Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-20

gentleman can use lauou 7ge too strong
IN condemnation of this bas>iess aud
shameless aud .cIfy of the Northern Pa
citic X .Ilroad Company In going TO the
President, aud by fraud attempting 10
make him assist them III thus gigantic
steal of 10000 acres of valuable laud
in kIag county. Just look at 1t. Here
IL company richly endowed Nv the
Government with lands of sufficient
value 10 build parallel lines of road clear
across the continent. bending all their
energy and ability IN attend tlng to rob
the Government that SO bouRlfuliy en-
dowed Is. 1t seems that the greater the
endowment the greater tie robbery.
| And now this Northern Pacific Railroad
Company comes To strike the hand that
/ gave II being. and sting the hand that
warmed II into life.
| Look again. Here is a section of coal
/ road built In 1877 for the Development
/ of coal mine. and ever since U.ed In
| the transportation of coal. now claimed
/ TO be a - mile section of their Cascade
/ line. 1 heir aim Ia public Lnnder. lucy
| are trying 10 steal tUU 600 acres of hing
county lands. The grand jury will in
/ diet and the courts punish some poor
unfortunate devil who steals 80. al
!
| bv hunger: b1t here l. a great corpora
| ton attrm ptlng to steal millions OF dol
lars worth of lands and properly, with
no grand jury to indict nor no court to
send this pack of thieves To the penlten-
tiary. The people should keep alive to
the Importance of this matter. II this
graspiug corporation IL allowed to
spread its biightlng shadow over this
country like black pail, and secure
and lock up the great body of lands 1t
is attempting to steal, nations Vet I'M
born will rise up and curse the hour
that gave birth to the day on which the
government gave the public lands to
corporations. Let Us throw a flood OF
light upon this transaction. SO that the
President can act IN the light of all the
facts and circumstances. We are ouly
Territory now, but after while We
will be power in the land. These pub
lie lands are our blrthrisht, and We
would be requient in our duty to our
selves aud our posterity If We failed ;
protest against this gigantic steal.
JUDGE JACOBS
Was next called for, and made a short
but pointed speech. He spoke of his
efforts while in Congress in 1877 to have
the unearned grants in this Territory
restored to the public domain, III which
he was successful In having 5.OOO,OOU
acres restored. The railroad COMPANY
at that time WAS asking for an extern
sion of time for the completion of its
road. At that time Congressman were
very friendly with the company, and
inclined to give them all they asked. and
more. The Chief Engineer of the COM
pany at that time went before the COM
mittees of Congress and represented
that the building of road thr. ugh the
Cascade mountains was financial I'M
practicability. l then demanded for.
fixture of the grant on their branch
they might retain twenty miles Oh
either side of their coal road. All CON
ceded at that time that the COMPANY
was not entitled to an acre of land for
the building of that COAL road: still
congressman at that time were willing
to allow twenty miles The bill pre-
pared by me furfeiting these lands. to
which Billings, Wright and otrers
agreed, did not come up for passage
till after my term of office expired
when the company went back on every
thing, and have been attempting to
gObble everything in sight sIuce that
time.
Certain persons are very ti,nld over
this matter, lest they offend the \ nth
ern Pacific people. But We have done
enough already To make US obnoxious to
that corporation ; but We are right, and
that company, or any other, would
rather treat with brave men than with
towards. Nations do not treat with
towards, they just take what they want.
There Is a certain priuclple of right in
the American people. The important
question IL, are We right, or arc VT
wrong! | say We are right. Thanh
God. The young men are right on thl>
subject. That day has passed when the
pubic lands can ever he gwen away III
any considerable ga antilles. for any
purpose other than tor actu Al st ttieinent
and cultivation.
J. J. MACGILvRA, ESQ.
Was the next speaker. He SAID: As
chairman of the committee which pre-
scented these resolutions. | should have
something ia say IN favor of their pas
sage. All the Old settlers know how
stand on this question. In 1878 had
the honor of representing the people of
Puget Sound in Washington, while the
|
jacobs, was the Territorial Delegate.
My mission WAS to assist our Delegate
in wrestling from the Northern Pacific
railroad over five million acres of land.
which We succeeded III having restored
to the pubic domain. Why. at one
time. AS will be seen by old maps. this
cOmptnv claimed nearly all the land in
the entire Territory. When We made
that fight 1t WAS not popular in Con-
gress not out of Congress-. The Puyal-
lup coal road WAS built at that time,
every foot Of which Is within the COM
pany's alleged grant between Tacoma
and kalanla, and commenced at Taco
ma and Terminated in a canyon. Not
wlthstandIng ali this, they have within
the past few days reported to the Pres
Idle 1t that % mile section Of the Cas-
cade branch has been completed, mean
Ing % mile section of this local coal
| road. IhS President must have been
Imposed upon, as he has appointed
| commissioners to examine this road
Our object Is to SHOW facts and figures,
that this road WAS never intended TO
have any connection with the much
talked of Cascade branch. and to prove
this will quote from official
REPORTS OF THE N. p. Il. r. CO.
On this point.
In the published report of the Presi-
dent and Directors of the Northern Pa
citc Railroad Company to the stock
holders, at the annual meeting. Septem-
beI 9th. 1876. the President. Charles b.
Wright. says:
The Pacific division has lately been
visited and thoroughly inspected by the
| Vice President. whose report to the
board upon its condition and prospects.
and upon the co Il fields Of this COM
paHy, and the proposed branch road for
their development, is printed herewith"
At the westerly termination of our
road on Puget Sound. this company has.
directly aud indirectly, very extensive
properties. 1t owas directly vast guam
titles of agricultural, coal and timber
lands. and through ownership of the
Tacoma Land Company, and the Lake
Superior and Puget Sound Company, it
has the controlling interest in the ter
minal town site and adjacent lands.
The profitable development of this
property seems to depend upon the