Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-11-25
timber IS INVOLVED
ALASKAN COAL LANDS DEVELOP
TIMBER.
Forestry Bureau Threatens TO At
tack Cunningham Title on Ground
OF Valuable Timber Top Growth.
Attorneys Discuss Que StiOn of Re-
moving Case to Washington.

SEATTLE, Nov. 24.-The govern
ment, in the Cunningham coal land
inquiry, yesterday continued to pre-.
sent testimony describing the vari.
| GUS coal veins on the Cunningham
group, and the character and extent
! of the improvements and develop
ments made. The representatives
of the forest service, A. c. Shaw and
c. r. Pierce closely observed tho
proceedings and took voluminous
notes, but in no way actively parti-
cipated nthe inquiry.
w. A. Langille, forest supervisor
and S. N. StOner, special agent OF
the general land office, who had
made an examination of some of the
claims, were called to the witness
stand. At the conclusion of NJ.
Stoner's testimony the attorneys con-
suited as to whether the inquiry
should then be adjourned to Spo-
kane, or it should be agreed this
morning what should be done.
1t was expected that the govern
ment would recall l.. r. CLAWS, the
late chief of the field division, but
there does not now appear to be a
probability that this will be done
| here.
"A letter of instructions, written
by George Fl. Cecil, acting district
forester, to F.. E. Ames. chief of sill
viculture at Ketchikan. Alaska, re-
lative to the investigation. was pro-
duced by j. M. Sheridan at the re-
quest of E. c. Hughes. Mr. Hughes
and Mr.. Gray inspected the letter
but it was not introduced in evidence.
The letter is as follows:
Forestry Bureaus Instructions.
Dear Ames: There is consider
able evidence that the claimants in
the above cases (the Chugach claims
coal, and the Cunningham group
-Juneau) are not only trying to
get valuable coal land fraudently.
but are attempting to secure, in addi-
tion to the coal claims. timber land
for the purpose of supplying timber
to work their mines. Clarence Cum
ningham, in one of his reports to
the stockholders, admits that four
of the claims are more valuable for
timber than for coal, so the depart
ment has secured continuance In
the cases in order to investigate this
thoroughly.
Special Agents Kennedy and
Stoner are now on the ground and
will he instructed by Mr.. CLAWS to
cooperate with you fully. They, or
course, are in charge Of the investi-
CATION, and so far as possible their
suggestions should be followed. 1t
will be necessary to have an esti-
mate of all the timber upon all OF
the claims. For this purpose Mr..
Langille has been uathorized to en-
ploy temporary assistants in making
the estimate. The general land Of
flee has requested that this eXami-
nation be expedited as much as pos
sible.
EMPLOYED as Expert.
''The forester has authorized the
appointment of Gabriel Wingate as
a coal expert to examine the claims
in order to ascertain which claims
contain workable coal and which are
valuable for timber only. Mr.. Win
gate is a leading coal expert, and it
is important that all of the time he
spends counts. His services have
been obtained at considerable eX-
pense and, therefore. any assistance
which he may require to expedite
the work should be given preference
over all other matters, even IL 1t
causes delay in making estimates Of
the timber. Definite charges will be
preferred against each claim not
containing workable coal" The let
ter concludes with in indication Of
the location of the claims in ques-
tion.
"The charges referred to in this
letter have not yet been preferred"
said Mr.. Pierce yesterday. II can't
now indicate when this will be
done"
The estimates of the forestry
agents as to the timber on the coal
claims lying within the boundary Of
the Chugach national reserve. ag-
gregating a total of 7,343,72S feet,
board measure, of saw hemlock tim
Der, six inches or more in diameter
5,7SS,0O0 feet of similar spruce tim
ber, and 911,636 lineal feet of hem
lock mining timber six inches or
more in diameter.
The inquiry will be resumed this
morning