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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1960)
O WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. I960 G MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORE- arena Mnimiinig Claims Sold to soo 0 8; A j&rs No Minerals Are Taken from Mines Jince Patented v Portland Reporters ' Visit Claim Scene '(Reprinted by permiiiian) (Copyright, 1960, by The Portland Reporter) By ROBERT McBRIDE and DANIEL L. GOLDY ..The Al Sarena mining claims, symbol of Democratic gnd Republican conflict over management and conservation of . the nation's natural re sources, have been sold to an Oregon lumberman. . ..The Portland Reporter also has learned that some 6,617,- 000 board feet of timber has been cut from the 23 claims, located in the Rogue River .National Forest of southern ,Qregon, but not one spooniui of mineral has been removed .from the land since patents were issued Feb. ll, luai. The amount of Al Sarena Umber logged through Au 1 gust of this year is based on . ocular slash estimates by the ; U.S. forest service. The estl ' mated value of these logs, based on a conservative itumpago price of about $30 per thousand, is $198,510. , Paid for Property The Al Sarena company of Trail, Oregon, and Mobile, i Ala., paid the federal govern ment $2,375 for the property. The statutory price for min ing claim land is $5 an acre. Each of the 23 claims consists of almost exactly 20 acres. The Oregon lumber firm to which Al Sarena Mines, Inc., sold its claims, the Steve O. Wilson Co. of Medford, sold it paid "less than $100,000" for the land and remaining timber, plus an undisclosed amount of mining stock. There Is no record of the sale in the Jackson county courthouse In Medford, but Wilson told The Reporter the transaction took place In the Dring and said, "I consider mvself the owner." Wilson added that he has had trouble getting title In jurance for the property, but he was at a loss to explain why 'there is no record of the sale: In the courthouse. The Rcnorter heard a ru morof the transfer of the Al Sarena property several weeks ago. but delayed print lng the story until it could confirm the details of the transaction with Wilson and view the property first hand. Taken Off Claims The Medford lumberman aid he already has taken about 2,000,000 board feet off the c 1 a i m s since tney came into his possession. He said he did not cut the timber himself, but contracted with - a small logger to do the Job. No evidence exists of re cent mining on the claims The old mine tunnel, process- lng plant and othar buildings and equipment on the site of the claims on Elk creek road some 45 miles north and east of Medford look as if they havo- not been in use for at least a decade. A model "T" Ford stands on flat tires astraddle if the ore cart tracks Into the tun nel. The ancient automobile has obviously been immobile a long, long time. The rails from" the mine to the ore pro cessing plant are useless. The rail .trestle is falling in de cay, tirass grows In the door way of the shed at the mouth of the mine tunnel. A few rusty tools are strewn about the property. A constant stream of yellowish water runs from the dark mouth of the mine. ' Evidence of Logging Evidences of logging arc all about the area. A few hun dred feet from the mine, en tire hillsides have been strip ped of their timber, -ilwforcst service estimates of Vtbecut year by year are as Tollows: 1954 - 800,000 feet; 41955 - 1,820,000; 1956-none, -3ut some timber sold to Steve .5). Wilson; 1957 - 341,000; 3J058-1, 156,000; 1959 - none; sj 960-2,500,000 feci. gr The forest service once es timated Hint 20,000,000 board feet of timber stood on the Al ."Sarena claims, but Wilson iald not more than 2,000,000 -M still there. -i The Al Sarena claims were '.'(he subject of lengthy, bitter '.and Inconclusive congression al hearings in 1955 and 1956. CA mass of testimony and doc umentary evidence was col lected during the investiga tion In both Oregon and ;JVashlnglon, D.C, but no .agreement ever was reached "On the point at Issue. 