davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18
A typical oil field in the San Joaquin Valley.

might band themselves together. locat-
ing twenty acres each, and file as a
group on 100 acres. Such a group
need do only 500 a year in Assessment
work on the combined claims. Each
member Of the group. however. under
the Governments Interpretation Of the
meaning Of the law, must be a bona
fide owner OF an interest In these
claims. He must not be a mere dummy
who lends his name to this sort OF
operation.
Yet most OF the valuable oil lands
Of California were located under this
regulation by mere dummies. II was
the most economical way. The specu-
lator with sever other names which
lie might use could get possession Of
100 acres, where otherwise he could
hold but 90. He could repeat the use
Of these names In making many To-
cations. Thus could he get claim to
much Government land.
A typical case Is that Of a Spectator
who went into an Office building In
New York and asked thirty clerks to
lend the use If their names In locating
oil lands in California. Wealth might
come to them as a result. they were
told. They agreed and ave power OF
attorney TO the Spectator 10 use their
anne and dispose OF claims as he
saw ft.
This Spectator returned 10 Cali
fornia and So jugCled these thirty
names that he got claims to seven sec
tons NJ land. This ne sold to devel-
opers for 81, 900. 900. They put wells
on IL and to-day It is worth ten times
that amount. The Spectator paid the
New York clerks $3.50 each for the use
he had made Of their m
Now the United States comes forward
and makes the claim hat fraud was
used in gaining ,title to this land and
that the land still belongs to the pub
lie. The case has not yet reached the
Supreme Court. hut the Government Is
confident hat Il will he sustained in
It's claim hat the New York clerks
were but dummies in the transac tion
here as good az in many other in
stances. for the clerks received an
actual profit. while the usual procedure
was to borrow the names Of friends
who got no money at all. II the Gov
eminent wins in this case others will
follow that will result in the recover
of oil lands Of ~stupendous value.
Probably the biggest case OF them
all is that against the land grant
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

every alternate section In that belt and
was granted on the condition that the
railroad sell the land TO settlers at
$3.50 an acre.
To-day that belt contains some Of
the best farming lands in oregon.
There are timber lands on II that have
a market value as high as $500 an
acre. The timber lands alone are es-
timated as being worth as high as
500. 900. 900.
The railroad company. according TO
the contention Of the Government, has
failed to live up to the terms OF the
grant and dispose of the land at $3.50
an acre. Instead u has been SELL
ing these lands at the best price Of
fered. The Government maintains
that this failure To hold 10 the terms
Of the grant ~torfeits II and upon that
ground is proceeding TO recover the
land.
should success attend its efforts It is
estimated hat the public. as owner OF
this property, will be enriched to the
amount Of a hundred million dollars.
Every man, woman and child in the
nation has the value of a round silver
dollar in these lands. Already $500, 900
has been paid into the Treasury by
settlers who had acquired this land
from the railroad company and who
have fastened TO turn 10 the Govern
ment the $3.50 an acre that II has re-
quired Of them to make It's title good.
The irregularities in the methods Of
acquiring oil lands have probably sur
passed al. others and the Government
is just now fighting cases in the courts
which. IL successful. Will lead 20 the
recovery OF a billion dollars worth OF
oil lands.
When the oil boom was on a decade
ago the Government found that It had
no statute under which oil lands could
he located as such. Congress failed
for years Ia provide any such law
and the oil developments must either
wait or ne allowed 10 go forward I'M
der some other Interpretation OF ar
existing law.
oil is legally a minera. and II was
therefore decided that the Government
should allow developers to take pos
session ~ oil lands as placer claims.
The locator of an oi. prospect should
he required to do those things which
were performed by the prospector for
placer gold. He must stake out his
claim. which was not to cover more
than twenty acres, and must do assess
meht work on 1t to the value OF 800
q year,
There was a regulation, however,
under which n maximum Of eight men
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18
Many Frauds by Which Public Do,
main Has Been Homesteaded
Now Being Investigated

