April, J
74
THE WEST SHORE.
of Mid Snake river to the place of beginning.
Thil will be a great convenience to tettlen in
the Wood river country.
Two partiei will loon leave I-ewiiton to survey
government lands in the northern portion of Nez
Perce county and in Shoshone county. There
are large areas of valuable agricultural land in
those localities, which will soon be occupied.
The land office at Lewiiton is thronged with men
looking for desirable locations. All the land
within twenty miles of that city will soon he taken,
and it is to be hoped that the reservation will
shortly le thrown ojien.
BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Great activity is now displayed in the three
leading industries of the province, fish, coal and
lumber.
The advantages and resources ol this province
are atttacting considerable attention in Canada
and Fngland. Since his official visit Lord Lome
ha spoken and written much in regard to the
country, and many sketches made by him have
been engraved and published. The fertility of
soil, beauty of the scenery, wealth of resources,
and the mildness of its climate as compared with
Canada ami even with Fngland, are winning for
it many ardent admirers. Immigration has be
gun to show a marked increase, and the govern
ment has appointed an humiliation agent with
headquarten at Victoria. Many Canadian me
chanics have already come out this spring, most
of them under contract for $3.50 to $4 per day
to work on the Canadian Pacific, while many
families are coming to take up land for agricul
tural purposes.
ALASKA.
The movement of miners to the Alaska mines
has already lrgun.
The steamer ljultr is ling fitted up at San
Francisco for the survey of the Alaska coast.
The Alaska Commercial Co. has bought out
the Vetem Fur Co., its Fnglivh competitor.
The increase in freight and tiavel to Alaska
has compelled the Pacific Coast S. S. Co. to en
Uige its facilities and make more trips.
Three excursions to Alaska will occur during
the summer months, and will no douU be en
Joyed if as large a list of passengers as the
steamers can accommodate.
MINING.
It b proposed m try a new process for saving
tine gold on the ban ..f .Snake river.
A sit-fuot vein of coal has been fctund north of
Cathlamet in Wahkiakum county, V. T.
The Coal mines o Skagit river art being
thoroughly prosfxriesl by a San Francisco firm.
The I'. S. Grant mine, one mile from Virginia
City. Moo'.ana, is spoken of as one of the coming
bonantas.
The Iu4.t-1s.dl mine in Itlackluine district,
Montana, highly spco of. It U expected
that a Mueller will be erected there this summer.
ilvslraalsc lining will be inaugurated this
sjstmj ea swisson rim. Idaho, when there U
much ground favorably situated for working by
that procesa.
Since the first of February considerable work
has been done in developing the Black Diamond
coal vein on Pine creek in the Umpqua country.
The coal found is said to resemble the Cum
berland. The working force in the Carbonado mines is
300 men, and the daily output 490 tons. A new
engine has been procured, and an additional force
will be put on to increase the daily yield to 800
tons.
The Silver King mine in the Sawtooth moun
tains has been sold for $100,000 to parties in
Hailcy, Idaho. The ore is very rich and there is
said to be enough in sight to pay for the mine
four times over.
The mines of Montana district, around Neihart,
Montana, are being well developed. The chief
properties on which work is being done are Queen
of the Hills, Ilomestake, Sampson, Fitzpatrick,
Blue, Maude S, Ora La Platta and Van Cotta.
The Lodomia ledge about twelve miles from
Prineville, Oregon, has been tapped by two tun
nels, the ore showing a working test of $30 per
ton gold. A ten stamp mill will soon be erected
by the Pioneer company.
This is a very favorable season for the miners
along Klamath river. The low stage of water
has allowed them to put in their wing dams and
tgin work on the river bed much earlier than
usual, and they are already taking out pay gravel.
The Stoddard group of ledges were discovered
in 1880, and are situated on a high mountain
near (he headwaters of the middle fork of Salmon
river in Idaho. There are four valuable loca
tions, the Gelena, White Dog, Greyhound and
Illue Grouse.
One of the richest strikes yet made on Wood
river is the F.mma ledge, discovered by two men
in Bullion while excavating in the side of a hill
in that town. The ore is remarkably rich, some
01 11 wing covered with wire silver. The Hailey
.m My. ,ney mused $50,000 Tor the location.
