Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-20
TAFT'S AID
TO SAVE CLAIMS
SaWteIIe Man Asserts His Home
stead Rights Are Being Held
by a Big Corporation

In a final attempt to obtain what he
asserts belongs to him, Samuel N
Black of Sawtelle, a veteran of the
Civil War and pioneer settler IN
township / south, range 1 east S. B. NJ,
San Bernardino county, has formulat-
ed a letter which he intends 10 seha
direct to President Taft.
Mr.. Black charges that the Consoh-
solidated Water and Power company
of Los Angeles is trying to gain per.
manent possession of water rights OF
great value to which he rightfully is
entitled. He says he voluntarily filed
proposal to relinquish his rights TO
about 500 miners inches of water III
return for a lease thereto from the Tor
estry service. in order that ne inlgHl
work in harmony with the newly IN
troduced methods of conserving hdlu-
raj resources. -
When Secretary Ballinger revoked GlI-
ford Pinchot's order forbidding private
ownership of water rights IN forest
reserves, Mr.. Black asserts, the power
company made haste to file on ms wa
ter rights and to enter the reserye'
where the preliminary steps IN appro-
priating them have been taken.
Mr.. Black settled in the district
which embraces the headwaters. of the
White Water river, in San Bernardlno
county, in 1877. He declares the water
is available for development of electrlc
energy and afterward can be used Tor
irrigation purposes eleven miles from
the intake. He also says there are pc
tween 60 000 900 and 70,000,0OO feet OF
saw timber there that can be used 10
advantage in connection with the Wa
ter and power
FILED CLAIM IN 1877
He first filed on the water in 1877, he
declares, and later changed his nome
stead entry to timber claim, home
steading in another section. He asserts
that he farmed his homestead for sew
eral years until 1t wrongfuily was
awarded to the Southern Pacific, he
AYERS in lieu of lands taken from that
company and given to the indldn5'
There is a reservoir site upon what he
had considered his homestead, and he
had intended to use 1t IN conJuhctloil
with his filing upon the water from the
White Water river. To hold it he had
to contract with the railroad 10 buy
hack the homestead and get the water
on the reservoir site in three years, a
period which has nearly expired. He
tells his troubles to President Iaft as
follows:
IT consider it duty, as well as a
right, to inform you of special priVl- |
leges being obtained by exploitation
and combination of capital on what Is
called public domain as we'll as upon |
my private rights.
1T had claims to valuable wealth re-
sources at the head of the White Water
river in San Bernardino county for
many years. My location was difficult
to handle during the long period OF set
tlement Under the old law, other
claims below me on the river clouded
my right to the use of the water, ana
as my location was the only one or real
value, it seemed to me to be posslnie
to adjust matters and safely handle
nv claims by forming a company ana
buying out the other claimants.
'Persons with whom I was trying to
form a company did buy the claims as
| suggested, but the deal with me was
called off two months later.
oBEYED PINCHOTs ORDER
Following Roosevelts calling con-
ference of the governors of the Varl-
Gus states to consider conservation pol
icies Forester Pinchot issued an order
that there could be no more private
ownership of natural resources in for
est reserves and the representative or
the forester in Los Angeles told me the
order included my claims.
Il believed the policies to be right
and l then decided to try to obtain
lease from the government. l consult
ed Senator Frank p. Flint. l told him
l thought the policies good and asked
him if he thought they would win out.
He said he favored them and believed
they would win. l asked him II he
could help me in my plan for leasing
my claims. He told me to outline my
plan and he would take it up with
Pinchot, whom he expected to meet
few days later on fishing trip to
Catalina island.
II did as instructed and sent my
lease proposition to his office and upon
the senator's return from Catalina l
again saw him. He said that my COM
inunication did not reach him at Cata- |
lima. 1 then told him I wanted to meet
Mr.. Pinchot. The senator answered
that a meeting could not be arranged, |
as Mr.. Pinchot had received a tele- |
gram to join the president at Salt Lake |
City and would have to hurry away
asked Senator Flint If he would meet |
Pinchot again and he said he would |
that he would ask him if anyone could |
do anything with the claims before leg |
islatiOn took place. The next day he |
told me PinchOt answered that that |
was just what could not be done. SEN
ator Flint then promised to take my
proposition up later with Pinchot.
HOW CORPORATIONS WORKED
Il had been hampered under the old |
laws, but l felt safe under the new
policies, as the most essential feature |
seemed to secure to me my locations |
working on my claims, however, Sc |
cured a right of way over my land To-
cation for a ditch, after had made my |
proposition for a lease. l had no
knowledge of that until last July |
when I made trip to my claims. 1
posted notices on my lands and turned |
the water into my ditch and protested |
against their trespassing upon my |
claims. The forester in Los Angeles |
told me he granted the right of way, |
which was subject to prior rights, and /
that the matter was one for the courts |
He said that the Pinchot order had !
been revoked and that he was operat-
ing under the old law.
+ THAT being the case, the only use OF |
the new policies is one beneficial to |
special privileges-one which will aid /
them in obtaining the unearned ucre- |
ment of natural resources held in |
check many years by capitals ex-
ploitation.
81 can see no justice in the govern
ment's permitting others to crawl onto |
my rights in this manner, and through |
me into the courts. l gave four of my
young years 70 the defense of the !
Union, ten months being in the An
dersonville prison, and now l must de-
mand of the government that it give
me square deal and stop this special |
privilege racket which rObs not only
me but the public.
'I have had a brief conference with
Mr. Pinchot. He advised me to state
my case to the government. I did SO