railroads Of California. These roads
received extensive tracts in California
at the time OF their building. Accord
ing TO the terms Of these grants only
agricultural land was to be taken 10y
the roads. Oil. as has been said, IL
legally a mineral. Therefore oil lan,ls
were not covered by these grants.
The Government. however. was not
vigilant In its care of the public do
main in the early days and gave Of It's
lands to almost whoever applied. These
oil lands were allowed To pass to title
upon the claim that they were farm
lands. II was obvious upon cNamina-
ton that any sort of agriculture was
impossible upon these lands, and II
later developed that they were rich IN
mineral. that is, In oil. Being mineral
land they were reserved in the original
grant.
The Government therefore holds
that they never were the property OF
the railroad, that II had no right TO
sell them and that they still belong 10
the Government. Upon this and other
claims ii is proceeding toward the re-
covery Of tracts worth hundreds Of
millions Of dollars. Should possession
he regained the lands will. under the
present governmental policy. 10 valued
and sold according to those values.
These big cases are spectacular in
stances Of the fight the Government
is making to ecover great wealth that
has been allowed to unlawfullv drift
out Of it's possession. There are small
mes by the thousand. There is the
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

example will suffice to illustrate the
point.
A large frciChter now in curse Of
construction is intended for the coal
carrying business. Her plans have
been drawn So that she can readily
he modified by the introduction of "A
tween deck and then he fit for general
cargo If desired.
This means that the owners are hav-
ing her built now with an eye to the
prolongation of the present strife, in
which the opportunity exists for the
profitable transporting of fuel in bulk.
With the cessation of war, however,
this trade would quickly fall away and
logically pass back into the hands Of
the cheaper tramp steamer. There
fore this maritime venture Is made
with due regard to the more remote
future, and the ship can he trans
formed later nj n reasonable outlay
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

coast Of South America and the IA
cific ports Of the United States, and
has brought Hawaii vastly closer 10
the industrial centres of our Atlantic
scahoard. But our present chance
would not he what II is II foreign craft
had not been withdrawn through the
eNigencies Of the conflict in Europe.
Whether American ship owners will
hc able to take advantage OF the pres
ent opportunity to build up the Amer
lean merchant marine depends, OF
course, upon whether the La Toilette
hill Is retained on the statute books.
| will give two examples Of It's effect:
ships engaged in the Oriental trade
upon the Pacific Ocean are brought
directly in competition with the cheap
labor of the Far East. The Chinese
and the lascars make excellent and
capable sailors, and because Of their
fitness and familiarity with life on the
sea they jump to their stations know
ingly, even though their understand
ing Of English may be next TO nil.
Sailors of this sort constitute a
big part OF the crews Of most merchant
craft trading with the Orient. and this
Is especially 20 on vessels travelling
the Pacific. The employment of these
Chinese and lascars is made prohibit
tive aboard ships Of American registry
by the terms of the seamen's bill. But
it is not alone ships running 20 the
Far East that are potentially handi-
capped by this act inspired by Mr..
la Toilette.
"A census OF the crews OF all over
sea craft running between this country
and Europe and our Atlantic ports and
South America will disclose the fact
that there Ia a very large percentage
OF Firms, N~orwegians. Swedes. Rus
slams, Spaniards and Latin Americans.
This L. the ase not only with ships
running under foreign flags hut even
among those sailing under the Stars
and Stripes.
Excellent sailors these men make,
and yet their knowledge Of English Is
o conspicuous by reasons OF It's
llmitedness or absence. Under tho
terms Of the seamen's bin rs per cent.
OF the crew OF a ship OF American
registry must understand English.
THE American sailor demands
higher wages, and by our shipping
laws must be given accommodations
and food far better than that of any
other merchant marine. 1t is perfectly
clear that the employment of .Amerl-
cans means a much greater annual
outlay In running costs. Besides this
our laws insist upon the shipping of
larger crews, interchangeability II
duties Is positively prohibited in Soma
directions and restricted hours Of la
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18
Government coal land filed upon as a no
If He Wins the People Will Be Richer
by Invaluable Coal, Oil and
Timber Lands

