Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-06-28
olIlr posT-INTEllIGENcEU.


There are none 80 blind as those VINO
v;li no, see. Tie Kittitas LoediizeT sp- |
pears to belong to tsat class. Cotn-
msnting upon certain statements OF tbs
n.per moon the magnitude of the claims
Of tho Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany to public lands in Washington
Territory, and the dimensions oil tne
shadow cast By Withdrawals by tie in-
terror Department, it says:
The PosT-IsTELLIGEScEB, IN 10 zeal
Ia misreoresent tie Northern PaeIne
Oomp.ny, er desvors to prove an 40
surdity. IL says swO- thirds OF all the
land in Washington Territory has been
inclnded in the withdrasaL- Any school
how CA n see that it Is not true. Tue shoie
Tsrritory il ciyid. into even and ODD
eeotions. and ti,eto must he an many vi
one a. of the other. The company has
no, laid claim 10 any of the school iano
nor To the even numbered sections, an
less il has been in the lieu lands.
The ignorance displayed by the Lo-
eaiizer il both astounding and piiiaole'
and il the people of hittitas County
were compelled TO depend upon It Tor
reliable information they would DO IN q
most deplorable situation. The map 10
which the Locaiiser refers Is an exact
COPY, as to lines of withdrawal, OF the
official map issued by the Interior De
partment last year, and Of course Is cor
rsct. Il shows thai fully two thirds OF
the landed area of Washington Terri
tory are included within the lines OF
withdrawal established by the Interior
Department and predicated ON maps OF
location filed by the Northern Paoifc
Railroad Company. OF course the
Northern Pacific only claims half the
lands within those limits, towit: the odd
numbered sections.
But the shadow is over all, as We Will
show. In the first place the company
has never received patents 10 the odd
numbered sections. 1t never has ap-
piled for survey; most OF the lands
have not been surveyed. IL can give no
deed, based upon g patent from the
Government, to purchasers OF its lands
Secondly, as to lands which are not sur
yeyed, an intending homestead or pre-
emption settler cannot determine when
ne selects his land, whether or not It ID
on an odd or even numbered section
and. therefore, does not know OF whom
he will finally be compelled 10 obtain
title thereto. He cannot tell, whether
after he shall have gone ON and im
proved the land he claims, IL will MOI
hereafter be upon an odd numbered see
ton, and he to forced to paw the rail
road company q sum therefor, ap
praised at the full Government price o.
the land, plus all the improvements h
has made, and in addition be compelled
10 take deed which imposes condi
tions so harsh and unjust as to rende
the title he acquires almost worthless
In the third place the price of Govern
ment lands within withdrawal limits i
doubled, that is TO say: that whereal
outside the shadow man may home
stead 100 acres, within the limits OF
withdrawal he can thus obtain title Il
bat 80 acres, while the pre- emptor mus
pay $2.E0 per acre for lands within thu
lines, which. were they not thus estsb
lie he'd. would be obtainable at 81 % pc
acre.
Thus Il appears that while the Rail
road Company only claims half tn
lands, or in other words the odd mum
bered sections, within forty miles on
each side OF its line of railroad in thi
Territory. settlement of the whole trac
within the lines established by the In
terror Department, is hampered ant
clouded by restrictions, annoyanoss
and uncertainties. The company ne
glecss to procure the survey Of its grant
dslays to apply for patents thereto, ii
order to avoid paying taxes, and delays
building its road, to the distress and
injury of the whole Territory. Il is a
veritable dog In the manger.