'Blatui of Claims ?! That point was whether the .Claims were legitimate, whe ther the land contained gold, -.Silver or other minerals in 'iommcrclnl quantities, or Whether Al Sarena Mines, :nc:, had sought and obtained 'patents in order to cut mil- ? :. - " 0 ,ir yfK if""" STRIPPED OF TIMBER - Mountain sides at the Al Sarena mining claims arc stripped of their timber, a familiar sight on the EM MINE IN DECAY The Al in decay. Not one ounce of mineral has been removed since, mining claims were lions of board feet of valu able national forest timber. Democrats' such as Richard L. Neubcrger charged the Re publican administration of the Interior department under the late Sec. Douglas McKay, a former governor of Oregon, with permitting a "timber grab" in the Rogue River National Forest. Neuterger's opponent In the 1954 senatorial campaign, incumbent Sen. Guy M. Cor don, replied vehemently that Al Sarena was a "phony is sue. In 1956, Rep. Charles Porter's opponent in the 4th district, incumbert Rep. Har ris Ellsworth, 1 asserted that patents to the claims were le gally issued under the mining laws of 1872. Oregon newspapers divid ed sharply on the issue. Some agreed with Neuberger, Por ter and other Democrats. Some newspapers agreed with Cordon and Ellsworth and supported the administration issue Lives on But the Issue lived on de spite disagreement along what seemed to be strictly partisan lines. The Al Sarena case became, In fact, a sym bol of what the Democrats hold to be the Elsenhower ad ministration's "retreat from responsibility" in the field of resource management and conservation. It is mentioned In this context in the I960 Democratic national platform. The Majority members of the House committee on gov ernment operations asserted In a report June 20, 1956, that "to grant patent to the claims of Al Sarena Mines, Inc., in the Rogue River Na tional Forest, the department of the Interior Invented a pro cedure without precedent In the administration of our public lands and contrary to the principles of the Admin istrative Procedures Act. Al Sarena Mines, Inc., had been unsuccessful In obtaining pat ents under the normal proce dures applicable, then as now, to all other mining claims." The company applied for patents Oct. 4, 1948. On April id, 1930, the forest service filed protests on 15 of the 23 claims, charging inadequate mineralization. The forest service based its protests on three separate assays by In dependent assnycrs In Oregon and California. Hearing Held A hearing was held In Port land, Sept. 13, 1950, at which representatives of the com pany walked out without pre senting a single piece of evi dence. In due course, the 15 disputed claims were denied by the bureau of land man agement. The company was offered another opportunity j "Maw claims, which are located in the Rogue River National forest about 45 miles north and east of Medford. &5 1 il"'fi Snrena mine is gold, silver, or from the land patented Feb. 11, 1954. The company was awarded pat ents on the premise that valuable ore de posits were present. to present its case under reg ular BLM procedures, but turned the opportunity down The company's refusal to sub mit its evidence during the hearings later led to charges Dinner Planned for Exchange Students Gillian DuCroz and Hisa yuko Kondo, foreign exchange students here under the aus pices of the American Field service, are scheduled to be formally presented to mem bers of the local AFS commit tee Saturday night. The committee is holding the annual "get acquainted dinner at the Rogue Valley Country club for members of the committee and their fam ilies at 6:30 p.m. Mrs. R. E. Mcncke, local AFS president, said DcAnne Taylor will also speak briefly about her trip abroad this summer. Miss Taylor spent three months living with a family in West Berlin, Ger many. Both Miss DuCroz and ' ' do are attending Mc. jid High school this fall as sen iors, and will reside with lo cal families until next sum mer. They arc sponsored lo cally by the Crater Lions club and the Medford Rotary club, Young Kondo is staying with Dr. and Mrs. Fred C Lorish and family, 830 Minne sota st,, and Miss UuCroz is living with the L. C. Mc Laughlin family, 3384 Jack sonville highway, both Med ford. The exchange students ar rived In Medford late last month. Erie Passenger Train Derailed Port Jervls, N. Y. - IWD The crack Eric Railroad pass enger train, the Chicago Ex press, was derailed four miles east of Port Jervls early to day on a mountainside curve. Railroad officials said three crewmen were Injured and were taken to a hospital, but