the question as to the regularity Of
the methods by which title TO this lane
was obtained was raised. Had these
men, after having discontinued all de-
velopment work for six months, excr.
cised sufficient diligence" TO maintain
their rights TO the property? The
courts are now in the process OF
reaching a conclusion on this point.
The Government has just come Into
possession of a town which 1t won
in a lawsuit. This town is in Colorado
and is built around the shaft Of a coal
mine. The coal company had come
into possession OF 1000 acres Of coal
land under conditions that the Cow
eminent had he'd TO be unlawful.
They had taken much valuable coal
off the land, had built this town, and
operated an extensive plant.
Under the law the amount ~ coal
land that may he acquired from the
public domain is very limited. Cor
porations, in certain cases. have come
into possession of large tracts by the
use of dummy entrymen. They would
pay individuals to exercise their right
to file on land and then transfer II TO
them. This. in the opinion Of the Gov
eminent. constituted a conspiracy TO
defraud. Suits were brought at many
points cf which the Colorado case is
cited as typical.
A compromise has Just been reached
in this case. According 10 its terms
the United States is TO receive a pay
ment for damages amounting 10 $780,
600 for the Goa that has been taken
of the land and liz TO % the prop
erty. which Is estimated as being worth
5000, 600. incidentally II comes into
possession OF a mining plant already
developed and with the workmen as
sembled for its operation. All these
are now the property Of all the peo-
pie. VINO are enriched to just that ex-
tent.
Back IN the '70s when me Govern
men was anxious U develop the
West by inducing railroads to build
into II a land grant of n belt ninety
miles wide running through the State
Of Oregon from north IN south was
given to the Oregon and California
Railway Company. II consisted ot
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

There have been many frauds In
acquiring title to property under the
desert land act. one Of the r~v,.Ire-
ments of this act is the reclaim ton
of the land by getting water ou u FOR
irrigation. some amusing instances
have developed in the suhtcrfl-cs %
which dishonest persons resort N
making proof Il having lived ur 70
this regulation. one nan ii',"i a
bottle with water, tied II ou tHa tx
of a blackboard ana druV" over ..
claim. lie then swor" that boz" bad
had water all over it," Another MN
hauled "A barrel of water onto the '.rI.
threw 1t out with a dipp"r and 'len
took hi, oath. Titles so obtained are
being steadily revoked.
The field service Of tho General
Land Office recently made a sIrvey Of
the land II had recovered for 'he
Government, thu fines it had COLLECTED
and the profit 10 the pti,j.c heci "a
of its activity during "A tive ,oir
period. In this tim" II had collected
fines and damages In cash 'o "a
amount of $500. 600. II had recovered
for the Government a total ~ 100000
acres of land with an estimated val e
Of 10000, 00o.
Government activity in tho recovery
Of such land is. however. OF compare
lively recent orig Il, having crow Up
with the development OF Ia" oo' "r-
walton idea within the last tor 'ofrS.
Few of the really lars" cases have "a
yet finished their course thron-N e
courts h,If many arC VOL t.. r-H =
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

w THAT IL known as the Hawk
\A/ Placer is held to be the most
Wv valuable 100 acres of oil land
in the world. Whether 1t is
the property Of private individuals or
Of the Government Is a matter that is
In the course Of being settled in the
courts. In the meantime a receiver
70 handling the returns from the oil
that IL being sold from It's wells. Dur
ing the first ten months of this re-
ownership 100000 in net returns was
banked.
If this case is won this money will
belong to the people. Likewise VIII
the property return to their possess
eion and will they be enriched by the
future returns from 1t. The case is
but one of thousands that the Federal
Land Office IL threshing out in the
courts to ascertain whether or o the
Government. and therefore the people.
are still owners Of great tracts Of
oil lands. coal lands. timber lands.
farm lands in the West TO which there
are other claimants. This particular
case Is illustrative Of the problems
that arise and the procedure of the
Government in meeting them.
In 1909 President Taft withdrew
from entry certain Government lands
In California, including that upon
which the Hawk Placer is located.
The conditions surrounding this with
drawal provided that whore develop
ment work was being done and where
II IA continued with sufficient dill
gence" the tracts in question might
be held by locaters.
On the Hawk Placer there had been
development work, but it had been dis
continued two months before the time
Of the withdrawal. The prospectors
had gone broke without making any
discovery. Four months after the
withdrawal they secured a grub
stake" returned to the property and
resumed operations. Ultimately the oil
wells were brought in and these and
others proved OF such productiveness
as to rival any in the world.
For several years the output Of
these wells has gone into the pockets
Of the developers of the land. Finally
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18
Piers at All Seaport
Cities Congested With
Cargoes Awaiting
Completion of New
Big Freight Carriers
present boom In the ship
building business in the
United States Is directly due

