The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-25
ALASKA COAL LAND
INQUIRY STILL ON
Witness for the Claimants Ex-
plains His Connection With
Cunningham Crowd.

Seattle, Wash, Nov. 24.-For the first
time since the hearing opened. the rela-
tons OF the so-called Guggenheim In
terests to the Cunningham claimants
was taken up by the attorneys for the
claimants in the inquiry into the Alas
ka coal land cases today. Attorneys for
both sides held a conference this morn
ing and decided to go ahead with the
case here without waiting for transfer
to Spokane. taking the testimony of
witnesses who live In Seattle.
Charles J. Smith, the Seattle banker,
who built the Alaska Y ukon-Pacific ex-
position, and who is one OF the claim
ants interested In the Cunningham
group, was put on the stand by the de-
Tense at the opening of the afternoon
session. Mr.. Smith, who has had sew
eral years experience in operating coal
properties in the Cascades, was inter-
ested in the Alaska claims by Mr.. Cum
ningham, who was authorized by him
to file on a claim in the Katalia dis
trict.
Mr.. Smith said there never had been
any intention Of holding the claims for
some outside corporation, He said
that he knew that it would be impossi-
bic for one man or three men working
together to successfully operate a mine
lation Of the properties and the great
expenditure that would be required to
get the coal to tidewater. He said that
it was his understanding that they
would join for the purpose of carrying
on only that work which could not be
successfully carried out by the claim
ants acting separately. Mr.. Smith said
ne had paid $1,000 as his share Of the
expenses of making the filings and car
rying on the prospecting work. In July,
1907, Mr.. Cunningham informed him
that the so-caIled Guggenheim interests
proposed to build a railroad from the
mines to tidewater at Cordova, Alaska.
Later Cunningham informed him that
a committee had been appointed at the
Spokane meeting to take up the matter
with a representative of the Guggen-
helm interests. AS a result of the eff
forts of this committee, an agreement
was drawn up which provided that the
Guggenheims would build a line from
the mines to tidewater, In return for
which they were to handle the output of
the mines. Mr.. Smith said that he was
not a party to this agreement, which
subsequently fell through. Later some
of the claimants formed a chartered
company to build their own railroad.
Smith then told of little tilt he had
with L. r. CLAWS, at that time spe-
cial agent for the government. Cum
ningham brought CLAWS into Smiths
Office after the claims had been held up.
Cunningham said that CLAWS wanted
them TO sign an affidavit setting forth
that they had no intention of holding
the coal claims for the Guggenheims.
Il talked little short" said Smith
on the stand, land ] told CLAWS that
- 10, 7 rofv no
to make ! said that I was willing to
let the matter rest on the statements
that 1 had already made, but when
CLAWS explained that he wanted this
affidavit to clear up belief prevalent
! in the land office that we were working
| for the Guggenheims, consented"
1t is probable that the government at
torneys will take Smith in hand the first
| thing Friday morning.