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Show 196 A. L. RAPLEE For Complainant ( R. Vol. 3 - pp. 461- 480.) He resides at Bluff, Utah. He is seventy five years old and is a miner and driller. He has lived in Bluff and vicinity since 1893. He has used a boat on the San Juan River many times. For about three years he crossed the river every day on a boat. The boat was used to cross the river from camp to a placer mine at Mexican Hat. Equipment in the placer mine consisted of water- wheel, sluice boxes and copper plates, the equipment being brought down to Mexican Hat from Rico, Colorado, by team and wagon. R. 461- 463. He spent three years operating a placer mine and supplies were freighted in from Bluff and Durango both by wagon and by boat. Lumber especially was taken down to the mine by boat. He never took a boat back up stream, it was too hard work. The boats used for freighting lumber were about eighteen feet long with a four and one- half foot beam, flat bottom, and drew probably six inches of water. Trips were made during all seasons of the year. Trips were made during the high water period mostly; made a few trips at the low stage but found it was too much work. The claims were on the bedof the river. R. 464- 465. He made boating trips at all seasons of the year. R. 465. " Q. Did you make any at low water? " A. Yes, I made a few trips at low water, but it was too much work." R. 466. The water was usually high in the spring along about June and in September and in October floods occurred that caused high water. It generally took one day to make the |