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Show y. Ik pav\sucnt of tin- xnnx-i jib &x l Land 54732-1900 O<-T a;i ov INDIAN A: '.-AIRS November 22, 1900. Old Tabby, Chief, and Happy Jack, Second Chief, Uintah Reservation, Whiterocks, Utah. My Friends: I have read and considered your letter of October 20, 1900, relative to permitting John T. Clark to work with you in your mines -and to show you how to mine, Mr. Clark to receive one-half the product mined for his work. I am forced to say in reply, that the existing law does not , authorize the mining and removal of mineral products from an Inaian reservation by the method you suggest. Under existing law, the Indians themselves cannot be permitted to mine and dispose of the mineral products of their reservations; and if they cannot do this themselves they cannot do it in connection with some white friend. The only method by which mining operations can be conducted on the reservation is under a regular lease, authorized by this Department and approved by the Secretary of the Interior; but as there is already one approved lease in favor of the Raven Mining Company, covering lands on your reservation for the mining of gilsonite, asphaltum, elaterite and mineral wax, the office would not feel justified in recommending the execution of further leases. |