The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-04-24
The Northern Pacific Railroad
and Its Land Grant.

SEATTLE. A!lii 2Ji. iSI..
En-. ISrELLIGEXcER: Since = former
consolidation upon this subject. Mr..
Boo;h, IL an article in the daily DIS
Eetca of the 10Th inst, and also in the
daily INTELLIGEHCER Of the 18TH inst
on the subject of the Seattle and Walla
Walla Railroad, alludes TO the matter
of this land grant, in connection with
the project Of that road, and also that
7 Of the Portland, Dalles and Salt Lake
Road. L, is to be hoped that Mr..
Booth will not only continue to inyesti-
gate and write upon these ana kindred
subjects IN which our entire population
Is SD much interested, but taat others.
and especially the editors of our three
journals III Seattle. will likewise con-
tribute with :heir pens To agitAte al!
these matters Mt this opportuue time
do not know rs To the effort alluded
to by Mr.. Booth on the part of the
Portland. Dalles and Salt Lake Rail-
road Company. TO procure a transfer to
themselves of n portion of the lands
heretofore granted to the Northern Pa
citic Railroad Co, etc. Such may be,
and probably is the case, but one thing
+ is certain, Congress will not grant any
/ portion Of these lands to any other com-
pany until it has first Invested the title
thereto. which now vests in the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company; TOR is
j 1t at all probable that they will do both
by the same bill Any effort Of this
kind shout be promptly met and de-
feated at auy cost.
I Our Delegate. Hon. O. Jacobs, at
/ the last Congress introduced bill 70
grant portion of these lartis 10 the
! Seattle and Walla Wal!a Railroad Com
pany, but it was never reported from
! tha cnmiaitto..
! Every effort should be made to
secure aid i'll the building of the Seattle
aud Walls Walls Railroad, but the
first, and 10y far the most important,
thing noe 10 be done. is TO Giyest from
the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany, the legal title 10 those vast tracts
OF land which have been Withdrawn
from the market aad settlement by
homestead and pre- compton claimants
at their instance on lines that said COM
pany never propose to build; aud also
TO prevent any part Of this land grant
being applied to aid in the build
ing of the local coal road from
Tacoma up the Puyallup river 81 miles
to the coal mines. One thing at q
time and that done WELL" is an old and
good rule The Northern Profile Rail-
road Company must have affirmative
relief Of an extension of time, else It
tortelts Its grant, and Congress will
then have the power TO restore all lands
not earned, on both the main and
branch lines. - the government, To be
deal, with as other public lands.
" lien this relief IL again asked. AS it
Will be 81 the first session Of Congress.
Is the time for vigorous and effective
work by our people. unless they are
willing to be bound hand aud fo0t for
the next twenty years a they have been
for the seven years Jus, past Then
and there Is the time TO make known to
Congress. and any member thereof the
simple naked facts IT the case. and
thus prevent new lease of power 10
, the company without suitable restrict
, ions. at least IN the matter of restora-
iion OF lands not earned or ~ be earned
Who is 20 do this. aud how is Ii Ia lie
done There IS al old aud true ada. to
, .he effec. that what Is every body's bust
/ ness IS nobody's business. and that is
wherein the danger lies III this matter
In order 10 move the masses even IN
matters vital ~ their welfare. and ena-
Z bic them 10 act effectively, there must
, be seme pLfg devised, AID that plan
must tee CARRIED luto execution through
some organized agency that can reach
the people. What shall ,ha; plan and
| agency be IN this case
, 81 tar a. seeking aid by the way o,
d, \ land grant for the building OF the
Seattle and Wslia Waila Railroad i.
= concerned. there can he In llsrui II. Try.
5 INK. but the restoration IL the lands II,
question should uo, i- Vt,ludlcc,l there
by No one can feel mote friendly t,
that road than the writer ~ 10 - rp~ady
and willing - IL everything IN hi,
l power ~ All that enterprise, auj firm
{ " believes that = = Aud wall continue
- tx. decided success We are still
battling with the same euemy that VA,
attempting T. tarat;ie u. when tbs
3 project 1T toe Seattle y Walia Walls
Railroad w-s> conceived. a.! that c,sm
pauy orsaniz,-i IN stls-.lctsi>.. The tx
positions II the de>isns and dosngs OF
the Northern Psciic Railroad Comps
: nv, and It, a4d r.nss hleh pre-
:, ey>ied accompanied and followed The
organization u the Sy4tiie and Wa
WaliA Railroad Company ~a> = ~ wer
I fal b,o~ - the former company. aud
from " hlch Il hs> ns7' yrt recovered
il, That as tie result IT = we.l r-all2el
ard wey. dire ts,i etfogt Finding thai
the locatleg u their terminus AZ Taco
ana y - a. eailrc taalnre, ira; astsr 'a'
lapse 81 ptaE.y toSlr years .5etg boAs.et
/. terminus was 4 mere ~Ay station I've
tween Portland and Seattle. Numbering
scArcvly bansirssi soesls, their nsgu.6
:, cs,si town site existed merely CT paper
4 bale Seattle hai ts-en unusually pres
= pernus, naor- than aoas.lSug h"r pognis