ADDRESS ONLY
THE DIRECTOR. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
WASHINGTON

February

l6, 1926

My dear Mr. Haydens
In the absence of Director Mather for a few
for your
Director

days, I am quoting
information an excerpt from a letter addressed to the
by Mr. Ford Harvey»
"Your letter

8th

inst. with enclosures about Bass

claims has

just come.
You will see by the attached
Attorney C. B. Wilson, dated Flag¬
that Mr. and Mrs. Bass have been
paid in full and that title to all their claims in the
Grand Canyon national Park has been transferred to the
Santa Fe Land Improvement Company.
copy of letter from
staff February 8th,

My recollection is not entirely clear as to the
leading up to the acquisition of these
Bass properties by the Santa Fe Company, but it is
my impression I urged the proposition upon them as
a result of some conversation or correspondence
between you and me.
I believe it was thought Bass
had done constructive work at Grand Canyon; that
there were true mineral showings in his claims;
that he had equities of value and that if Fred
Harvey or the Company would take control of same
and pay him $25,000, it would be in the public
conditions

interest and there

was a probability of secur¬
ing Federal legislation which wouid enable the
Park Service to take over the property and make
restitution of the moneys advanced as above."

Copy of Attorney Wilson's letter to Mr. Ford Harvey is also
information.

inclosed for your
I

know Director Mather would be

from you as to the
which would enable

glad to have any expression
probability of securing Congressional legislation
the Park Service to take over the property

-

and repay the
advanced.

2

-

Santa Fe Land Improvement Company for the money

Sincerely yours,

Inclosure

26616.

A.

E.

Demaray

Acting Director

Hon.

Carl

Hayden,
Representatives,
Washington, D. C.
House of