, 1884-05-10

waters produced him food aud raj
ment, the fritted heavens light, and
his knowledge of deeds, mortgages
and vested rights extended no fur
ther than possession. These wild
and vague notions Of proprietorship
have been inculcated in the native
ever since he was big enough to
tOddle around a wigwam, and it is
difficult for him to learn that he has
no rights that strangers are bound to
respect. Perhaps this is his ignOr-
ance, and he is just as stubborn from
the same cause in having no respect
for the rights Of others. We believe
the law gives an Indian the privilege
of taking up 100 acres Of land. As
an Indian is habitually too tired to
take up more land thaa will cling to
his person very few take advantage
of the privilege. Besides they are
not posted in land matters and never
feel as though they cared to acquire
a title to property until they see
some one else make a move to secure
the land. Then they depend more
upon the convincing power of guns
than the dry, expensive, slow and
uncertain process of law. Settlers
coming in this season and taking up
land to the north Of town no sooner
get on it than they are visited by
squads of Indians claiming prior
possession. Some of the white men
stick it out and hold the land in spite
of protestations, scowls and threats.
Others, who know the Indian only
through the history Of his early
crueltics, and who much prefer to
wear their own scalps than to in
crease the supply in the Indian mar
ket and create a weakness in the
prices Of that commodity, give away
before the first gutteral swear of the
red invader and leave him to quietly
hold the territory. A number Of
new arrivals have met with this
kind Of treatment through the hands
Of the natives recently, and in their
Indignation and just wrath at being
debarred the privilege of exercising
their lauded rights make the follow
ing appeal to the public:
SPOKANE FALLS, May /, 1884.
FRIENDS-We, the undersigned,
came to Spokane March II, 1884, for
the purpose of locating. After thor
Ough search we found vacant lands
enough for ourselves and many
more. At the Land Office we were
assured that there were no claims
against this land and we filed upon
five quarter sections as hOmestcads.
We purchased lumber and employed
carpenters and had house partially
completed when the Indians came
to US and told us they owned the
land and that we must not build any
houses on it. There are no Indians
living on the land, at this time we
are living in the town Of Spokane at
great expense. We have come
over ., 1000 miles with our families to
find homes on the public lands of
this Territory, when suddenly we
are met by this Indian difficulty.
What are we to do? Are we to
abandon our rights as citizens and
return to the East and tell our
friends and the public that we were
driven back by the Indians ? We
know not what TO do, and now make
this appeal to the citizens of Spokane
and the public authority.
JOHN w. JACOBS,
JAMES A. JACOBS,
ALFRED Higgins,
THOMAS Higgins,
w. A. HIGGINS.
In response to this appeal we can
give only the Commonadvice. Take
up the land and hold it. The gov
ernment, we presume, is at fault for
this condition of affairs. If the In
dians are not living on the land or
have not gone through the regular
process Of filing they have no claim
on the land if outside Of a rcserva-
tion. We have heard of a number
of cases where Indians have attempt
ed to disposses5 settlers, but we do
not recollect an instance where they
have succeeded Let the gentlemen
lay their case before the right auth
critics, and if 1t appears that the
land is open to pre-emptiOu take
possession and stay with it.