none of the passengers aboard the train, No. 7 bound from Hobokcn, N. J., to Chicago. was hurl. The railroad said the acci dent occurred near the town of Otlsvllle when the train was about 85 mil s from Ho boken, its originating point. i no roalroad was going to run a shuttle train to the scene of the derailment to take pass engers off the train. It was reported 12 cars of the H ear train left the track. -e that the BLM had somehow withheld information that would have been favorable to the company, and that rec ords were missing. In 1953, when McKay took office as secretary of the in terior and Clarence A. Davis as solicitur of that depart ment, Davis worked out with Rep. Ellsworth of Oregon a novel procedure for reap praisal of the claims outside the record previously made. Davis asked a representa tive of the bureau of mines to accompany the Al Sarena company's mining engineer to take new sompies from the 15 disputed claims. Under his in struction, these samples were to be assayed by a firm ac ceptable to the company as well as the bureau of mines. Reject Asiayers After rejecting three west ern assayers, the government representative and the com pany engineer sent the 15 new samples to an assa.ver with which Al Sarena had done business in the pnst-the A.W. Williams Inspection Co. of Mobile, Ala., where the company had its home office. No provision was made for any notice to the contestant forest service, nor did the for est service receive any notice of these special proceedings. It had no opportunity to ex amine the new evidence, cross-examine witnesses, or submit evidence In rebuttal. On Christmas Eve, 1953, a messenger from Rep. Ells worth delivered to Solicitor Davis the report of assays in Alabama, which reported mineral values on the Al Sar ena claims far in excess of those found In the three prior assays. When the accuracy of this assay report was chal lenged, the ore samples could not be produced. It was al leged that they had been thrown away. On Jan. 6, 1954, Davis or dered patents granted to the company, and on Feb. 11, this was done. Oregon Escapee Nabbed irt Idaho . Salem rilPD - Oregon pen itentiary officials were advis ed Tuesday of the capture In Sandpoint, Idaho, of Warren Elriridge Keller, an Inmate who escaped Aug. 12. Kel ler, 33, Pendleton, Is serving five years for a burglary in Umatilla county. ' Ho fled the prison annex with Richard Arnold Miller, 30. serving two years from Wasco county for breaking and entering. Miller Is sjlll being sought. Quotes From the News BY UNITED PHESS INTERNATIONAL Hollywood Actress Arline Judge, dicussing plans to divorce her seventh husband: "I thought this marriage would be lucky seven, but maybe I should try for 11 that's supposed to be luckier." New York Soviet Premier Nikila Khrushchev when asked what he was going to do at the United Nations: "We Russians are working, not spending our time in drinking as you probably think." New York-Police Commissioner Stephen P. Kennedy, on Khrushchev's complaint of police interference and Kenendy's counter-charge of interference by Khrushchev's bodyguards: "Mr. Khrushchev is not putting ui on notice, I am put ting him on notice through our government that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated." San Francisco The International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's. Union in rejecting both Kennedy and Nixon as presidential candidates: "A vote for either is a vote against a positive program for peace and progress. We reject both." Khrushchev, Castro Display Boredom; Outbreaks Frequent By JACK F. FOX New York - IUPD - Nikita Khrushchev stared at the ceil ing and Fidel Castro nervous ly shuffled his feet. Their bear hugging out of the way, the two premiers had settled down to the business at hand - heading the Soviet and Cuban delegations to the United Nations. Both men looked a trifle bored. It was evident this pair of new-found friends, who em braced with gusto both at Cas tro's Harlem Hotel and before the first session of the U.N. General Assembly a short time later, became led upj wuu sluing in me auaiencc the first day. Khrushchev left after an hour of the droning night ses sion. Castro didn't even show up The most dramatic display came at the opening after noon session. Ignore Each Other Khrushchev ambled down one aisle of the