The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-22
NO USE FOR CLAIM JUMPERS.
People ut Cfailam Bay Protest an Old
Soldiers Claim.

A gentleman who returned from Clallam
bay yesterday tells of the experiences of .
claim jumper there that should be warn
ing to all settlers of that class to stay
away from that section of the country.
Robert Smith, soldier who lost one
hand during the civil war and who was n
pioneer express messenger on the Pacific
coast, went 20 Clallam bay about year
ago, and settled upon unsurveyed land
about half mile from the wharf, intend
ing to file on it as soon as il was thrown
open for settlement. Being crippled, he
could not work to any advantage on the
claim so, after rolling up few logs to
form the four walls of the house, he went
to the settlement 70 earn money with
which TO build. He became very popular
in the settlement. The land was surveyed
short time ago. Last week a
Port Townsend man named Clod Smith
took man named r. ]. Pickett to CIallam
bay and located him on Robert Smiths
claim. The people there heard nothing of
it until last Monday, and they then
turned out en- masse and built old Bob
Smith house, and all had dinner in it,
Pickett being away at the time. That
night Pickett returned on the Garland
ing on the claim. The boat arrived at Z
o'clock in the evening and was met by q
committee of citizens. When the boat
touched the wharf Pickett jumped off, and
called to a man on the boat TO throw his
blankets aud tools and provisions down.
The crowd peremptorily countermanded
this order. The committee then explained
the situation to Pickett, and told him that
H. - f>1 hxrt hxa
people there. Pickett replied that he
didn't care what the people thought or
wanted: he had cruised the claim, and
would go and live upon it.
In the meantime the old veteran Smith
was having a seance with the locator Smith
at the old hotel. The old man accused the
locator of trying TO rob him of his claim,
and the dispute became so warm that the
old man drew his revolver and struck at
the locator, but the weapon fell to the
floor. The old man then resorted to his
fists and blackened his enemys eye.
The locator went to the wharf, followed
by Robert Smith. There the old man
talked to Pickett and tried to dissuade
him from going onto the claim. Pickett
replied that he purposed holding the
claim, and the old man drew another re-
yolver and would have shot had he not
been disarmed
The Garland's whistle gave notice that
she was about to leave, and Pickett started
to walk ashore. He was picked UP and
carried back to the boat by five or six men,
claim-jumper named Bennett came to
his rescue and was very roughly treated.
Pickett was forced to go aboard the boat,
which then steamed on to Neah bay.
That night when the boat came back to
Clallam bay Pickett made another attempt
to land, but was prevented by committee
thatstayed upfor the purpose until o'clock
in the morning. Pickett then came on
TO Seattle and placed the matter before the
land Office authorities.
Public sentiment at Clallam bay is said
to be entirely with Robert Smith. People
there say that the other Smiths who did
the locating of Pickett have placed them
selves in a bad position in the community.
This is only the story of Robert Smiths
friends. On the other hand Pickett claims
that he cruised the claim and found no one
on it; that he has a right to locate on un-
claimed land and that the people have no
right to prevent him.
The case will probably end in land
Office contest