The Alaska daily empire., 1914-10-07
MCDONALD COAL
 CASES NEAR END

After years of toll and hardship in the Northland and other years spent in the national capital battling side by side with other Alaskans for his rights, T. P. Mcdonald, who controls the famous McDonal1 group of coal mines on the Boring River, near Ka-i taila, is to Tern whether or not he will be allowed to retain the claims or the government see fit to cancel his rights to them.
 Dispatches from Washington say that the commissioner of the general land office. Clay Tallman, has written letter to the register and receiver Of the land office at Juneau asking for certain documents and report or the Mcdonald claims. When he re- ceiyes these, Commissioner Tallman said, he will take final action on the claims.
 First Fruits of Victory.
 To Mir. Mcdonald, resting on his guns in Seattle. the statement of the commissioner may mean much or lit. tie. With other Alaskans who wished to patent their coal claims Mir Me Donald has spent practically all of the last eighteen months in Washing. ton fighting for title to the claims. His first fruits of victory came on August IS, of this year, when First Assistant Secretary of the Interior Jones announced that he would rec ommend that patents be granted to one of the claims, and although final action on this still has to be taken, Mir. Mcdonald feels confident that 1t will be granted.
 With only one claim patented Mir. Mcdonald believes, however, that the victory is still less than half won. Al. though conforming the policy of the department verbally and in literature he feels that the officials who are directing the work of examining the documents are trying to do the best they can. hampered by certain poli- | cieS.
 Would Go to Court.
 What we want is the legal author. | ity to take our claims into a federal court and have them adjudicated," said Mir. Mcdonald last night. "This has been granted everywhere in the United States, yet for some reason the ! law has been interpreted not to apply to Alaska. Once we get this clause ! inserted in the coal-leasing bill before the Senate, there will be no difficulty ! in settling the title. as we have com. piled with the law in every instance" ."
 Mir Mcdonald praised Senator Wes. 1 ley l.. Jones for his work in suggest. l ing such an amendment, and said that all of the congressional delega. tion had been workin together for the best interests of the Alaskans.
 Put Fortune in Claims.
 Starting out in 1906 from Montana, where he had been engaged for years | in the coal business, MT. Mcdonald spent years in the Northland and sunk 1 his entire fortune of more than $15O,- GOO in the three coal claims, Gggre- | gating 35S acres. He opened up veins | on each claim, and on one he placed the necessary mining machinery to work the claim enough to pay for the other two claims. After securing a contract with the Copper River & Northwestern railway to supply them with coal, he suddenly found himself ordered by the government to halt the proceedings until patents had been granted. And then Mir. Mcdonald went down to Washington with blood in his eye and has remained there most of the time since.
 In his fight for a fortune in the North, Mir. Mcdonald gives all the credit to his wife and daughter, both of whom accompanied him, and re-. mained Loyalty with him during the trying times. And now, to Mir. Mic. Donald. who is nearing 60. the out. come of whether he will be rich crI poors is on the turn of the wheel -I J. J. Underwood in Seattle Times.