The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-02-25
How the Federal Government Discou-
ragged the Mining Industry
Robert N. Bell in Annual Report,

Almost all the copper ores of the
west, as well as all other metallic ores
produce an important amount of gold
This Is also true Of sur straight lead
silver ore in the Occur d 'Alene district
which while the producers receive no
credit for it. puts into existence annu-
ally, nearly 100000 worth of new gold,
and it seems ridiculous that the gov
eminent should put tsraw in the way
of the progress Of this most vital basis
of its rapidly expanding business de-
mands.
Mining Should Be Encouraged
In recent years, the agricultural
claimant has been given precedence in
consideration over the mining claim
ant in government land title matters.
Our Prussian forest reserve policies, in
spite of It's suave arguments to the
contrary, gets in the way of mining
progress constantly with its petty re-
tsrctions, and there is no logical rea-
son on earth why this industry should
not be given the announcement of all
the ripe timber it can use to a point
of profitable development in place of
conserving it to the detrimeht of the
second growth and at the demand of
expansive protection against the risk
of destruction by forest fires The en-
enlargement in title matters should be
loosened up to the old liberal plans that
made the nation great and saved the
face of its credit after the civil war by
the production of coin metals.
Mining lands are, in nine cases cut
of ten, absolutely unfit for any llher
purpose than mining, and the oil plan
of ANALYTICAL tests showing trace Of
metal considered by the rel Gated de-
cisions Of the United States supreme
court, IN Which millions Of dollars were
won and lost by contending apex litig-
ants. should be sufficient warrant for
the discovery requirements and initia-
ton and patenting of mining locations
that are not specifically an agricultural
VI tiHlpCA graz, against the petty exdC-
tions of commercial ore values at the
surface and disregard of tributary con-
ditions, with SO many examples of
buried ore bodies of great commercial
values that the industry affords and
over which even an analytical assay
could hardly be obtained
Give the Prospector a Chance
There are very few examples that !
can recall where any effort is or has
been made to grab government land in
large areas on mining pretenses. In.
fact, no such evidence of misappropria-
ton of land can be found in Idaho,
The largest group of claims / recall
is owned by our dominant mining
company, in the Occur d'Alene district,
and covers an area of 1000 acres. 1t
has largely been bought as necessary
protection against apex conditions UNI
der our imperfect mining statutes, and
there Is not an inch of the entire group
that is not warranted for this purpose.
The rugged mountain slopes it en-
braces are totally unfit for any other
purpose than mining, except in the re-
neWal of its former timber growth
which nature is indutsriously accom-
plishing without any special forest re-
serve aid The acquisition of this land
has involved the investment of mill
lions of dollars in purchase price and
costs over apex rights and
the demand for commercial ore values
At the surface of the few dangerous
litigation breeding loophole fractions
hat still exist in It's map seems rfdicu-
GUS
Titles have been industriousN con-
ested by eminent representatives of
he Interior department and the forest
'eserve in the Occur d'Alene field.
where manifest good faith was shown
" large expenditures of money In
respect development work, and while
ne ore outcrop requirements do not
Measure up to the present exacting
olc letter of the law, the prolificness
+ the mineral development of the
dJoinlng territory from similar BLANK
urface showings fully warranted the
lalmant in expanding his money and
irving hundreds of feet of tunnel work
favorable formation with the nee
ssary metal trace assays that formerly
ltficed, and it seems radically unfair
lat an Industrious prospector or small
eVeIopment company should be de-
rived Of his rights to acquire title to
nd of this class who spends his good
loney in a search for mineral and
'oular mills Of the west for they can
'at covers a barren mountain top,
itnout lumber tree of any descrip-
on on 1t worthy of the name.
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