The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-15
U. s. Supreme Court Rules
Against the @. & C.
The QUADRANT CASE" DECIDED
'nsoivee 2ce.ooo Acres of Lana
Ner Portland, Or. and tn.
homes 81 SOC settIcrs-ceurt az
appeals Reversed. and the pt~-
"ief court Amrmed-Ena OF r.st-
iEaafon Grewinx ont OF the Pre-
'eet Of q Railroad to Astoria.

WASHINGTON, Dee. rs-e,hsse y,,.,a
-ailisr announced today the orsr,son - ~ !.
couFs IA t1e case OF the lraitsxi sssases ~.
tle oFesea q California and oregon sS,r-
tFsi companies. Involving thu tttAs. ID,
a.seae amos hear Portland. Or. rpvrrs-
ins the aeeisioa of the Circuit .,o,,rt AZ
appeals FOR the Ninth district
-. "as nToaght by the geovern-
nieht 20 ef1oln the railroad ,-x,mcs rss.
from asserting title to certain fasss ~
ciudcd III the grant made 10 aha s,,,.ss,.,
eSttFsl company in ISsa which arf,.s-y a,-,f
S1Eu oot 10 tiAs, Oregon q California sa.,,
P@ny. The railroad COMPANY tai,aa =,
eoinplete fss lines within tho tsFna sn,,s.~
, ne1, ana forfeited a portion OF lt< vra,,.
., aHe Soaaphcauens arose out of the fact
sI. sl.s.a 'ssiss iniies from Portland. th<, ROAD
.'s :. - proceeding I'm q directly west
ward direction. turns Sharplv "a ~, s,,,es.
out or this Circumstance arosa raas,s,,, .
ms claims heSwnen the railroad cornanv
ana the government to she lana in saa
qaadraneie lying northwest az mo f,,rn,nw
point Ihe company sold much OF ~.
amos under IT'S claim. and they are now
heaa os eiamanss under shIs title. Tho
Interior aepaftment claimed that the land
haa been forfeited. and the procee.ll,us
which were terminated toaav nrs,.ss,ssst
upon this theory. TIE decision Of the cl,s-
cult court for the dlstrics of orewon -a,,a.s
IN IaNor or the governments contention
hut was reversed by the circuit court az
appeals fer the Ninth circuit.
The chief justices opinion in t.,rs. -.
verses the circuit court OF appeals and
sustaihs the circuit court and the gov
errment contention. Chief Jsrsrics Fn,ler
did not give the courts reasons for rhv
conclusions reached
The court annopnced q recess for thN
holidays from next Monday until the firss
Monday IN January.
Settlers secure in Their Homes.
PORTLAND. Dec. 1.-THE sls...i~sss, .,s
the United States supreme coisv foaav
en the case OF TIE Oregon a California a
and Oregon censra. railway comuanas~.
known a. the ''Quadrast case" ~eftles tsfe
title TO 10000 acres of valuable land IN
Washington county. about fifteen miles
from this city. The lsEd ia question con-
sists Of q,ladEang-shapei tract. having
a radius of ten mites. situate Rd taccnt ~
the point above the rzilrvad vFfl.e was
started 10 run from Portland TO Astoria,
stopped. and turned AZ right angie and
ran south to Ncaiimysils The govern
ment chained that there we're two roads
to which grants were given. the Portland
& Astoria road ami the one running ,sossn
from near Htlisboro 90 McMsnnv.1le. while
the railroad company claimed that 4he
whole was one continucus road. and they
were entitled to grant ten miles In
width along fhe whole line.
When tha grant on the sine from Hiil@-
boro 10 Astoria iapsed. many settlers. con-
sidering this quadrant tract government
land, took up hoHnesteads and pre-eFnp-
tIon claims from the government. Many
who had bought claims from the railroad
company quit paying on Them and antef-
ed their claims under the Law as pubic
lands. and some have kept on paying tho
railroad company till this time. The gos-
eminent finaiiy brought suit In the United
States district court here TO quiet title 10
those lands and the case WAS decided IN
favor OF the gov~rnnent by Judge Ral~
iinger some three years ago The com"
many appealed tho case 10 the circuit court
or appeals, and Ii reversed Judge Bsal-
iinger.
The government then appealed 70 ne
supreme court OF the United States, which
has now reversed tire circuit court OF sp-
peals and sustained Judge Balilngers
About 600 settlers now secupy the lands.