The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-22
PUYALLUP INDIAN LANDS.
Attempt of the Northern Pacific to Ac-
auire Sections Onposed.


TACOMA, Jan. 2l.-lSpecial.l- THE lead
ing men among the Puyallup Indians as
sembled at the reservation grounds this
afternoon and began the preparation of re-
plies to be made by them next Monday to
the special Puyallup Indian commission,
appointed to investigate the propriety and
advisability of opening the reservation,
etc.
Nearly all the prominent old men among
the Puyallups favor the immediate OPEN
ing up of the reservation, but they are con-
fident that the government will and must
protect their rights. They want the
authority to sell their lands or part there
of, they say. SO that they may have some
money to use before they die.
Regarding the alleged proposition of
Chief Counsel Mcknight of the Northern
Pacific. that that company would contest
the right of the Indians to hold both odd
and even numbered sections contained
within the limits of the reservation. Agent
Eells of the reservation said this evening
to correspondent of the Posr-lsrELLI-
GENCER:
. As / look at it, the Indians have full
right and title to the entire reservation as
they were given such lands by act of
President Pierce, issued in 1857. They
were given such lands in lieu of the lands
granted them in 1854, such lands being the
present townsite of Tacoma Indeed, Mr.
Mcknight himself told me several years
ago that he did not believe that the title of
the Indian reservation property, granted
under an executive order could be
changed and that such lands would never
revert from the Indians under any pretext
Mr.. Mcknight said he had come to the
conclusion while trying to secure title TO a
certain tract of land adjoining Neah bay
In letter, Peter Stanup, perhaps the
ablest of the younger now among the
Puyallups, saws:
The Northern Pacific Company, with its sub
ordinate, the Tacoma Land Company, has, ever
since we Indians have known it, been trying and
scheming in every way, manner and form To get
away from us our lands, but have always been
unsuccessful.
In 1885, when the government was ready tn
give us our patents, ''some influential men went
10 Washington, u. G., TO stop them" These
men were Northern Pacific people, and a sena-
tor from Oregon personally interested, who went
To Secretary H. NJ Teller and conferred, and as a
consequence of that meeting our patents were
pigeon -hoied aud said secretary wrote to the In
dian agent THAT the lands were too valuable for
reservation purposes, therefore patents could
not be granted the Indians. and he hoped con
gress would make some provisions 10 remove
the Indians to II more suitable place Two and
a half dollars per acre for the reservation lands
was the price offered by these influential gen
tlemen.
When the Democratic people got into power
they promptly sent our patents TO us, which
Commissioner Atkins mentioned as fought TO
have been given the Indians long ago. shortly
afterwards, the senator in question told one OF
these gentlemen that the patents had been sent
on to the Indians, which OF course was defeat
to them. BY this attempt TO have the Indians
removed, aud the company trying To buy the
land at s2.50 per acre, is itself an acknowledged
fact that the Northern Faelnc knows Enaf II mas
no claim unless il buys the same
December %, is5i, lStsti at Large, vol. 10. p.
1,l32l treaty was effected by the government
- 4 trTt.n aud frR
Among the stipulations we're that two sec
lions on the south side OF the commencement
bay was set aside for the Indians exclusive use.
This piece includes all OF the TOWNSHIP OF Ia
coma some dissatisfaction arose as 10 the orig
inal reservation, so, by authority OF the article
i. the president removed the Indians To the
present reservation site, and on January -, 1857,
issued his executive orders. setting aside the
same in lieu of the former site.
Another one of the Stipuiations was that the
president should cause the reservation 10 Be
surveyed, and assign 10 such individuals or fam
lilies as shall avail themselves OF the privilege,
and viii locate on the same az permanent
home, on the same terms and subject 70 the
same regulations az are PROVIDED Tor IN the
sixth article OF the treaty with the Omahas, so
far may be practicable. Patents were issued
IN accordance with the above authority
The Northern Pacific charter was granted
them on July ,, lsfi. just ten years after the
treaty, and seven years alter the executive ORDER
setting aside the present site.
IL viii be found that these rumOTs are made
up simply OF elastic imagination. The Puy-
aLlups are fully acquainted with the status OF
the Puyaliup reservation under the various
treaties aud acts of congress relating thereto,
aud II will be found thai this reservation not
only includes the lands therein set apart py
treaty and executive order 10 high water marx.
bur by executive order and under the treaty ali
OF the shore lands fronting upon said rcserFa-
zion TO Low water mark. These also are set
apart aud owned By the indians.
some further questions might arise IN The
minds 0f those disposed To he technical aS 70 the
right al I be government 90 grant suen lands 10
the Indians. but having done 50, our state con
stitution makers, in their wisdom. have seen ~
to make provision in the constitution, by direct
disclaimer, for all such emergencies thereby
yeztirlc without controversy, sEich title 10 the
Indians free from all yexing questions that
may arise between citizens OF this state and the
state itself. or the United States-
The sid COMPANY will be too glad to get their
right OF say through the reservation. which