"HE Droeon, ho,,, L. - Ill.
huiat,a h,', ~ '".i-
Irni,na So. ilN
,o,ho -.
q. Nz l., "
sss,s,ar, ganaraI -.
nor, Noy,s ch,nhriI5trm m..,.
counar,. To- rr,n,h ~,
" A v,ro,r ,.,ao -. ~
Nsw yorr chtnhrtIdinn cou ue
nrassad h,usai, raoane,.
n uyha, no a,,r,hr,aa ~ n.n ~,
,,y,,y ,n Amorioan shtnr r. @
n,ants In nuas,ia, - -"
shinyards on tho ,,Ion,,, oaa, IT,
getber tboy om,ro,, go y 400
~on ava ,h.r s,i,n nn ,
6IIad Nv r,adsaa 80 IT. ,na NV
T, o. .s,imo,oa ,ha, "a ~ -.
oreat Rritair,s orormo,s
woiIy 40 angaaod To- narr,n
r,om ,ore,gn co,r,r,os ,L,
800. IT, oaa ~"
nrt rror, E,a,anI
,.rd a. ~ So anu "
Tho .viconcias 90 ,o, rA,.
6rawn FROM coumaroa hn,aard. -,
these yesseIs An snr,s -, o,,oan a,oc,
have heen reouisj,iorod snr froiat,
carriers A a roerIt frairb, ratas
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

into n craft for mixed freight.
This n example is cited for the
purpose Of emphasizing the instability
Of the present boom. The activity in
American yards has been brought
about, authorities say, through stress
Of the war In Europe, and 1t is unccr-
tain whether il will he possible after
peace is declared TO run these vessels
at a profit. Very lately the vice
president Of the New York Shipbuild-
ing Company declared that the Ameri-
can merchant marine would pretty
soon restore itself If encouraged by
even half way decent legislation. This
is really the doubtful point OF the
present boom so far as it concerns the
future of the American flag upon the
seas. And this matter Of legislation
in its turn bears upon he nations
self-suficiency in case of war.
Much of late has been said about
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

some progressive American ship own
ers are now ordering new vessels,
trusting that they will make enough
out Of freight during the war and
while conditions are adjusting them
selves In the first period after the
declaration ot peace to make II pos
s!ble for them 10 continue in the bust
ness at a profit later on. In u,ne,
words war freights are to go a long
way toward wlping out the initial out
lay. and then it is hoped the handi-
caps OF American ownership will not
prohibit in the years to come some an
nual returns. even though small.
This is not exactly alluring, hut
they figure upon the Panama Canal
To keep the o on the right side
Of the ledger. We must not forget
that the Panama Canal has opened
up new trade routes and has shortened
the Older ones leading to the west
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

national unpreparedness. Nothing
probably emphasizes that unreadiness
more than the shortage OF sstgoing
tonnage. II IL easy to recall how
greedy the Government bought up
all sorts Of ocean junk Just before
war was declared with Spain in 1898.
1t is just as easily recalled how unfit
were the transports in which our
soldiers were carried to Cuba. But for
very favorable weather and the in
action OF the enemy n different out
come might have resulted,
Again. when our sixteen bat,ieships
sailed away from the Atlantic coast
in December Of 1907 their mobility de-
pended upon n string Of foreign col
liers. The Navy Department could not
get enough native freighters to do the
work.
IL am telling no business secrets"
said a ship builder, when | say that
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-03-13
IN BELGIAN CONGO.

