The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-30

ne state would WIN not only by tnc
course Of questioning of the different
members Of the bench but by Senator
George Sutherland who had listened tc
the arguments ] am merely telling of
argued.
Real Contention in Case,
''As TO the real contention IN the case
everybody who has followed the case
knows that the construction OF the phrase
in that act OF 1894 was the whole case
IN a nutshell The state uniy yersity had
reason to believe this land was part of
the permanent grant. As an institution.
1t naturally realized the value OF the
property. On the other hand. the pri-,
took the opposite view as TO rights based
on the other construction. our conten
ton, OF course. largely was on the intent
OF congress in passing the enabling act.
AS to the commercial value of the prop
erty, ! am inclined 10 think il has been
overestimated. Az that. the University
as the means of establishing q permanent
university FUND. undoubtedly would have
been the richest university in the world.
However. In my mind the only course
ownership of the property would haNr
been TO have sold il TO the hgest bidder
as IL would have been impracticablc:
should say. for the university as an in
sttutlon TO develop property OF that
kind
the market, II Will naturally have revo-
lutIonizing effect on the salt industry of
the world.
May Be Ray of Hope.
UNLESS the courts decision is sweep
ing. [ still see one ray of hope for the
state II is this; In admitting facts in
filing our demurrer. we also admitted for
the sake OF argument that the state had
exhausted its selection before The dis
coyery OF the salt beds In question.
There Is the chance of the supreme court
ordering retrlal of the case 10 estab-
lish this as fact | am Inclined 10
cision Is sweeping and does not take
into consideration this point, although In
the argument before the supreme court
this phase OF the question was consid-
cred in the way of special questioning.
shall be glad TO see the division OF the
court on the decision II 1t was not unau-
lmous."
Al the time Mr. Ritter talked on the
case the dispatches had not revealed the
standing or the court on the decision,
1t was pointed out BY Mr. Ritter that il
omitted that the meaning would then
have been left clear. On the other hand
II the word and alone had been omit
ted the state could not possibly set up
a claim to the lands. The same posi-
ton would have been occupied by the
salt company if the word Including"
had been left out. With both words ap-
pearng in the clause in the order they
do and with the clause ''to be selected
and located" etc. as the section reads.
the meaning was left in doubt,
Desert Gold Mine.
To the person unacquanted with the
topography OF this western country the
discovery Of a tract of land comprising
10000 acres, and probably more, covered
with salt almost pure enough for table
use. as found to a depth OF from two
to twelve feet. sounds like fairy. tale,
In 1905, when the surveyors for the
Western Pacific were blazing the way
for that railroad across mountain ranges
and through canyons, many said when
they reached the desert known TO lie 10
the west of the Great Salt lake they
would be compelled to stop or carry the
line of the road around that dreary
waste, Not so. however. on reaching
the boundary of the desert the men, be
gan pushing their work across II. driv-
ing stakes 10 leave the story of their ef-
fort for the guidance OF the construction
gangs Finally for several days the men
found a peculiar formation OF soil. None
was able TO explain 1t and at night
around camp they discussed the wonders
that nature was revealing TO them. The
stake drivers complained OF hard up
per surface. through which 1t was nearly
impossible TO drive the stakes. Once
through this upper crust the stakes un-
der small pressure would disappear from
sight. One day one OF the surveyors, |
in wipins the perspiration from his face
after pulling one of the stakes out no. |
ticed the taste sof salt. An investigation |
followed. E,XcavatinG beneath the upper |
alkaline crust the men found the he'd of
pure salt In reporting TO headquarters. |
the surveyors made mention of the dis |
covery. !
Recognized It's Value.
On receiving The report the officers OF |
tained the means Of adding TO the value
OF the railroad property. 1t Will be re-
membered that about that time The fed