The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-02

why The Relouso Farmers Fear vllla10p
Tool A0ko Smith.

why sno Rol0uoo Eormor0 Fear v01o1Gpo
Tool Aoko Smith.
Spokane Review.
A. may not b generally undsrstood what's
meant By the 'lieu lands" tho following 90
count OF how they came 70 b disputed tesritory
will prove interesting:
when congress granted to the Northern Pa.
enc kailorad company oil the odd sections Of
land for twenty miles on each side Of the sraok
IN states and for forty miles in territories from
St Paul and Duluth to Puget sound and % udo
water on the Columbia river, IL was not sup
posed that any amount OF these lands would b
occupied In advance OF those acts of tho com.
pany which wers necessary 70 have the lands
Withdrawn from settlement But experiences
shove: 1:s 10. that sos.., the tide Of Immigration
allow march of the iron rails, and when the
company applied for Q title to it lands the gov
eminent found that thousands Of acres had
laws To rsimburse the company for these
heavy Losses, congress- passed an acs granting il
which might b selected anywhere within :
strip ten miiss ON each side Of the original
grant Which act w:s 49, approved By Prssidsus
In the month Of May, 1855 the Northern Pa
cinc Railroad Company died its claim to lands
IN the "lieu land" "trip in Esstern Warrington
settlement prior to the aling OF its ''denite line
OF location" Many Of these lands were then
settled, although the general land oflos had not
allowed dlings to Do made upon them.
The question thus turns upon whether the
grant reserved the lands from settlement until
the railroad company had made al tts Leu
served until the company died q list Of sslsc-
tions embracing the particular piece Of land I'M
der consideration.
The railroad company was ct nrst inclined 10
deal - fairly with the settlers - It could an
yet claim their landa They had su agent travel
over the neld inspecting the lands. who ap-
praised the improvements on each quarter, The
the price Of the land. Then is offered that
whenever application was made 70 purchase
any OF these lands that the settler would b
day. Of the land :. yI psr scrs iSs
cash or - on time. II he did not purchase 10 in
one OF these ways within that time IL would b.
cold 70 the applicant q that price plus she .p-
amount to b returned 70 the settler who had
made them.
But the settlers were destined 70 b injured in
tns me, house OF their friends, for while they we're
still hoping for something better, one Rev. Van
Dever sspoused the cause OF the settlers and
wrote rabid enti-railroad account Of the situa-
Then the matter was taken up, the public b.
came somewhat interested and Senator Van
Wyck began his fight in congress against the
mafcf the s%s eSe ssS
spent 100000 defending it, title before con.
gress IL was ready to adopt different policy,
and the price OF its lieu lands vas then adj
title Was not clouded.
During the latter part OF President Clsvsland's
administration Guilford Miller suooesdsd In
obtaining decision from the secretary Of the
interior under which he was allowed 10 nle on
the quarter section on which he had been living
fox several years. but shortly after the company
Ss maS. 2 ns proof i
quietly nlsd away In the general land once
pending the settlement OF the motion tor . new
mont machine that the meeting was held here
today.