Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-04-22
sAzssAs iLAzsa

HArxRoABI iLAzna
a sanfemamf Ceaesxxznx 90 merealt
@rd<x frsm fne Gess<ssx1 x4nA sfaee.
Mes Ycrk world. April b.
Gensral sparks viii issus another i'm
partzns erdsr ID she Land 0Gzss tcmsr-
raw. zsakinR aro1ser skriks q ~ eeR-
psxassons walsh have for 90 many ysaxs
aonfrolIed the Land Of,es. Ths North
ern Paste Railroad has had . nameer
Of friends In the Is&nd 0hoe, md
thsoagh these friends il hzs bad un-
usual privileges granted to it under the
land grant gwen 90 this road 81 Cas-
rrsss. The original grans dirseted that
aitsFnats ssasienz. % The width Of 20
mills IL ths 6Estss end 20 miles IN TIE
Territories ON esish side Of lts hne.
sh0uIS be given 20 this rca1. when ne
CHEERS OF the rad eslne 10 have u sur-
Esyed they ran through nnmbex Of
sinea. In some canes they made $50, IN
others three. Thay did not dsetde 81
onaa which ems Wscld be left ~ the
permanent line. Theif friends IN the
Land O6scs permitted them 10 reserve
fran entry and psihiie setflsmsuf lands
lyinQ along the surveyed lines. In
some cssss p0blic lsnds Id miles
vide along the lii,e of tAis road wsFc
keps cot Of the usarket. In some fec
casscs there we're already settisrs opon
the public lands before Congress gave
shs grant to this railroad. This was
pnstieuiariy true in the statas. The
read scnefiaea found itself unable 10
take up an entire section In places where
tlae law intended them 10 60 because
cehex settlefs had been In advance OF
them. To ueei this the friends Of the
lfsilroad 10 the band cfs3ce issued an or
Lar giving than the power Of indemni-
frinr EhesnssEves for sach loss. This or
Der permitted the raiiroad officials 30 90
outside Of the grant and locate where
they pleased Q corresponding nRmber Of
lleses 70 those already taksa 40. Under
this pswer the railroad company has
picked out tbs cream Of all the lands
living along the nunaeFous lines which
thss have located. The road has never
confined itself to the grant along It's
finally fred iine. To what - extent
the Government hAs been defrauded IN
this way cannot be told without special
Investigation
An Incident which occurred in the
land afice yesterday illustrates some
tang Of the methods Of the officials Of
the road and how they have been hith-
srso favored By the land ofiioe during
tbs short time that the land once was
ID The hands Of Assistant Cemnissioner
Harrison. Ths eesnts Of the railroads
appsar 10 have enioyed wonderful sue
csss. A week on tan days ego General
Hpsrks discovered an order Of Harri-
son's exemptinR e00,000 acres from Mr..
Lamar's oFdsr throwing open the for
fsised Texas Pacific grant to pablo en-
try. That matter be vas able 10 reach
In time 70 prevent any harm being
dann. Yesterday be found another or.
der which startled him on account Of
the length Of tims which had elapsed
sincs il bad bean iasued. This order in
effees presentad 10 the Northern Pacific
railroad over Coo. 900 acres Of the richest
lands IN Washington Territory. He
autographed yesterday 10 all the land
Offices In Washington Territory segok-
ing shis ordsx. He did this for the pur-
poss cf catching bald Of the swindie II
possible, bat be fears the lSnd may have
heen sold before bis order ncaehed these
Offices. Once the land IL Mold and IN
The hands Of innocett paztiex it b very
difficult TO right sach stupendcus
fraud 20 was pefpetrated In this order
four days before Mr. Sparks obtained
control ct the ones.
The way the matter was hrought
abent vas this: The Northern Pacific
Raiirosd has surveyed three lines IN
Washington Territory, and hzs kept
kha lands bordering on thess surveys,
~ usual, cut Of the public market as
long O. possible. Five years ago it
definitely located lie line, after having
picked out the best land along ids three
lines. The location Of its finai line vas
determined according 10 the usaRe II
the Land ofElce during the last twenty
years. Tho line runs throaQh the riak
valley which IL tributary 10 The flourish
ing city Of Waiia Waiia. Ths railroad
company has bad no difficulty In sellina
the land In this valley, a. sis very de-
sirabie. South of ite deduite location
tho eoantry has been settling very
rspidly. The railroad, With It's indeG-
mite Iines, has claimed nearly the entire
country. Il has sold number Of iauds
ontaids Of the limits Of its definite
location In this valley. In the settlement
Of thu country thess iands became %
valuable thai ths railroad company has
been anxious 10 change its location
again 90 as 10 take 10 another wide SEQ
ton. e IL 10 successful q has at least
10000 acres more. In the absence Of
any responsible head In the Land Ofi7os
Il found She subordinstes there very
willing 20 fnrthss its sahsrnes. The
Acting Land Commissioners addressed q
very blind, misleading letter 10 score
tafy Lamar. and told him that O saripue
aussticn had arisen In Washington Ter
ritoFy % to the exact boundaries Of the
grant 81 the NoftheFa Pacifo. He said
that the innocent settlers had pzrohassd
Of the railroad company, and we're nov
informed that the cempany had no
authcrity q transfer tisies. In shs
names 81 these pooF innocens settlers
Mr.. Harrisoa asked for anfhority 10
correct &hs lines. Nj. Lamar treated
tbs suhjeet as bslsneinr 10 the Land
Ofios, and directed tks Acting Oonmis-
sioner 10 take spch actinn ~ vas proper
and II acooFdanoe with he rules Of the
once. He snppoaed fr0zn the case a.
stated thnt Il Wae 8 uae<e mathematical
question. undsf this general airassion
Or. Harsiscn had the sadaoity % issue
an creer traneferfinx the looatisn Of
the Ina Aftef o had bear ds1initaly To-
Gated for 6se yeara. south, % 1. d, take
IN 40oW eure1 a. new land. when
Mr.. Sparks diecuvere6 thfa ~ went at
onee - HsofeeaFy Lamar. Tbs Hecrs-
tary was VERY Indignant. He directed
shs Ccmmissioaar 70 revoke Tie order
- once and tAke 20 swim s1sps &c poa-
sihle 70 catch 10 with The mischisf al
ready done. Tue forrneR order WIN Be
issued somoSrow. what the Cnsnmis-
siones fsaxz b that TIE ring Of uAicials
has Rone nhe&d and Win NE osuniv-
anse u he lan8 ollic1a1s % the Terri
toSy detained poeseasaon of thesa lands
- - - ell them 10 epme 81 lie frIsnds,
Who can pos IN ceert q innseeuil pur-
ohasezs. u h 100 much 10 sxpeet that
tAeee men have remained idte durinr
tbs Last two OF three weeks since the re-
rnaxAahle order Wne fssue&.
9eneral Sp3xkS intends b lar ths
facts before he President. He sass n
q almsss q hopeless task - ~ 10 se-
Form t1ze management of tie Land
06fae without nnalkin& whuieeale
cAAn6sss he bsiievea THAI nose IL the
REGISTERS ID IN land cfHees In ~ wsst
are In he pay 81 the eospcsasioulL He
han 20 time te hunt up Ell Ne sl,axzes
ihat eauId Be- hroaaAt Up azAinm tksss