The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-06-11
CONGRESSMAN SMITH
AND DUDLEY LOG JAM
GETS FAVORABLE ACTION IN BE-
HALF OF SETTLERS AND
STEAMBOAT MEN.

The great log jams which period
cally block the Occur d'Alene rive
above Dudley, and which prevents
tends to increase the overflow on >ad
jacent farm land, will soon be thins
Of the past. People interested il
keeping the river open forwarded {
petition to the war department
through Congressman Addison \
Smith, who lost no time in getting
favorable action. Following is the
reply from the war department.:
United States Has jurisdiction.
"War Department, Washington, Ma!
26,1914.
"Hon. Addison T. Smith,
u. S. House of Representatives:
"Sir-In reply to your letter OF
March H. 1914, inclosing petition
Dudley, Idaho, regarding distractions
to the Occur d'Alene river, l have the
honor to inclose herewith for your in
formation copy Of a report dated May
1, 1914, by the district officer.
1T is the opinion of the department
that the Occur dAlene river is a nav
igable water of the United States and
comes within the jurisdiction of the
will act accordingly.
1.-THE views of the district officer as
expressed in his report are concurred
in, and it is hoped that before an
other logging season it will be pos
sible to require such precautionary
measures to be completed as will re-
move the present objection to the
logging methods on this river.
Every respectfully,
HENRY BRECKENRIDGE,
Assistant Secretary of War
Division Officers Report.
~. S. Engineer Office, Seattle Wash,
May /, 1914.
"To the Chief of Engineers, U. S.
Army:
Occur dAlene river between Rose
Lake and Dudley was made, and
above Dudley where the jam of logs
occurred which forms the basis Of
al in A
held also with the managers of the
Rose Lake Lumber company and OF
the Bailey Timber company, who were
responsible for the jam, and with Mr.
Valentine and other complainants. At
that time the jam had been cleared
away, and the only complaint made
was that further jams We're inevitable
in a short time unless prevented by
the war department.
Shortly after this inspection the
river was again damned with logs
above Dudley by a sudden rise in the
river, and second inspection was
made on April goth, at which time the
river was found still jammed. but the
logs were being rapidly sorted with a
view to the removal Of the log jam at
the earliest practicable moment. AS a
result of this inspection of second
jamming formal notice was served
upon those interested that unless the
jam was removed on or before May l,
the matter would be reported to the
proper U. S. attorney for prosecution
under federal law. 1t is presumed
that the jam has been successfully re-
moved and no further action will be
necessary in the case.
acting on the presumption that the
Occur d'Alene river was state waters
and the war department without jur-
isdiction, extensive booms have been
driven in the river for many miles of
it's length, occupying the greater part
of the width Of the stream. A short
distance above Dudley the booms ter
inmate, and above this point it has
been the practice to use the entire
river as booming grounds, filling it
solidly with logs when the drives are
made during the spring freshets.
1T is claimed that as a result of
these jams the flooding Of lowlands is
materially increased, and as the wa
tiers of the river are full Of poison
from the mines above, this flooding IS
peculiarly destructive.
"This damage is believed to be the
real cause of complaint.
Before the advent of the railroads,
boats used to run regularly as far up
as the Old Mission, about six miles
above Dudley, for ample depths for
navigation are available, but at the
present trips are made at rare inter-
walls and commercial boats almost
never go above Dudley. The most
important commerce on the river Is
therefore the log traffic, for which the
present methods of operation are the
most economical and advantageous,
but as all riparian owners above Dud-
ley are denied the use Of the river,
these methods are to slight extent
obstructive to navigation.
I'm my opinion, the proper remedy
is to require the extension of the
booms up the river to the head Of
navigation at Old Mission, or to a
point above which no objections will