The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-24
MINING LOCATIONS
DECLARED INVALID
Two Hundred Sixty Thousand
Acres Of Heavily Timbered
Land Worth S5, 600, 900

Washington. July 22.-F1rst Assist
ant Secretary of the Interior Frank
Pierce has just made decision de
claring invalid certain mining loca
tions claimed by Fl II. Yard and the
North California Mining company for
land in the Plumas National forest
California. This decision IS the culmi
nation of controversy between the
government and the mining claimants
which was actively begun on March
16, 1907 Before that date It was
found that Mr.. Yard and the North
California Mining company were claim.
Ing approximately go, 900 acres ol
heavily timbered land, woth approx.
mately S5.000,000. and located In the
Plumas National forest in Butte and
Plumas counties. California.
Through co cooperation between the
department of the interior and the
forest service a geological eXamina
tion was made of part of the land.
In consequence of this examination the
North California Mining company re-
linquished locations covering about
81 900 erase of land, and charges were
made by the commissioner of the gen
eral land Office against locations for
1000 acres.
Mr.. Yard and the company contend
ed that the department of the interior
had no jurisdiction to determine the
validity of the locations The testi-
mony at the hearing before the local
land Office at Susanville. Cal. shows
that the IL 900 acres were covered
timber. valued at about $S20,000, and
that although the claims had been held
by Mr.. Yard and the mining company
for from two TO five years, there had
been recovered only about three dol
lars worth of gold. and this recovery
was made during six months of pros
pecting after the hearing had been or
dered
The local Office at Susanville. on
February ~ 1908. decided that the
charges made by the government had
been sustained and that the land did
not contain such valuable mineral de-
positS as would subject them to CD
try under the mining laws.
The claimants appealed from the de-
cision OF the local Office 10 the com.
missioner of the general land office,
but on August %. 1908, the commits
sioner sustained the local officers. The
decision OF First Assistant Secretary
Pierce now finally sustains the com
missioner
II Is the policy Of the government 10
foster and encourage mining. The law
permits prospecting for minerals upon
national forests and allows the per
lection of mining claims upon ma
tional forests to the same extent as
upon the vacant public land The pol
icy Of both the department of the In
terror and the forest service is 10 fos-
ter and encourage legitimate mining
operations, and not to attack mining
locations which are believed TO be in
any way valid, as we'll as assist in the
of valid mining claims.
The law authorizes and the forest
service does grant. the free use of tim
Der to miners In the preliminary deyel-
Opment oil their claims, unless there Is
n sufficient stand of timber FOR that
purpose upon the claims. The locat-
ions made by Mr.. Yard and the min
ing company have retarded the timber
country ling along the newly construct
ed Western Pacic railway.
Since the claims are located In
more or less minerali2ed country. in
which successful mining has been done
in the past. the locations for 265,0O0
acres have necessarily embraced some
mineral lands. and as the claimants
have carried on no mining opertionS,
these mineral lands have really been
from legitimate miners, and
the mineral development of that sec
lion has been interfered with and re-
.arded by the fraudulent claims No
effort has been made by the claimants
10 discover or develop upon any of the
ands
The decision Of the first assistant
secretary of the interior has establish
ed policy which will enable the Tor
est service to protect national forest
.lmber lands from fraudulent appropri
alton under suise OF the mining laws.
Both the department of the interior
and the department of agriculture an
nounce that there will be no dim.
Guilty TO distinguish between the prop
ar and fraudulent use of the mining
avs. The benefit OF every doubt is |
given 10 miners. The greatest care |
S used before any report adverse 10 |
miners is accepted by the general land |
'fhce as basis for charges against !
mining claims. Only claimants who |
lre peryerting and misusing the min |
ng laws for fraudulent purposes have |
.nything to fear.
MYSTERY EXISTS REGARDING
NAVAL BOARD 'OF INQUIRY |