The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
Indians Homestead Rights.

% rites who took up the land later I'M
der the presumption act. The case
was tried efore the Seattle land office
last August and November. In the
opinion of Register Reed and Recelv-
er Hayden two thirds of the land Is
agricultural and the entries OF the
contestants should be Cancelled, and
the other third is timber land. The
evidence at the time WAS most volum-
nous and involved the taking about
5000 pages of testimony. The gov
ernment claims that the entries were
fraudulently made. The tranSferees
were S. S. Bailey, Russell A. Alger,
Rivaud and K Hawlcy. The case IN
wolves some II timber land cash en-
tries in townships SO and 81, ranges
3 and 4, and comprises about l9O6
acres near Samish lake in Whatcom
county. A similar contest was instl-
tuted on Syndicate lands i'll Mason
county, but was afterwarl dropped by
the parties, on the belief that the
land they had filed on would hold
good for timber Land.
Acting Secretary Chandler filed a
decision involving the rights of an LII
dian who claims land which lies with
in the limits of railroad grant, be-
cause of settlement prior to the time
the company's rights attached. The
case is that of the Northern Pacific
against Peter ]. Quoda, who claims
lot 10, section j, township 20, range 5,
in the Olympia, Wash, land district.
Quoda claims to have improved and
cultivated this land for twenty-one
years, and he applied for homestead
rights under the act of July, 1854,
which provides that Indians, who
have located on public land or who
may, under the direction of the sec
rotary of the interior, so locate, may
avail themselves of the privilege of
the homestead laws us fully as may be
done by citizeus of the United States.
The secretary holds that the residence
of the Indian on the land, he not
having given up his tribal relations, did
not exempt the land from the grant to
the Northern Pacific, and to allow him
to take up the land, under the act re-
ferred to, would be to put Il retrotrac-
tive construction on that law, us the
law was not passed until the company
had filed its map of definite location.
The secretary accordingly reverses the
decision of the lanI commissioner
and denies hearing. So
The old historical town of San Juan
is no more One day last week man
known as "Whispering Pete" set fire
to some debris of an old stable some
distance from the old town, which
rapidly spread over hay fields and
soon reached the buildings (Which were
of the old town, and soon
nothing but ashes We're left to mark
the spot. San Jaun town reached the
height of its glory during the time
the American army was occupying
the garrison near by. After the with
drawal of the army the town was. soon
aban loned and bus ness centered at
Friday Harbor. 1t Was here on the
memorable Fourth of July, 1859, that
our old settlers, OF whom our towns
men Mr.. Mckay and Oaks, of the
valley, are the only two left, hoisted
the American .f.g and demanded of
General Harvey the protection of
the United States. General
Harvey Immediately sent CAPTAIN
Pickett, later known as the gallant
Confederate general who led the rebs
ut Gettysburg. and the island com pos
ing the fair and prosperous county of
San Juan We're saved to the United
tes.-Graphic.
A man named Roe, who has claim
on the North Fork, has been working
in the city for a couple of weeks past,
his wife and family holding down the
claim in the meantime. A couple of
nights after he left Mrs. Roe Was awak-
ened by knocks on the wall, groa rs and
other Accomplishments of ghost, and
on looking out the window discovered
hat the gh"st WAS there in pc rson sup
srlntending the job. This thing went
On every night for about week and
Mrs. Roe got tired of it. She took
Town the double-barrelled gun and
vent out to interview his ghostship.
The first shot evidently took effect for
he howl that came from him Was a
rifle more unearthly than any he had
previously given, and when she pulled
up the gun to let him have the other
barrel he broke out: "Oh! don't, don't
was money made me do it," She
Old him to light out and he lit
There Is no doubt but that the
ghosts intention was to scare her off
ne claim with the intention of Jump
ng it.-Skagit News.
Senator Kinnear, OF King county.
Wants the great State of Washington
o have nickname. That is why he
Introduced the following resolution
which Was referred to the committee
N memorials: Whereas, the State of
Y ashlngton, of all her sister states, lies
no fartherest to the Northwest. and
Ter people being. the last to see the
un set from the shores onthe bosom
I the vile Pacific ocean, ,miyht an.
'roprlately be called the "Sunset"
tate: and inasmuch as other states
re known by such names as the
Empire" state, the "Corncrackerv
tate, the "Hoosier" state, the "Buck-
We" state and the Golden" state. II
GEMS meet and proper for the FIRST
legislature OF Washington to suggest a
reference in this behalf. Resolved by
ne senate the house concurring. tina.
ne souorlquet of the "Sunset" state he
no IS hereby suggested for the State
ashlngt"n as appropriate and
4 Chehalis county locator, having
finelands in the unsurveyed
':''.c's Oh mat county, wrote to com