Although but little mote than the work rennet
by law has been done on the ledges of Oro Fino
oi.tr.ct, a few miles from Deer Ixnlge, Montana,
the general impression is that they are valuable.
Three of them have recently been bonded
ill proliably be thoroughly prospected this
season.
Twenty yr, ago the Cordova was located it
rhill.psbarg, Montana, worked to the depth of
' ,m "n(toned. Recently the Hope
company acquired it, sunk the shaft twenty feet
rurther and sttuck an excellent body of ore. A
smelter and concentrator will be erected if further
The mines at Mineral City. Idaho, have 1
organized as Washington mining district. The
....... K are the illack Maria, Daniel Boone,
en. Belle and kLs,g Sun. The first two are be
mg thoroughly devel... .1 .....
splendidly' r " ' "re """"""B
, , Ul Wit.
J?? develo,
.... ..... ,mmy ,n .
. h uie nrst 01 January,
The quartz ledges of Barton's gulch. ...
Virginia City, Montana, are showing rich ore and
are beginning to attract considerable attention, t
The Black Eagle, Gray Eagle, True Fi8ur.
Aenra. uin union. Kaimvra i .
, , ...7., ,nue nr.-..T
- wm
Agncola have had considerable work done on
them, and others are being prospected. The
ledges carry gold, silver, copper and galena, and 1
are true fissure veins. I
THE LAND LAW.
Secretary Teller recently eave a definiii
of the word "settlement" as regards a me-emmi.
claim, which is of interest to a class of lust
jumpers who think a man has not taken posse.
sion of his claim until his cabin has been erected,
The secretary says :
"Residence is not essential tn a nrjaassnrst,-K
A 1 . J"--WIIiJUUl
settlement. A settler is one who
.... , , J avius MA
on the land indicative of an intention to claim
the benefits of the law. Although the erection
of a house and residence therein may manifest
such DurDOse. in connection with nther 01.
there may be a valid settlement without residence.
10 icii trees, 10 plow or lence the land or lay the
foundation for a house, or do nnv oihr art w,A
clearly manifests a purpose to convert the land
iiuu a nome, win, 11 louowed ny residence, give
the party a pre-emption right which relates back
to his first act. No definite time within which
residence must commence is fixed by law. It
mUSt. however, be withm fillrh reaennnhli. timat
to manifest a purpose to comply with the require
ments of the law and o tetain and not abandon
the tract. In such ca e his rieht will not be
forfeited."
In regard to cutting ti 1 bcr on homestead
claims, the commissioner has rcenntly decided si
follows :
"When it is clearly evident that a homesteader
has settled upon his claim, intending in good faith
to make a permanent home thereon and to im
prove and.cultivate the land entered, he is per
mitted to cut such timber as must be removed
from the land in the process of clearing it for cul
tivation. If the amount of timber so cut from
that particular portion of the claim which the
homesteader contemplates clearing for immediate
cultivation should be more than he requires for
fencing, buildings and other improvements upon
his claim, he is permitted to dispose of such excels
of timber so cut. Any other timber upon the
claim cannot be sold until the claimant has per
fected his title to the land embraced in his entry.
The question whether the land is Iwing cleared
for legitimate purposes is a question of tact
which is liable to be raised at any time. If A
timber is cut for any other purpose, it will subject
the entry to cancellation, and the person who cut
it will be liable to civil suit for recovery of the
value of the timber, and also to criminal prose
cution for violating the law in such casts
provided."
The secretary of the interior has decided that
an application to amend homestead entry i
matter of right only when necessary to correct I
mistake, clerical or otherwise, which would result
in depriving a settler of his actual home or val
uable improvements, and if allowed in any case
should be as a matter of executive discretion,
enable him to take the full quantity allowed by
law, and to avoid a conflict with other asserted
claims.
The department has decided that, where
single woman makes a homestead entry, and afte
wards marries, her husband, in the event of bf
death," cannot purchase in his own name, n'
the act of June 15. 1880. The question as
whether a husband in such a case is an heir.
one to be determined by state law and not 7
the department.