The Elk Mountain pilot., 1912-02-29
Government Leasing System
Not Approved by Prospector

In Il recent article contributed to
the Mining and Scientific press OF
San Francisco Icy Julius Thompson
a resident Of Alaska for eleven yrs,
the easing ot eCal or any mineral
lands from the government Is strong
ly disfavored and thought TO be tie
trineutal TO the government Of the
country and prciudicial to the inter
eat of the people there who are 80
per cent opposed t. any system ot
lpasil,. He fLrtl;er : atc' that should
the r.,ver~ment withhold the miner
al Hands from cutry and adopt leas
in. instead, Alaska viii in short
time become almost entirely depop-
u,atcd.
lie further shows that any lcas-
ing systcn, there will effectually eli
inmate the prospcctor and pioneer
becaus.. the American citizen VIII
not lea..e especially in Alaska where
the liar,lsllips arc greatcr and all
prospect and mine work has to be
done IN frozen ground and fuel IL
high with tie tlcremometer 30 to 80
degrees below zerl for many months
and the sun rising scare.y above the
horizon in the meanwhile. The Am
crican prospcetor and pioneer are
the brAve:t most persistent and in
depen,!rrt n,en on earth. Ti.ey never
work for wages, except To secure
more means with which 20 prospect
until they can find some natural
resource to which they can acquire
atitle. They are the only mon VINO
will or can open Aliskn sufficiently
10 inrlucc capital to perform itsnec-
essary part in developing the coun-
try. This is an old. old story TO
him. who has in the least inform ID
limsef as to how the deserts and
mountains Of our country have been
conquered and made TO give their
treasures. The history of these men
il the history Of the developement
of our entire country. Whit Alaska
nee l. 10 develop it, is such Al liber-
al lnnd policy as to induce the pio-
near and prospcctor to find valuable
mineral deposits which he can To-
cate and a liberal offer TO farmers TO
farmers to enter and culti2a,c the
agric iltural lands il the valleys so
as to furnish food for consumption
ly the miners among the adjacent
hills. 1'iic Development OF mineral
and agricultural lands shculdgo hand
in hand, and Will do SO with proper
Government Inducements. If the
uro.oc ton and miner cannot taEe
from the public land timber and
coai sufficient to oc.ab'e him to orcn
J.is mine withou. subjecting himself
10 prosecution he will abandon
prospecting in Alaska. The sentl-
mcnts expressed by Mr. Thompson
relative 10 the conditions obtaining
in Alaska under the leasing system
of government lands by the pioneer
prospector, may he applied just rs
closely 60 tie mineral lands yet un
explored and undcveloped within
the mother country where hundreds
of millions Of acres remain to Gay
unprospectcd and unoccupied and
forever will remain thus should the
government presume 10 Withhold 1t
from entry and purchase and place
i, oui under leasing system or Gu
close the remaining portion within
the forest reserve dominion where
the prospector will have forest ran
ger detective trai.ing after him with
the chance tf arrest at any time
G,oul,t he vio.a;o any Ct the r'lles
laid down in the book or rules )"
formulated by the chief forc,ter.
should the policy ofthe Admins'ra-
ton bc continued and a few more re-
stri!ions made respecting the pubic
domain regarding both mineral and
agricultural lands, there will be no
more settlements formed or new
mineral districts discovered as Lead
vile, Cripple Creek, Aspen, Ouray'