Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1877-05-12
The Railroad Land Grant.

a public meeting was heldin Seattle,
May l, 1873, at which the following
preamble and resolutions were adopt
ed:
WHEREAS, the people of Washington
Territory have been long and patient suf-
fercrs, in consequence of the withdrawal
from sale and from settlement by home.
stead and pre-cmption claimants of every
odd section of the public lands over near
ly the entire area of said Territory in ia
vor of the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany, thereby preventing compact settle.
mcnt of ncighborh0ods, with the advan.
tages of roads, schools and churches, and
increasing the price to double the former
minimum of the remaining public lands;
and
WHEREAS, the said Northern Pacific
Railroad Company have located their ter
minus on Puget Sound at Tacoma, in
township No. 20 north. range 3 east, there
by FORGETTING their right to all Withdrawals
on their main line, north of that point;
and,
WHEREAS, The said company have
abandoned their branch line of road over
the Cascade Mountains via the Skaget Pass,
and filed in the office of the Commissioner
of the General Land Office a map of a
route for said branch line over the Cas-.
cade Mountains via the Matches Pass.
which last named route they have never
surveyed, and have no legal right to adopt;
and,
WHEREAS, 1t is a notorious fact that
the said company do not propose to build
a road over said Matches Pass, and,
WHEREAS, Said company are now
building local coal road from Tacoma in
a southeasterly direction. up the Puyallup
river, for distance of 81 miles, to GER
tain coal mines, the said coal mines and
and the entire line of said coal road being
within the limits of the earned lands Of
said company, on the main line of their
road from Kalama to Tacoma; and,
WHEREAS, 1t is the avowed purpose of
said company to claim and if possible to
obtain the full benefit of their land grant
on this branch line via the Matches Pass,
for the building of said thirty-one miles
OF coal road, viz, forty sections to the
mile, or 793, 600 acres for the 81 miles;
and the right to make selection of the
same north of the adjusted limits of their
earned lands on their main line; and
whereas the legal title to all land in the
aforesaid withdrawal still rests IN said
company, and can only be Invested by an
act of Congress; now, therefore, be it
iasotced, That 1t is an important duty On
the part of the people of Washington
Territory, in order to protect their most
vital interests, and secure the welfare and
prosperity of the whole country. by all
just cndeavors and lawful means, and in
the most speedy manner, to prevent. if
possible, the transportation of the pub
lie lands for the building of said coal road
from Tacoma up the Puyallup river in
violation of both the spirit and the letter
OF said land grant, and also TO procure a
restoration 10 the government, Of all lands
in said Territory north of the adjusted
limits OF thecarned Ian Il of said COMPANY
on the main line of said road, and all
land on the branch line or lines Of said
rad. which have heretofore been With
drawn IN favor of said COMPANY. 10 l,e
dealt with - other public lands
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