodpiles.
The subscribers in Salt Lake were Of
fered the tip for $500, They were as
alone would be let in on the PROPOSE
ton.
The subscribers from Draper were
offered the tip for 5000. They were
assured that only a few from Draper
would be let in on the move.
PROVO PAYS $500.
Today come subscribers from Provo.
declaring the price TO them was 5000
and that there were only few from
Provo to be let in on the great and
glittering promisory enterprise.
What Ogden men were let is on is
yet to come out.
That the best timber land that was
ever taken up would not bring any
thing near $4,000 per quarter section,
which is one mans greatest possible
holding, is the testimony offered by
lumber experts who have been called in
by some subscribers.
One subscriber writing TO a friend in
the lumber business in northern Idaho,
where it was stated the lands existed
10 few of the subscribers, received
an answer that the best timber land
in the state was not worth a cent over
$4,000 to the lumber companies and that
ordinary timber land was not worth
$4,000 per $50 acres. "Only choice sec
tons right along the railroad bring 81
Geo. read the letters remote sections
are useless except to hold I'LL the rail-
road comes, and then $4,000 is a big
price. There are no lands now open
anywhere near a market
WANTED MONEY BACK.
This letter induced that particular
subscriber to apply for his money to
the escrow man
Another subscriber, a man very we'll
known. went in because of his faith in
business associate and neighbor He
was assured that he would be one Of
only a very few and the price
was $500. a few days later
relative of his from Provo came
up to ask his advice about going into
such a scheme, and the surprised SAT-
LaSer found it identical with his, eN
cept that the price was $500, This re-
suited in prompt action on his part to
pun down his check given to prom
inent business man here as trustee, the
money going into the usual escrow
fund. Instead OF receiving his check
he received u pile OF currency which
lunch. with no clues in sight as to
where 1t came from. This circun-
stance alone caused him to suspect that
there was something not quite frank
in the business. and he has since work.
ed to get all his friends out of it he
could influence.
CAPT. IIARE's IMPRESSION.
Capt. Hare, who submitted all the
evidence gathered TO II. "A. Ballinger,
head of the general land office, receive
ed from that official last night the fol-
lowing telegram
Reports probably fake. No OPEN
ing OF timber tracts TO entry contem-
plated" (Signed)
"R. A. BALLINGER."
"This confirms my own impression
of the matter" said Capt. Hare this
afternoon. From the standpoint Of
protecting the government It would
have been better 10 let this
thing develop 20 it's conclusion
have some Of our own detectives take
the bait. and then 80 with the special
train. letting all the machinery of the
government 60 on as usual TO tho hnal
act of issuing an entry proclamation
| which could have teen stopped late
| enough to trap any officials Ia collu-
| sion. and TO discover what people were
behind the securing Of entrymen,
LOOKS LIKE COLD FAKE.
"But the probabilities We're so strong
! that this man was cold fake that
| preferred 10 stop innocent subscrib-
ers from losing their money, especially
when this money came from homes
| lnortgaged over the Heads OF wives aud
babes whom young husbands sought TO
| further protect by tie move.
III was "A question between their in
| forests and the cas- the government
| could have made by letting the special
run. or awaiting &c develop whether
! one ever WAS to run.
II don't believe any timber land II
was possible 10 secure had value Of
! $4,000 per 10 acres 10 any lumber coln-
pany on earth"
--s-S~s-----
SEA GILL MONUMENT.