Father Van den Linden, of the Bel.
gian Congo, sends the following spir-
itual returns of his mission:
There are but two missionaries,
assisted by tWenty-four catechists to
care for district including 1877 vii
lagos spread over an immense stretch
of territory, and containing a popula-
ton of 27,204 souls. =
Since the beginning of the mission
ten years ago, 1856 persons have re-
ceived baptism. OF this number. 366
were baptized the past year. There
are, at present, 1,025 Christians and
1881 catechumens, and last years
returns show record Of 11,154 con-
fessions; 1853 Communions; 109
Christian families; q marriages; 712
pupils attending school; 118 girls and
boys living at the mission; thirty
young men preparing to be catechists;
and several others receiving instruc.
tion in CARPENTRY, masonry, tailoring
shoemaking and other trades, which
will insure them future livelihood
far above that of the ordinary native
Ten years ago there were only two
Christians in this district, so the
above figures will show how God has
blessed the efforts of His jealous
apostles.
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-03-13
THE MIDDLE AGES.

'"The Sum- (New York; prints the
following letter from Thomas ]. Gull
foyle, of Brooklyn: ..-e4% -
The innuendo Of "E. BIS" back
somewhere in the fourteenth century
in his squlb on the Sabbath Commit
tees might be less oocksurely penned
had he taken time to consult with
those who know whereof theysspeak
whan historic reference is in order.
respectfully suggest a dip into some
such thoughtful book as Dr. Nicholas
Murray Buffers treatise on "Philoso-
ping where "E. B." would learn, the
Columbia president conclusion as to
the. Dark Age, a conclusion based on
research and scholarship. Out-of-date-
ness is certainly not characteristic of
theS thoughtful DR.. Butler, and he has
this to say:
fNTo suppose that such an age as
this (the Middle Age) can properly be
described as dark is only to invite
attention to the limitations of ones
knowledge and sympathy. No age was
dark in any true sense that witnessed
thee assembling of scholars at the feet
of Alcuin and Hrabanus Maurus; that
saw the rise Of universities, of guilds
and of cities; that was fired by the
enthusiasm and zeal of ST.. Dominic
and st. Francis; that gave birth to the
story of the Cid, of the Holy Grail,
OF the 'Nibelungen' and the Divine
Comedy of Dante; that Witnessed
those trinnphs of Gothic architecture
that still delight each eye that rests
upon them; or that knew the Consti
tuition of Clarendon, the Magma Char.
ia and the legal commentaries of Brac
ton"
The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-03-13
PRAISE OF SISTER WAR NURSES,

Paul SCHNEIDER, whose correspond
ence appears mostly in non-Catholic
papers, has these words of praise for
the Catholic Sisters as war nurses:
SLOWLY the long transport train
bound for Luxembourg steams out of
the West Station of Treves. The
train is crowded with Catholic Sisters
and Brothers going to the battlefields
at Longwy and further on. For
years. said an Evangelical lady to me
in Treves, we women, solicitous for
husband, children and home, asked
ourselves in vain what purpose could
be served to-day by the isolation of
the Sisters from the active life of the
nation. But now l am satisfied. You
have no idea of the blessings which
flowed in these days from the quiet
rooms of the converts along the Rhine
and Moselle for our entire nation.
Like brownies, the Sisters have for
years piled up incredible quantities OF
stockings, shirts, mufflers and band
ages. They spun fax and heaped up
entire bolts of linen with which they
fastened to the aid of the wounded
All, honor to the splendid work of the
Red Cross and of the Imperial Wom-
ems League! But you can tell at the
first glance whether a wounded sol
der received his first aid in a con-
vent or in a. lazaretto. Every one is
washed from head to foot and given
clean clothes. Not a speck of.dust
remains on the torn uniform. When
the days nursing of the wounded is
over the Sisters sit down to>clean and
mend the uniforms. In the lazarettos
this. seems to have not always been
possible. We could not have expected
such work from our pampered girls. F"