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

The People Endorse the Action Of
the Ghamiser Of Commerce n
Protesting Agaisst the Newty.As.
tempted Steal ny the <0rthern
Pacific Railroad Com paay.

Judge Jacobs. chairman of the COM
mittee. called the meeting 10 order and
stated It's object. As stated IN the call.
the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany is attempting TO vail ate its claim
- very large portion of the best coal
and timber lands III this county. Ii
has induced the President of the United
States To appoint a commission to in
spect and report upon twenty five miles
of its coal road extending eastward
from Tacoma. as part of the Cascade
branch of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road. with ths intention, If such sec
,ion is accepted. Of applying for patents
for lands claimed to re earned by con
,trnctIon Of said road. Tbs Seattle
Chamber Of Commerce has already
autographed to Washington protesting
against further official action looking TO
the acceptance of this section of rail
road pending disposal Of the forfeiture
oil now before Congress-. Their action
should be reinforced by the endorse
nent OF the people of this city and
ing vas held last night.
On motion, a committee consisting of
J. j McGivra. q. q. Lyon, George V.
Smith and Ii. l.. Yesler. Was appointed
10 draft resolutions expressive of the
aeLse of the meeting.
JUDGE J. 4. LEwIs
Was called upon to make some re-
marks. In stroug and fOrclble terMs
the Judge condemned this new attempt
1t robbery on the part of the Northern
Pacific Railroad. Here Is a twenty five
mile section OF road built az If by magic
within tho past few days, and the Presl-
dent called upon to appoint commits
-ionsrs to examine il, So that n patent
nay be issued to the company for mil
lions Of dollars worth of King county
lands. Ii behooves Us to show up and
-xpose this fraud. and see that the peo-
pie are protected and not robbed. The
citizens of the county have appointed a
committee OF safety to look after this
matter, and the committee Ia alive to
ts work. These frauds are going to be
looked after. This Puyallup road was
Quilt seven years ago. for the purpose of
developing a coal mine, and was never
Intended for any other purpose than a
coal road. 1t was built wholly within
the grant claimed by the company for
their road from Tacoma to kalama. 1t
was built the same AS the road from So
,ttlc to Newcastle. and no land grant
Was ever expected to be claimed by its
construction at the time it was project
cd and built, and it Was never imagined
that this road was intended as portion
Of the transcontinentsl line. The com
pany has two objects III perpetrating
this fraud. 1t will enable them to place
III the market f6OU, 900 additional bonds,
md to acquire several million dollars
worth of coal. iron and timber lands in
King county, to which 1t has no shadow
of title. These coal lands are very val
liable. The Newcastle mine ia com
prised IN one section, and sold three
years ago for TSOO,OUO.
MIR. Mckay. the expert. who first dis
covered the Green river fields. told me
recently that they we're the riclest and
most extensive mines ever discovered
on the western slope. These are the
lands this grasplng monopoly Is at
tempting to frdudulentlv w.est from the
people of this county and Territory.
These railroad companies In an AFRO
CANT manner state that they don't care
what action Congress takes. If it in
terferes with them, they have right S
md will 60 into the courts. But, Mr.
President, the courts are waking up.
The day of reckoning has come. The
pow ers that be are getting these corpr-
rations 10y the throat. Talk about Vest
I'd rights. There are No. vested rights
to- steal Who ever heard Of vested
rights to perpetrate a wrong. Seven
h,.,
operation the Northern Pacific X .ilroad
Company comes in and tres to steal
| the-e lands. The ,eople are learning
that the have rights which corpora
tons are bound to respect, and the
| courts are learning to protect the people
| in these rights. We are not going tn
at by and see this fraud perpetrated.
l.. Us Resolve something, and advise
the powers that be of what is going on.
Henry Nillard-I never saw the man.
but all honor to him, as he Was the only
| man who ever had hold Of tho manage
| meut of the Northern Pacific X abroad
who devoted his time and attention Ter
building railroads inste I'd of stealing
lands and trying To build up towns.
know whereof | speaa wien | say that
the Northern Pacific Rallro ID Company
IL not doing a lick of work on the much
talked of Cascade branch. Not show
elfnl of earth Is being thrown That
corporation, like many people in this
Territory, IL hard up and could not
build the road If it wanted to. and I'M
der the present management, if it had
plenty of money, | doubt whether il
wouldn't toe spent IN building hotels
and memorial churches. rather than in
building rallrO IDS.
The committee having finished itS
labors, Colouel q. q. Lyon sd the
foil owing
WHEREAS, 1t recently came to the
knowledge of the people of this Terri
tory that the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company had applied for and obtained
the appointment of commissioners by
the President, for the examination of %
miles of the Puyallup braneh, a local
GOAL road built many years ago. for the
purpose OF having said section of road
accepted rs part of the Cascade branch.
| authorized by the companv's charter !:
and.
WHEREAS. This attempt to fost upon
the Government this section of an old
local GOAL road ~ part Of the comp,ny's
chartered line il manifestlv made at
this time for the purpose of securing
c.ior of title to lands in this COUNTY
worth many millions of dollars. for
which II has rendered no seryic. nor
given any consideration whatever-such
attempt being piece of sharp practice
OF which only corporation whose man
aAeinrnt ~ totally regardless of every
consideration of good citizenship. law
and deceney would he guilty; and.
WHEhEAs, The Chamber of Com
merce of the city of Seattle. upon
learning of the action of the COMPANY
and of the appointment of said com
missioners. did. on the 18th day of
April instant, at a special meeting
called for the purpose, adopt memo
rial To the President. setting forth the
facts and htIv characterizlus the con
duct Of said company. and requesting
the President Ia refrain from taking
any further action In the premises, and
dId pron pity forward said memoir Al by
tel graph IL tue President therefore.
Ice II
ReS"'revi Hy the people of the city of
Seattle aud King Couutv, in mas, meet
ing assemhi, Il that 1t is our belief that
the appointu-n: II said c maiissiouers
.ntiI ,,nly a