Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-13
ruE PACIFIC COAST sraRREn rp
a vigorous Protest and an Able speeeh
..'Les the People Read and Reject.
Corr. Chicago Exuress


J before tue ComuIttee of Public L,nd-
OF the house, To present TO that csmt.lt-
s+e sone facts IN regard to the Northern
racine Railroad as affecting the people
or Washington Territory. This Ierri.
tory mas a representative on that com
mittee IN the person of Thos. II. Brents
DeieRste from that Territory. Mr.
brents, u seemed, had beep led astray
and the people whom he represen nts. or
rather misrepresents, becoming d,ss tt,s-
ued with bis course, concluded to send
some one here to represent them iu fact
instead OF In theory, and for that pur-
pose selected Mr.. White. There is cau,e
Tor general complaint over the whole
Territory. and right here | will state the
general plan of the road, aided by cotn
piaisant Interior Department., has been
10 throw every obstacle Ia the way OF an
honest settlement of the Territory nv
n'a;lng Its grants over three fourths OF
the Territory. IL WAS never iut-noed
by Congress that any land should be
Withdrawn from settlement except on a
stircted route determined u,on by the
road as the line thsy were going to bulld
upon; yet IN Washington Territory the
land - covered with Withdrawals by the
comp tEy In one placs fling a map OF
general route" in another section
trial iine," and still in another by
proposed lines, and finally by amend
| cd lines Here are four distinct mans
that have been filed, and on every one 10
y Withdrawal of s'TIp 70 miles VIDE,
with AN additional ~ miles for Ind.m-
nifty limits, making each withdrs val 100
miles wide. Four time. 100 ID 4OO mil
| wide, and this clear across the lerrilory.
do not wish To bs understood as saying
4 hat h. al
the lands In these Withdrawals, bot do
say that by their being Withdrawn they
are out Of reach for homestead entries,
and no man can homestead on any of il
till the roads kindly say which with
drawal they will u. ilize. 70 reclte such
things ulakes a persons blood boil with
Indignation; and when We consider that
| these lands are allowed to be held up by
executive officers Who are paid by the
| people, and who have sworn to do their
duty, II Is beyond any language know
OF to find proper words to characterize
the men who have betrayed those whom
they swore to serve. But there il a fur |
ter fact, that makes the mattel. still more
dannable, and it is that the time for
any withdrawal at all has expired for
more than i've years, and yet executive |
officers fail to do their duty; and If a
citizen asks the peoples servants (Con- |
Rress) to right the wrong, men who are
in that body so far forget themselves |
and their sworn duty as to style such |
citizens "shysters, SPECTATORS, lobby |
ists." etc.
But back te the main issue that Mr.. |
White so ably stated.
The grant of land made by Congress |
was for a road from Lake Superior to |
| Puget Sound. That road has not been |
built even to this day. In 1877 the North |
ern Pacific men built 2j miles of road |
from the city of Tacoma through the |
Puyallup valley to the Carbonate coal |
mines. The road was built, not as q part |
Of the main line, bat simply as coal |
road; and az further proof of this fact. |
| though the road was bnilt in 1877, they |
had never applied to the Government |
for inspectors TO inspect and receive il |
as part of their line. IL they had ever |
intended il as u part of this road, they |
could have in 1877 had it received, and |
years ago have procured patents for |
640.006 acres of land; and. further, they |
could have issued bonds for x625.0O0 |
Knowing that the road WAS never in- |
tended ss a part of their road, they failed |
to claim it Hs such. but a new factor |
has come on tbs scene. April IL, 1884, |
u
| House OF Representatives reported a bill |
| to for cit all lands not claimed by con- |
struction up TO July 4, 1879. This affects |
the company to the tune Of nearly forty |
| million acres. They begin to cast about
for a chance to steal few more acres. !
They suddenly remember that this coal |
road was built in 1877, and they then IN |
the year of our Lord, 1884, apply to the !,
| President of the United States for CON- /.
missioners to inspect and receive the |
road, as part of their line to which |
they are entitled to forty sections per
mile. How much is this stealf The ,
Seattle Caamber of Commerce. at u
meeting held April l7th, say, IN speak
ing of this effort, "thtt over 6UO,OuO
acres Of land, mostly in KING county.
valu able for its coal and timber, and
| worth fully ten millions Of doitars' Will
ba absorbed by the comp ,ny II this at
tempted steal 10 coasummat-d. Let tins
wrong be consum mated, the coal fields
of the Pacific SLOPE are handed over 81
| a monopoly. Not satisfi d With absorb /
inq some of the NEST vaiu BILE run
| lands In the world. this gigantic corpo-
ration attempts by u piece OF trickefy,
bat little IL any short OF down. r'ght
thievery, to steal the peoples coal aud
timber lands Ia Washington Territory.
| IL this outrage IL contaminated, II Will
| be by the heads OF thede ,,arlm sats aud
venAi IN smbers OF Congress. Eae
| facts stated above by me we're all shown
| claarly before the committee by Mr.
| White. It il a matter Of regret that We
| have not few more meu like MIR. White
| TO come before committees and talk Ike
an independent American sovereign.
Mr.. White prefaced his argument by
+, reading that part OF the minority repcrt
that classed all anti-railroad land steal
ers as shysters, specuiators ana LOBBY
| ists in disguise of patriots" and then he
proceeded t. tell those gentlemen his
opinion of matters and things. he nfss
| showed them that in point of respecta-
bilisy and standing he was the peer OF
| auy OF them. He then for one hour
and q half spike Of the wrongs and oot-
| RACES perpetrated in tbs past, and spoke |
| of the Rlo my outlook ahead, unless
| Congress inteFfered. 10 was plainly 10
be seen that his way Of stating facts
was somew hat startling to the authors
of the minority report, as it was pleas
| inc 20 the true men on that commiftee.
Mr.. White then turned his attention 70
the delegate from that Territory, NJ.
| Brenss. and showed him the error OF his
ways, aud advised him 10 return TO his
first love. the people OF his Territory.
| Mr.. White brought 10 the attention OF
| the committee the following facts as set
forth by a resolution Of mass meeting
of citizens Of Seattle aud King county,
| to wit
WHERxAs. Said Northern Pacific Rail
road Company, in selling its so-caiied
earned lands. has always made. and
| continues 10 make, reservations In us
deeds Of rights end privileges IN itseif.
| and imposes upon the settler conditions
| which must prove serious drawback 70
| the settlement and continued prosperity
of the country within aud far beyond tss
granted limits. These obnoxious and
,nsnfflc,ept deed9 reserve 10 said con-
pany the right TO build humes and rail-
road lines over the lands. rcserving for
the latter q strip Of land 100 feet vide.
and require she purchaser TO fence aione
said railroad lines They also reserve
| All the minerals and right 90 mine tho
| - ..<.swssf.. an Al should tne pUr-