The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-11-24
LAND OFFICE
WOULD LIKE
To LOSE. CASE
Coal Land Claimants viii
Profit by Needless Haste
on Part of Officials, Is
Indicated in Hearing.


That the land office wants the
Alaska coal claimants 10 win was
indicated further yesterday In the
Cunningham hearing
Tho hearing brought out CLAWS
appeal TO the government forestry
department for an examination Of
the coal lands. and tho appoint.
ment OF Special Agents Kennedy
aud Stoner OF the land office and
Amos. Langillo and Wingato OF the
forestry service
on account Of tho impotence e..
pressed by the land office officials
AZ Washington, however, thla es'
animation was hasty, and not suf.
fclently thorough 20 enable the
men who made II 90 testify posl.
lively on the vital point involved.
This point 10 az 20 whether the
improvements claimed to have been
made on the claims have actually
been made.
Kennedy testified that he GOV
cred the 5.sie acres ~ mountainous
forests In eight days. and that
Langiile was on the claims but HiK
days Both testified that on some
OF the claims they found no cyi.
dencea that any Improvements had
been made
II they could swear positive
" tina, no improvements had
been made. and their testimony
Sss not rebu,trd, IL would lua
,ffy the inValldation OF these
claims
Hurried Their Work.
nnt neither OF the witnesses Waa
able 10 SO testify On account 81
the impafience % the land office.
thcy hurried over the claims. thus
defeating the very object their ioa.
ilmong should have been made GO
serve that 81 aAcrriaiuiue posi-.
lively what work had been done
Another significant Development
was the feet that Gabriel Wineaic.
the coal expert ~ the forestry SER
vice. IL not briug uaed by the Sos.
eminent nn witness Wiuaatc %
said a. have reported verifying ihr
saapiclons ~ the forestry service
that some Of these claims aFs more
valuable for timber than for coal
Valuable fer Timber.
The suspicion on the par ~ the
forestry service that some 81 these
claims are more valuable for timber
than fnf coal is based upon report
issued hy Clarence Cunningham 10
the claimants in 1905. in which he
said
Pour claims % little value for
coal contain heavy timber and I
recommend that they BE- held for
that purpose A. have located
four others. taking the dlp az ali
coal measures. no one will be- any
loser thereby
You arr advised that we are
holding considerable tracts 81 land
for timber which we will need Ia
large quantities. but a. there ia no
lAw in Alaska FOR acquiring titles
"a timber lands. would consider 81,
advisable 10 secure some cheap
scrip and cover all We ear before
40 begin extensive operations
The morning session ~ the hear.
IND today was devoted 20 q Discus
aion between She oppaslug counsel
regarding the order ~ procedure
Attorney Sheridan announced that
With the exception 81 taking tcaii,
mouY IN Spokane regarding certain
deeds 20 some ~ the claims placed
In escrow with the Unfon Trust
company Of SPOKANE. the govern.
meni had concluded is case.
lie desired. however. 20 have All
81 the claimants and their assign.
ccs placed on the stand and wished
20 reserve the right 10 call such Of
them as we're not called hy tho
defendants With this reservation
he Was willing 20 close and permit
the defendants TO present their
case.
Affor a long wlnded formal argu.
ment. defendants attorneya cor.
scented to this and announced that
they would begin presentation Of
their case tomorrow.