The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-08
VACANT TIDE LANDS.
Tie Water Front is Unoccupied
Public Domain.
SO SAY M'KEs Stockholders
But They Are willing 20 Comrr.ms.~
With oceupants-Aaa
Filings ard Protests.

ar. Evan 4. Warner yesterday made
hahk o. Mckee scrip a: the land Office. the
sppsieA'ion covering about hah . nile Of
me aafeo- front from Colmans wharf TO
me nesnder HE, and described tY raetes
ana bounds. 1t ineIasses from forty 20 siFty
acres. taking IN the Cogman aud Union
street wnaryes end r1ueh other valuable
property.
iwsnty-foa- protests were fled, cover
ing al applications made on both Val
enuhe and Mckee scrip. The protests
were hied by the Northern Pacific Railroad
company the Puget Sound Shore Rail
road company. the Columbia & Puget
sound Railroad Company, the Seattle. Lake
.hoFe q Eastern Railroad Company. the
Tacoma Land Company, j. II. Coiynan
and II. II. Dearborn
THE yALgE OF xc'KzK SCRIP.
Mr.. Evan r. Warner. whose filings Of
1chec scrip now cover l21 acres OF the
niosi valuable property along the water
lfoht o. Seattle, was seen last night IS re-
porter just before he left for California on
ms way to BIS home Ia Washington, u c.
The especial merit of Mckee scrip
over all others" said Mr. Warner. In ar
s*er to question, ..is that ii can De To-
Gated on any unappropristed or reserved
lands OF the United States; or, In the
words OF the grant. this scrip may he To-
Gated on any vacant lands OF the United
states by the owners or the holders
thereof Valentine and other varieties
nave certain limitations, but Mckee scrip
has none.
: At what value do place this scrip II
VIII perhaps surprise you 10 learn that be-
ha s.s44a II
was passed last March. my associates and
myself were offered s. 001 for every acre of
II we secured. I'll tell YOU shy il is so vat.
liable. In some Eastern cities there IS in
litigation property really belonging 10 the
government, but for long years occupied ly
private persons. Now this property on the
government pIats IL vacant So you see
by tie express wording OF the Mckee
grant il could be patented with Mckee
scrip, and title would unauestionably be
secured by the pstentee. Those persons
who offered this $3.50 per acre intended
using this scrip 70 end disputes over this
class of property.
II am q private citizen OF Washington"
continued Mr.. Warner, ''anl had no idea
when started for Seattle that the land
upon which have filed was occupied 1t
- Hf'eAt SoNtfhilisilt fiatS,
and, knowing that it must be valuable, !
came here 10 file upon 10 acres | am
sorry that We will be forced into litigation
with the occupants of this land. OF course
We will be regarded as trying TO seize their
land and improvements. but this is not
true. have offered. and again offer, to
sell the occupants all the land we have filed
upon at fair valuation. without regard to
the Improvements they have made upon il.
My filings today were rejected, and We
will appeal TO the general land Office. OF
course you understand that we expect a
favorable decision there. Our claim. il is
well known. is that the government is
owner of the tide-lands by virtue of its SOW
ereignity. and the recent findings of Com
missioner Stone TO this effect was based
upon an almost unbroken line OF decisions
o; the highest tribunal OF the United States.
! do not know how soon decision in these
eases may be expected but il will surely
be well for Seattle that the question be set
tied now. rather than twenty-five years
hence or any time in the future"