The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-20
ALASKA COAL LAND
CASE Being HEARD
Government Introducing Evil
dence After the AffidavitS
Had Been Read.

Seattle, Wash, Nov. 19.-At a hearing
before Special Commissioner William J.
Mckee, the government began the intro
cGction OF evidence TO show that no de-
Nelopment work had been done on the
Cunningham cpai claims in the katalie
district of Alaska. These are the claims
involved in the GiaVis-Ballinger cOntfO-
Versy which resulted in the dismissal of
CLAWS from the land office. The first
witness called after the introduction Of
affidavits of the claimant corroborating
the affidavit of Clarence Cunningham and
showing the intent of the entrymen was
Andrew L. Kennedy. Mr.. kennedy, who
is a coal expert was sent to Alaska By
The government to investigate the work
done toward developing the claims.
Mr.. Kennedy spent two months going
over 80 claims for the purpose of ascer-
tanning the amount OF work that had been
done on them. On several occasions he
said he found evidence or prospect work,
but did not find any evidence Of 6evei-
opment work. There were a few short
tunnels and several cuts. All were small
and were in bad condition, slides having
partially filled them
Mr.. Kennedy said that he found numer-
Gus coal exposures which evidently were
not the result of work upon the part OF
claimants, but came from natural causes
such as erosion and land slides.
j. Al Sheridan. attorney for the gov
eminent. brought out the fact that in
several cases where trails mad been Dulit
they were not for the purpose of leading
to the works, but served as connections
between different claims.
Mr. Kennedy was still on the stand
when the hearing adjourned Tor the uaS'
The affidavit OF Clarence Cunningham
of Wallace, Ida, sets forth that ne TOOK
up claims for himself and thirty-two 9TH
ers. Hearing that there were certain
valuable coal lands near hatalla, Alas a,
he made a trip during october ana NO
vember, 1902, TO that country. He then
rafr ad 10
his friends in joining him in further IN
VestigatiOns. Ten contributed 500 each.
In the meantime he had interested TWEEN
" other persons, each of whom entered
100 acres through him and his fellow en-
trymen paid him in all Sl5l.0O. The al
fidavit continues.
The Guggenheim syndicate, which was
contemplating building a railroad 10 our
coal fields. is not directly or indirectly
interested in the said coal fields, and Il
has never been interested, nor has IL con-
tributed any money toward development
or purchase Of said coal lands. The syn
dicate. after we had received final GER
tificates, enoeaVOred to come to an agree
ment or understanding with reference TO
our coal. In company with Two OtherS OF
our claimants. / met the Guggenhelm
representative in Salt Lake City and
agreed that, in the event of the railroad
construction, we would sell them all the
coal required for their steamship and rail-
road use and whatever amount of coal
they could find a market for. As the
Guggenheim syndicate has since changed
its plans regarding the construction OF
its railroad terminus, the agreement has
haen abTogated, and we have now sur
viewed for our railroad from Kanak to
our coal fields, and We intend to proceed
with development and mining the coal
for ourselves.
Continuing. it states that the coal land
was filed upon with the sole aim of form
ing a company for its development, and
not in the interest OF any corporation