The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-20
No WRONG T0INDIANS
paint Roberts Cannery Men An
swer the Government.
socKEyEs FREE FOR EVERYBODY
,,rat- Have No Prescrfptive Right
Ballard Council Fight and
3fasel Hearing.

controversy over the sockeys sal
a. Point Roberts was again set
- ia an answer flied IN the United
- circult court yesterday. The case
.saf az the United States. Hllasre
49,, and Captain Jack VS.. the Alas
pac.srs, Association and Kate Wal
- vaieh a temporary Injunction has
-. tssusG res training the packing COTS
-, frnnn taking FISH on the Point ROB-
,sef The government has inter-
go E,scauge OF the contention that the
tmrl Indians, whose prescripEive
- II ia claimed, have been invaded.
- wards OF the United States.
srss defendants deny that Crockett IS
80, az the Lummis, and say that Cap
e. lack IL not q member OF the tribe
- time imnnemorial, the answer ad-
- Indians have fished on the reef,
-. -. they belong 10 the Saanichs. OF Brit
- ralunabia while the LuTnmis have
.A~s,egssa thai privilege for only fifteen
- The answer denies also that the
$500 States sustains toward the Indians
- ,.Iattauship Of wards. out AYERS that
80 naye severed their tribal relations
- haze been allotted lands IN severalty.
IRE defendants say they have not
~A.csa any distractions for the purpose
sesecting the run OF salmon. The
49,
r.s.rws from the ocean into the Straits.
.ssrre uortherly through various chan
- particularly Rosario straits. past
.,,-,rni island and as a general rule TO
-1lnt White Horn on the east side OF the
sIgIs OF Georgia at the south entrance 10
s,sr.n hsy. thence northwesterly 10 Point
p~.sr,z and finally westerly and north
.,sv 10 the mouth OF the Fraser. where
sssv enter fn innumerabie schools The
a. entering the waters of Point Roberts
80 uassiug the reef are IN vast schools
al in numbers beyond computation or
comprehension.
Tss hackers association denies that
a. government has secured or guaran-
TED 10 the Indians the right TO take fish.
snd SAYS that they have not been ousted.
T.sfanaants claim TO own the lands under
,,,le from the general government, and
ssnv that IL was ever subject 10 any ser
vjttlde or rights whatever OF the Indians.
A. the time the treaty was made. II is
aid Point Roberts was not known 10 be
,gfbIn the United States, and the bound
srv was not determined until about four
vars afterwa-d. Previous TO that time,
.be contention IS all the Indians fire.
oaanting Point Roberts were regarded
ss king George" or British Columbia
Indians.
,,lned 10 be within the United States the
government set IL apart as military
ressryation and withheld IL from entry
untII long subsequent 10 1877. when John
Waller and Kate Waller. the defendants,
,sfrled upon two lots each In sections 2
AMI z. township 40. range west. On
August S. 1892 Kate Waller made fual
proos. and the lands accordingly were
granted TO her.
II the temporary Injunction issued by
ne court Is permitted 10 remain In effect
/, viii cause the cannery, defendants say,
irreparable LOSE. and throw out Of en-
rl0vnent for the season some l50 men.
The cannery at Point Roberts was es-
tsollshed In 1898. by T.. A Wadhams, and
the packing company now operates that
establishment In connection with can
merry al semiahmoo. whatcom county.
erected by ID. Drysdale, IN ISL. The
quantity OF fish taken is said TO be infini-
,sslmal as compared with the myriads
that swarm by the reef during the fish
bag season. The cannerymen also contend
that the Indians are in no wise restrained
from exercising whatever privilege they
may be entitled 10. and that there are
many places in that vicinity where they
may anchor their canoes and take sal
mon wholly without interference.