The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-27
WON'T PAY THE RENT.
faey WIN spend Money TO Investi-
gsse the Railroad CempAny's
Title To the Property.

The s4Esftsrs a. tie fsos OF Pike street
aeia . meeting last night 70 organize
sgaias' the Columbia 4 Pages soand Rail
read Company. The hall IN Dr.. Weeds
building. where they frxt intended 70 hold
The meeting eosid not b obtained. 20 they
repaired % : Chinese laundry, that being
the nearest place Of convenience. Over
1fo were got inside the rooz 20 talk over
the claims Of the railroad company erd its
recent actions. The meeting was very or
derry and nothing Of Gerry aatEre was
said Tbs resuig Of the meeting was that
the s4zatte-s formed sort Of organization.
selecting Z. " Hanson SIS ehairman, J. l.
IseFs as secretary. aud general commit.
tee. consisting Of Jsszes Marshall. II. c.
Bromley and Charles Soy-s. This com
nittee Il empowered 20 secure a hail. 10
canvass among the sqeatferz, and to decide
upon what future action il viii be advis-
able 70 lake Another meeting j. to be held
20 decide upon further steps. Mr. Herwin,
whose house was pulled down, i yer
busy ag1faffng the matter. aud eupioyed
himself last night showing the sifferenf
50 zattsrs where the place Of meeting was
he resElf Of the meeting can only be
told II general Way. The squatters have
come to the conclusion that they viii
not pay dollar more ef rent % the rail
road company nutsl the courts decide the
title, notwith standing. they say, the com
pany threatened last summer 10 pull their
cabins down IL they didn't pay rent as
one Of them pat il: The railroad com
p&ny sent their agent around TO collect
rent last SUE mer. We all refused 20 pay
The agent said IL we didn't he would pull
oar skantIes down. Well. there were a
great many then who paid their
rat 49, -. a
again he found that there wasn't any
OF Us who were going 10 pay. We thought
We would give them a chance 70 pull our
houses down. 10 throw them back upon
their OWE threats. but then. you see, they
hacked down, and this gave the people the
IDEA that the railroad company did not re-
ally own the land. and was only trying 20
buildsze US ost Of H. Now, it's just this
way. rather than pay s. per month rent
for our cabins TO the railroad company.
We viii each of US spend 81 per month in
trying 70 fRd out whether the railroad
company owns the land or not, and while
we are trying 70 End oaf why, we won't
have 10 pay rent TO the railroad company,
80 we will save . dollar anyhow"
Another said I'VE will not pay another
cent rroun6 rent ast.! the thing Is settled.
We want 10 know whether Mr.. Denny
owned the land or not, FIRST"
Mr.. Hanson said the best way would be
u
il Mr.. Denny did really own the land he
gave TO the railroad comp any.
IF We find out that Er. Denny did OWE
the lani. then We have no right to il, ne
said: bat we are going 10 find ost, Ia q
proper. legal way, without any noting OF
irJable."
Secretary Ivers said about 5000 had
already been pledged with which to fight
the matter through. and that there were
men living in the land who could pat up
money enough to see the matter TO the
very end. Two lawyers have already been
engaged in the interest Of the squstters.
The men who are living upon this 40 acre
tract are mostly workingmen. They est.
mate their nsmber AZ about 500. The date
OF the next meeting has not yet been
decided upon.
The railroad company has q force OF men
still guarding tbs piece OF land at the corner
Of Frest and Pike streets. This property
has been guarded ever since the trouble
began.