Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-06-23
MINERAL CLAIMS
in The RESERVES
FOREST SERVICE Is SAID TO BE
FORMULATING NEW REGU-
LATIONS.

~ 1NN5NAOh mas CfNi DNNh iuloCh
against the right of an American
citizen to prospect for minerals in
territory set aside as a national for
est reserve. The law is sufficient
~ specific to protect the prospect
or on this point. But the impress
sion has arisen that the forestry
service of the government is dis
posed to hamper mineral claimants,
a legacy of the Pinchot admins
tration, when forest rangers, armed
with regulations from Washington,
set out to assume the qualifications
and duties of mining engineers,
says the Denver Mining Science.
This impression of hostility has
become very emphatic in the West
ern states, which are the only
states directly affected, and 1t may
require much counter-publcity to
move it. The Pincoht administration
took advantage of the clause in
the mineral statute which requires
discovery of mineral in place to
throw obstacles in the way of claim
ants, not so much by successfully
disputing title as by compelling the
claimants to face expensive formal
tiles. Now, it is announced that
the chief forester, H. S. Graves.
with the consent of the president
is DESTROYS of making the forest
as liberal as possible toward the
prospector and other settlers: also
that new set of regulations is
being drawn up. To a representa-
tive of the Denver Times Mr. Graves
is said to have spoken in br.-
as follows:
In some instances it is prob
ably true that forest rangers did
interfere with prospectors, but in
SO doing many of them exceeded
their authority. We have been and
are improving the personnel of our
corps of rangers. Under an agree
ment that was entered into between
this department and the American
Mining congress, mineral locations
VIII not be examined prior to APP
plication for mineral patent. except
where a report is requested by the
department of the interior or where
the locations interfere with the
administration of the national for
ests. No report will be submitted
to the department of the interior
which has not been made by a
mineral examiner.
BY the words, Where locations
interfere with the administration
OF the national forests we near
claims that are not made in good
faith, but for the purpose of hold
ing up water power company
reservoir or other projects, to
prevent the legitimate sale of tim.
Ger. | believe that when the
Colorado Central Power company
projected its lines its proposed right
of way was plastered with fake min
ing claims. Nearly all similar prof.
ects sometimes are hampered in the
same way
At this time we are formulat.
ing new rules and regulations to
govern prospecting in the national
forests. l feel certain that nc
one will have just cause to make
complaints against them
The newspaper representative
states that he was shown a prelim.
mary draft Of the new regulations
and that his attention was especial.
ly directed to one clause which is
designed to give the prospector am
pie right to timber for buildings
mine workings and fuel.
Wherever prospectors have hest.
tated to operate in the forest re.
serves because of the fear of off.
cial or officious, interference, il
were well if the injurious impress.
sion shall be removed With the
assurance that his claims will not be
protested unless he willfully trans.
crosses the right of others, and
that no proof of discovery to the
forestry service will be called for
except as it may arise under the
usual patent proceedings, the GOLD
hunter may go into the pine woods
with greater peace OF mind than he
has hitherto possessed. But let him
at the same time remember thai
The forests are worth preserving
and that he should do his par
toward preventing wanton destruc.
ton of trees by fire or otherwise