Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-25
olI,y posT.INTElLIGehCER.
s.urIyC LAMBS seI ewsEe.

Relying to a resolution OF Congress
some months ago, Secretary Teller Of
,bs limited States Interior Department.
declared that 10 patents had been ~
sued 10 the Northern Psclhe hsiifoSio
Comnanv for lands earned BY con
s,rnct;ou of its railroad SINCE 9aly'
1917. That company has. however 500
hundreds Of thousands OF acres s'bes
,hs. time. OF course it can give 10
ts,.a, title than IT bss. which on'il
uatents are issnable, Is merely a issisla-
tive title, subject 70 invaI'dasion Df
(,onoress should that body declare iof-
feited all Of the land grant 70 zoe
Sortberu Pacific not earned wltnin We
time specifsd in the granting acs I~f
oo,onletion Of the whole railroad.
One Of the beautiful resnlts Of this
method Of procedure. Z. OF sesiins
lands not owned-is given IN recen'
number Of the waIla wsils Stots''aa"'
Mr.. Thomas Moore, Of Walla "aIlA' On
August /, 1883. purchased OF the sor'n-
ern Pacific Railroad Company eien'y
acres Of land, upon which be had liSeo
for acme six or seven years. On thls
hebas paid 70 the company fzlo' ne
sanity said company discovered toe
tr.ct 10 be Government land Mean
while. in March, 1884,, another citizen
Of Wslla walla entered the same tract
of land as a homestead. Is thus sp
pears that Mr.. Moore, who flrsi settled
and has made valusbls improvements
upon the land, il liable ~ lose IT. ktst-
inc securs In the ownership Of soTfh-
ern Pacific deed, he made no appiica'
ton 10 obtsin title from the Govern
nent, but complacently pursued his
way, continuing to improve his Ii'sie
farm. until he received letter from
Hr. Paul SchuIze. informing him that
the deed he held was invalid because
the grantor had no title 10 the lands It
had sold him.
This IL a striking commentary upon
Northern Pacific methods in this Terri
tory, 1t il only one OF numberless IN
stances that will crop out as months
and years 90 by. Mr. Moore will IN
doub.edly get back his SIG, even
though be loses the fruit Of seven years
toll. Mr.. Sebulze hastens to assure
him that such une1ampled generosity
will be accorded. Yet, in view OF the
situation, ii is extremely doubtful II
Mr.. Moore will feel particularly grateful
10 the sorthsrn Pacific for paying him
back money obtained from him upon
bogus land sale. The fact is, and its
truth IL known TO every intelligent man
In this Territory, that the continued
withdrawal Of public lands in favor OF
the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany since they were legally forfeited,
has been prolific of uncertainty and
unrest. Ii has been and Is crying
wrong. II the Northern Pacific has
ldnub W sciis ~ HnOAsA 70 oDiD W XIV +"
clear title 10 the purchaser whenever de-
m4ndea. Certainly IL il an outrage 10
permit person to 60 on and make i'm
provements upon land purchased from
that company, only 70 find at some fu-
ture time that bis deed II worthless.
Mere refunding Of the pnrcbnse money
in such Gases Is bat meager atone
Ensni 70 the Innocent victim Of shat
very closely resembles fraud.
We ezupoi forbesT to state the fact,
thst xbIle jasily copdemning the at
tsups Of the mAn Tho made the home
stead entry. 10 oasi Mr.. Moore from his
land. tie SsaseSnsaE has no word Of con-
eszaEsiiOn for TIE company which at
sszuy.so 30 sell tract 70 which II bad
70 title. Had the Nortbern Pacific not
s1sr1ed tie Land. Mr.. Moore would
ysoeshiy have secured title from the
Government. he depended upon .
northern Pacific deed, which in h's case
like ether azd manifold promises Of
that eompsny-has been proven but a
BROKEN reed.