The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-11
THE TINY RESERVES.
Mr.. Wilson's Effort to Have Mil
itary Land Opened.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF SETTLERS.
Since $50 the Government Has with
No Move Toward Fortidcation.

WAsHIsGros CITY, March 1o.-fSpecial.l
Before the passage OF Representative
McRaes bill 10 provide for the opening Of
all abandoned military reservations where
the area exceeds 5 90 acres. John l. VIII
son made determined though unsaccess-
fl! effort to have the bill made to apply 10
all abandoned reservations, irrespective of
area, which would then throw open 10
public settlement quite number OF such
so-caIled military reserves In his state. Mr..
Wilson said:
al am in sympathy with the object of
this bill. but the application of ii to 300
acres does an injustice 10 my state. We
have several abandoned military reserva-
tons that are less than 5000 acres upon
which there are quite . number OF settsers-
These men desire TO obtain titles to these
lands through the homestead provisions,
IN amounts Of forty, thirty and ten acres.
The lands are yaiuabie for cultivation.
They are not used by the government for
fertilization purposes and have been aban
doned, and ii seems to me that il it is
good policy TO make application OF this
I'LL TO 500 acres of land it is good policy
TO make application of 1t to less than 5, 900,
or to any abandoned military reservation"
What abandoned military reservations
are there In your state!" asked Mr.. Nc
Rae.
Point Roberts and Gig Harbor particu-
lariy." replied Mr.. Wilson. ''All along
Puget sound the secretary Of war in 1860
withdrew lands from settlement and re-
served them for purposes OF fertilization.
The government has never used these
lands for any purpose whatever, and
gradually settlers have gone upon them.
OF course they had no right to 60 there.
but they did 20 there and there they are"
What 10 the size of those reserva-
tions ?" again queried Mr.. McRae.
Seven hundred acres or less"
you can see," said Mr.. McRse, shat
small reservations of that kind are usually
close to towns and often very valuable.
The department is willing to say that
these small reservations ought to be given
ought in plats Of 100 acres"
I'VE do not ask that" replied Mr.. VIII
son. I'VE only ask that they be sold in
plats of ten acres and NOT to exceed forty
acres. The chairman Of the committee on
public lands 10 mistaken. These reserva-
tons are not close to towns. Gig Harbor
10 across Ruget sound and Point Roberts,
is on Georgia bay"
Representative Cultivate here inter-
posed: Does the gentleman from WASH
ington say that these lands were origi-
nally reserved for fertilization purposes ?"
They were originally reserved for forti-
fication purposes" anwsered Mr.. Wilson,
but they have been abandoned, without
ever having been used, and they are put
up and being appraised, to be sold to the
highest bidder"
rs it not likely" pursued Mr.. Outh-
waite, shat after while the government
viii be buying these lands back again and
paying for them at $4,000 an acre,"
These lands" retorted Mr.. Wilson,
shave been Withdrawn from settlement
for the past forty years for fertilization
purposes: but you never spent dollar for
fortications on them; yet We are within
the sound Of the morning and evening
guns of Great Britain. And the gentle
man right before me Mr.. Livingston. Of
Georgia. brings in bill that apprepriates
thousands of dollars for purchasing land
on the east coast, while your objective,
your strategic point, the point which is alb
solutely necessary to have fortified, 10 with
out any fertilization at all. Now, the
point which We urge is that the home
steader be allowed to go on these lands
aud make title to ten and not to exceed
forty acres. The government has aban-
doned them. They are appraising them
and why not give the settler who is there
his homeP"
AS understand" here interposed Mr..
Breckenridge. Madeline Pollard's lover,
There are military reservations OH Puget
sound which have not been abandoned in
formal. technical way, but only in the
sense that no Notifications have been
erected upon them"
Some of the lands reserved for fortifica-
ton purposes on Puget aound. -" explained
Mr.. Wilson, have been abandoned and
some have not. The secretary of war has
notified the secretary of the interior of
those which are no longer required for
military purposes, and it is in relation to
these formally abandoned reservations
only that We desire legislation
Mr.. Lacey, of Iowa. member of the
public land committee. explained that the
bill had not been made broad enough 10
cover the smaller reservations. because the
circumstances IS to the smaller ones were
so various. and in some instances so pecu-
liar, that the committee had decided il
would be better to leave each one to stand
upon It's own merits, TO be dealt with by
such bills as night from time to time be
deemed proper and be approved by the
land office.
Before the passage of the bill Mr.. VIII
son again obtained recognition from the
chair and made still another effort for the
desired change in the bill. Near puyet
sound. he said, we have thirty or forty
of these small reservations. which have
never been used for anv public purpo.e
and a aich are oCcuDted by settle-s Soroa
of these reservations have been abandoned
by the var department and thrown omen
and thu secretary OF the interior has been
so notified. Now IL happens that these
lands are in bodies OF less size than thosa
provided for IN this bin. These are fertile
and valuable lands and The settlers now
resident upon them would be very glad tn
take them up n smaller bodies than IF1
acres. | would he very glad il By some
measure Of legislation NV constituents
who have interests OF that Oh aEacter might
OBTAIN some such relief as is gwen hv this
bils 10 tae people Of other states. Ia my
vlsx, whatever legislation msv be enacted
by congress on this subject ought 10 be
genera! legislation. II measure Of
ihls character be enacted for the bene-
tt OF Montana or Arizona. or Idaho.
or any OF the land grant states, it ought 10
lie applicable rs 9eIi 10 ms own state. and
settlers, whether they wish 10 take IN
ioriy acres or ls0 acres. ought TO Re treated
on e2aA. terms and with equal ias;ice. I
have no doubt the chairman of the com.
mi.'ee en- public lands would be willing 10
give Is some consideration In this matter.
ihose people hsye been Ike Mahomet's
GOTTA, susSSnseA ha.yeAr hsaxaD al