assembly hall to personally cast the Soviet ballot for the new president. Down another aisle came American U.N. Ambasador James Wadsworth. They reached the rostrum at the same time. Neither made a move to recognize the other. Wads- worth stepped back and per mitted Khrushchev to cast the Two Paroled in Truck Dynamiting Portland-mro-Two of four persons who confessed dyna miting newspaper trucks in Portland Jan. 31 have been paroled from the Oregon State Correctional Institution. Charles Henry Snyder and Gerald Allen Couzcns were released Sept. 12, after serv ing 3 months of 13-month and 9-month sentences, respective ly. The parole board was to make a decision soon on re lease of William L. Snyder, who also received 13 months, A third Snyder brother, Ed ward, received a 4-year sen tence and is not yet up for consideration for parole. The four confessed to dyn amiting trucks serving the then combined Orcgonian Orcgon Journal. They impli cated Levi S. McDonald, strik ing stcreotyper, who was con victed but who has remained free on bail pending appeals to the State Supreme Court Bellman Helps Nab Suspected Robber Portland-IUPD-A hotel bell man helped police catch a suspected jewel robber Tues day night. The suspect was identified as James Patrick Atkins, 36, Vancouver, B.C. Officers also recovered a diamond ring worth $4,500 and a watch worth $1,250. The bellman, Don Osmond, remembered seeing a man jump into a cab driven by a friend. He notified police and Atkins was stopped at Port land International Airport. Osmond is a bellman at the Benson hotel. John R. Graf, 26, Seattle. told officers the ring and watch had been taken from his room by a man introduced to him as a prospective buyer. Atkins was charged with larceny with bail set at $10,- 000. London - OTP - Lord Mor rison, chief British film cen sor, today gave a frank ex planation of his Job: "You've ot to watch every Inch look ing out far things that are ;hlcn i enjoy and things that are not to good, which I also enjoy." secret ballot. The premier turned on his heels and head ed back to his seat. Outside the great hall there were outbreaks of jeering pickets, scuffles, fist fights and flailing police clubs. Three persons were arrested, Including one 19-year-old Uk rainian youth who was seized while setting fire to a Russian flag. A long line of policemen, part of the force of 700 as signed to the U.N. building, stood almost shoulder to shoulder along First ave., pre venting crowds from gather ing. Numerous other incidents were reported around the liv ing quarters of the Commu nist leaders. Eggs and vege tables pelted the car of chief Ukrainian U.N. delegate Niko lai V. Podgorny Tuesday nignt. Search for Bomb There was more than surly crowds to keep police busy, Castro's hotel was searched for a bomb after an anony mous phone call, one of sev eral received since the Cuban angrily departed a midtown hotel and stormed up to Har lem, six miles from the U.N. building. Khrushchev comp 1 a i n e d there were too many poli-e-mcn around him. So Wladyslaw Gomulka, tiie Polish Communist leader. One of Khrushchev's body guards, husky 220-pound, 6-foot-3 Gen. Nikolai Zakharov, was collared by an equally burly New York police cap lain after the Russian started shoving the city policemen. The policemen were trying to escort Khrushchev away from Castro's hotel following his surprise visit which caught police off guard. Some of the residents in the area where Khrushchev, Tito and other Reds are staying became fed up with demon strators, and dumped buckets of water on them from bal conies and upper windows. There were sporadic clashes with ' mounted policemen charging into the milling dem onstrators. Bloody noses were not uncommon. WhyGood-Time Charlie Suffers Uneasy Bladder Unwise eating or drinking mav be a tource of mild, nut nno.tins hlniMer irritations making you feel restless tense, mil uncomfortable. And il tcslless nights, with nagging backache, headache or muscular aches and pains due to over-exertion, strain or emo tional upset, are addini to vour misery don't wail try Dean's Pills. uoans fills act 3 ways for speedy relief. I They have a soothing effect on bladder irritations. 2 A fast pain relieving action on nagging backn, he, headachev muscular aches and pains. 