Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-16
DAILY POST. INTEll|GENCER.


.llup valley to the Wiikeson coal fields,
vas not intended when built to be
part of the Cascade branch Of the North !
sru Pacific railroad. We have further
more alleged that neither IN equity nor
ia law WAS that company entitled TO
land graft for constructing that Goa
road. The following dispatch from
Washington, taken from the st. Paul
Pioneer Press of recent date, confirms
our position. 1t proves concluslveiy
that not until recently was IT ever IN
tended to make tina, railroad other than
q local propositions: |
1.-The commission recently appointed /
by President Arthur to examine the /
tventy- five miles of track Of the Cascade /
branch, east from New Tao ma, Consists /
Of X. Wadsworth, of Chicago, A. n |
Cole. of Willsvilie, N. Y, and Rev: j.
HYATT Smith, of Brooklyn, y. Y. The
commission is due III ST. Paul on the
18th instant"
The section in question was comp!e'-
ed in 1877, and tas since been operated
az a coal road. 1t WAS so projected.
But on ITS completion application was
made to the Interior Department for
withdrawal of lands in this county "A
sumed to have been earned by Its con
strnction to the amount Of nearly &C.,
600 acres. A compliment secretary &C
coded, and the lands have since been
withheld from public occupation. II
has sold some Of these lands. and con
tracted to sell others to the Oregon I'm
pr.vement Company, proceeding upon
tho theory that they had been earned,
and title thereto could upon application
be obtained.
This section OF railroad, seven years
after completion, has never been accept
ed by the government. Not urtil re-
Gently has application been made for Its
inspection. For seven years 1t has form
cd no part Of any line Of the Northern
Pacific Railroad, nor until very lately
have maps been filed fixing it as part OF
the definite location Of the Cascade
branch. What right has the company
to claim these landsI Can IL DO argued
that part of local roe d constructed for
q definite purpose, other than that OF
forming a sectional portion Of the Cas-
cade division, may by mere juggling he
constituted part Of land grant line!
As we'll would the purchase OF tho Ore
gon Railway and Navigation Company's
railroad give the right to claim grant
from Wallula to Portland.
This railroad, if it is to form part of
tho Cascade division, IL in contempla-
ton of law, only just completed; that Is
to say it was completed only when the
maps of definite location were filed. 1t
il now five years since the Northern Pa
oifc had "A right, under the laws Of Con
Rress, to earn lands by building rail
road. This coal road has been built for
seven years, yet it is only recently deter
mined to be n portion Of the Cascade
branch, and the Executive Department
applied to for its inspection and accept
ance. Does not this fact alone prove
inoontes,ibly that it Was not, when
built, nor has it been since considered
by that company Az part Of its line over
the Cascade mountains Ii otherwise.
why was not application ryade for its
acceptance years agoI
Shall this sort of claim be allowedI
There is now bill before Congress
providing for a forfeiture of all the I'M
earned land grant to tins railroad com
pany. the lands claimed for building
this coal road cone legally within the
provisions of that bill. IL il claimed
that the acceptance by the President of
a section of the road liz waiver of the
conditions of the act While not con
ceding this. We submit that pending the
fate Of that bill in Congress, it is not
right for the Executive Department TO
accept any more railroad constructed by
the company We call upon our Cham
Der of Commerce to take action in the
matter. A protest should be forwarded
to the President, Directing in the name
of the people of this county to any act
which would even remotely jeopardize
our indubitable right to the surrender
Of these unearned lands. They are
very valuable. They embrace the best
timber and coal lands of this Territory.
For seven years the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company under . fictitious
claim has prevented their occupation.
use and the development and prosperity
which would have accrued under other
conditions. 1t has assumed all the
functions Of ownership, leased, sold and
utilized lands to which il had no title
whatever. 1t will not, We think, be
claimed that until section Of its rail
road is completed and accepted by the
Government the Northern Pacific Rail
road Company has title to the odd SEQ
tions adjoining. As is herein shown,
this has not even yet been done with
respect 10 this railroad from Tacoma
eastward.
The railroad company in thus seeking
to obtain acceptance of these lands
ut this late day has two main motives.
One is to take advantage of the claim
of waiver by the Government in It's be-
half, should such position he sustained
by the courts on testing the validity of
a forfeiture bill, and the other is to
bond the lands to get money to extend |
the road further eastward. 20 the |
latter, had the lands been earned i'll
good faith, there would be no objection. |
Against acceptance of this section in
the present condition of affairs We
enter determined and energetic pro
test, and most earnestly invite public
attention to the matter.
RErROsrECTuVE.