, 1889-02-28
WALLACE WILD.
A Land Decision Creates a
Great Sensation.
People Out With Lanterns LO-
eating Property.
a News Item I'm the "Review" Causes
the Whole Town to Change Hands
In q Single Night.

Mr.. A. l.. Davis, music dealer Of Spo-
kane Falls, returned yesterday from trip
to the C9ur d'Alenes. He was at Wal
lace during the recent lot jumping excite
ment, and states that for time the people
were actually wild. The excitement has
not vet entirely subsidized, but cooler judg.
ment prevails and the indications are that
the whole difficulty will be satisfactorily
adjusted, and in spirit of fairness toward
all concerned, who have improved their
property under the supposition that the
title was perfect
The Wallace Free Press of last Saturday
in lengthy article from which the RE-
VIEW makes extracts, describes the
THRILLING SCENES
of that wild night when the whole town
changed hands without consideration.
Nights sable mantle had softly and 81
lently fallen upon cur little city. A few
lights glimmered here and there, and an
occasional belated footman passed hurried
ly 10 his lodgings. Our landed lords
slept the sleep which follows honest toll
secure in their possessions. They dreamed
not Of jumpers, but rather saw the Wal.
lace of the future with business lots $1,000
per foot and residence property propor-
dreamed; let us see what met their view
when aroused from their slumbers.
The Spokane REVIEW has o good many
subscribers in Wallace. 1t arrives daily
on the afternoon train. The following
item in Tuesdays issue either Escaped
numerous eagle eyes or was not thought
of in connection with our own town until
late in the evening:
AN IMPORTANT DECISION.
The secretary of the interior rendered
a decision in the case OF James w. Allen,
of Glendive, Montana. against Lewis Nor
rill, involving an important question of
the validity of location of Sioux Indian
halfbreed scrip. The defendants in this
case located Sioux scrip upon unsurveyed
public land as attorneys in fact for In
dians and under the same powers the at
torneys made the improvements required
by law. The protestants maintained that
the locations 80 made we're invalid and
illegal on the ground it was shown the
improvements were made for the benefit
of Indians as required by law. The secre-
tary in his decision sustains the protes-
tants and holds the location as made was
in effect the result of self sale and
transfer of scrip, which is a direct viola
tion of the law. II is said at the interior
department the decision will affect titles
lately adjacent to towns on the Northern
Pacific railroad in Montana, Minnesota
and Dakota, upon which scrip of the char
acter described has been located and lands
sold as town lots. A large number of
cases are now pending in the general land
office which will be affected by these de.
cisions.
THE WALLACE TITLE.
1t has long been understood that Col.
w. r. Wallace secured title to the town.
site of Wallace, through a process simi-
lar to that above, the placing of Sioux
script upon unsurveyed government land.
A hasty conclusion was reached that it
would apply ts this eighty acres of ground.
The first individual to think SO had no
flies on him." and he hurriedly walked
out to the northwest corner of the Carter
block, which has long been considered
the most desirable property in town, and
posted notice that he claimed 50xl00
feet on said corner. His action attracted
the attention of others in less time than
it takes to tell it. ''The town is
being jumped" was heard on
every corner and in every. house. Men
hurriedly wrote notices and posted them
on any vacant lot they were fortunate
enough to reach, first. A few minutes
sufficed to supply owners for the many
vacant business lots and the jumpers ex-
tended their labors to broader fields, and
residence property was transferred at a
rate which would have caused Spokane
real estate agent TO stare and wonder. A
few women joined in the mad rush. Ian.
terms could be seen in all directions, on
hillside and valley A location notice was
encountered at almost every step, and
fencing proceeded simultaneously with the
locating. IL particularly choice lot was
secured the locator in many instances
built bonfire and
WENT INTO CAMP.
By g o'clock the rush had subsidized, for
the very GOOD reason that everything with t.
in reach had been located. From Harris
addition to Placer creek, and from the
South Fork on the north part way up the
mountain on the South---it was all gone.
The sound of hammers indicated that no
less than Fifty carpenters had begun work
at that unreasonable nour. The man who
owned no real estate was an exception.
Strange as it may seem, the poorest men
had suddenly become the richest men; pow
erty seems to have acted as stimulant to
rapid work in locating. What . mixture
it was! There were capitalists, mining
men. business men. laborers and FOUNDERS.
In few instances whole families and
buildings were located along with the lots.
One victim of excitement posted his notice
on the city Jail lot. A mining man
posted his notice for five acres for mill
site. While large number took part in
the general scramble. few tosk the ludi-
crous side of the question. One of the
latter carried high rider, used bv car
penter, to tho middle of Sixth street, near
the bank Of Murray, and In the shade of
the liberty pole he had posted
A FLAMING NOTICE
which proclaim med to the world that the
undersigned claimed all land within
radius of forty miles, and "Jack the
Ripper" boldly asserted his right and title
IN the atreet in front of the Wallace hotel