3 A wonderfully mild diuretic action thru the kidneys, tending to increase Ihe output of the 15 mites of kidney tubes. So, gel Ihe same happy relief millions have enjoyed for over 60 years. Large, economy site w f saves money, tier Doan't Pills KHlajrl hi if. s- mi VTT-TrnrrTrrnrTiritrriiJ , United Medford Crusade Supports Camp Fire Girls One of the most worthwhile agencies that comes under the support of the United Medford Crusade is the Camp Fire girls. Camp Fire Includes girls in all parts of the United States, of all races, religions, who have joined together in the fun, friendship and high ideals of Camp Fire. Camp Fire Is a leisure-time program supplementing the training of home, church and school through activities which are enjoyable and char acter building. Last year in Jacxson county there were 814- members, ranging in ages from 7 to 18, under the guidance of 225 adult leaders, sponsors and volunteers. 'Junior' Members Blue Birds are the "junior" members with their own pro gram designed to meet the needs of seven to nine year olds. The emphasis is not on skills or competition so much as with experimenting with materials and ideas. The Blue Birds become Camp Fire Girls at the age of 10 during a special "Flying cux&picuice ol electsiic beat. . . REX TOPHICH e Builder e Mt. Shasta FOR FULL INFORMATION iON SAFE. CLEAN. ECONOMICAL ELECTRIC HEAT. VISIT A CALORE ELECTRICAL LEAGUE DEALER OR ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR: - BAUMER'S- SHEET METAL-& HEATING 8-10 N Riverside - Medford - SP 3-4346 BROOKS ELECTRIC . , . 1116 N Riverside - Medford - SP 2-S209 COURT STREET ELECTRIC ' 1127 Court Street - Medford - SP. 2-2463 1 ELECTRONIC SERVICE 18 N Grape - Medford SP 3-1971 ENLOE ELECTRIC Rt. 1, Box 415 - Talent - KE 5-1269 FELDMAN& OLSON - Medford - SP 3-2811 237 East Main - Medford - SP 3-2811 , HARRISON ELECTRIC Rt. 2, Gibbon Road - Central Point MODERN PLUMBING & SHEET 613 East Jackson - Medford - SP 3 ROGUE ELECTRIC SERVICE 961 Shafer Lane - Medford - SP RUSH ELECTRIC COMPANY 1023 S Riverside - Medford - SP 2-4960 TROWBRIDGE & FLYNN 214 West Main - Medford - SP 3-6241 YOW'S HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING & 1729 N Riverside - Medford - SP 2-4534 WIRE YOUR HOME FOR MODERN, LOW-COST ELECTRIC HEAT ON COPCO'j WIRE-ON-TIME PLAN... MAKE BUDGET PAYMENTS AT LOW INTEREST RATES... ASK YOUR LEAGUE DEALER OR COPCO SERVICE OFFICE. Q -PV- (NOT mi SAVE! STARTS THURSDAY! 3 Big Days-Sept. 22-23-24 Turn To Harvest Festival Seotion-C Up" ceremony. The Camp Fire girl receives honors, ranks and awards by exploring her spe cial interest in the seven crafts: home, creative arts, outdoors, frontiers of science, business, sports and games, and citizenship. Whole new worlds open up to Camp Fire Girls as they "learn by doing" together skills in work and play, serv ice to others, a sense of con fidence and responsibility, and a sound idealism. Activities of the Camp Fire Girls are varied with council wide song fests, the annual candy sale, Mother-Daughter Tea, resident and day camping and the annual Grand Coun cil Fires in May where .girls are recognized for their achievements throughout the year. Camp Held Resident camp was held at the Methodist Church camp at Dead Indian Soda Springs for both Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls. Here 56 girls en joyed a varied program of swimming, hiking , archery, cook-outs, camp craft skills, and Indian Lore. FIRE) SAVE! HABVESTM Horizon clubs are geared to the maturing tastes of the high school girls. Here she finds the same "fun' and friendship" the younger girl enjoys in Blue Birds and Camp Fire, but the program emphasis is on her mora grown up interests in co-ed ac tivities, in personality devel opment and social skills, in vocational exploration, and in personal service in the com munity. Horizon club girls in the Rogue Council give many hours of service by helping in the Camp Fire office, assisting with younger Camp Fire groups, and as junior counsel ors at resident and day camps. Tiornfon Rules on Collection Certificate Salem - IUPD - Residency in the state of one year is not a requirement for a collection agency solicitor's certificate, Attorney General Robert Y, Thornton said Tuesday. He added that it is beyond the authority of the Oregon Collection Agency Board to set such a qualification. - NO 4-2091 METAL - 5368 2-6603 SHEET METAL SAVE!