The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-22
HON.S.W. LAMOREAUA
Commissioner Of the General
Land Office Visits Seattle.
INVESTIGATING LOCAL OFFICES
Preparing for Surveying . Large
Pnblfe Domain Cnaer the Re-
cent liberal Appropriations

Hon. ". s. LAmoreazx- commissioner az
the Gated States general land c6sce az
washington City. arrived n Seattle en-
saturday night en- tos lase Northern Pa
CHS tra12 ana sps1t ali day yesterday n
this city. leaving at sssS for Portland.
Tie commissioner Is accompanied BY
party consisting os his wife An3 Two chill
oren. his nephew. Frank 3. LAmoreAlA
wife and child; c. Il Webb. . leading
vnolesals dry goods merchant es New
ferk City. member CT tns hrm % Dun
ham, Buckley 4 Co. who - also 2c-
eorpanied BY his wife. and A -. Brit
ten. CT the arm OF Br.sten & Gray. land
lawyers CT Washington CRY, who has
with him his wife and two children.
making a total OF thirteen IN the party.
Commissioner Lamoreanx visit - one
partially OF business and partially Of
pieasurA Tas others OF the party accom-
paay HIN as guests.
On arrival in the city the party took
rooms For the day 81 the Rstrier-Srsnd-
The commissioner IS 4 rather short.
HEAVIEST. smoerh-shaven gentleman Of
aooa. 50 years OF age. with a nervous and
rather incisive manner. lie talked freely
CT his trip. his conduct OF the affairs of
his otaee during hts administration. and
OF almost any subject except that Of
politics, on which he had nothing % say.
He stated that the principal purpose OF
his visit, which was the first enc ever
taken BY him 20 the Pacific Northwest.
vas 10 visit the various land offices ard
look into their workings. and particularly
70 see the surveyors general OF the dr.
isrent states ~ita a view 20 discerning ths
best methods Of expanding the exfraord-
inarily large appropriation made by con-
sres this year. with view TO having TIA
largest amount OF work done In that d.
rsction In the shortest poslbIe amount Of
time
The commissioner said there had been .
good deal OF legitimate complaint In tbs
past about the length Of time it has taken
70 have surveying OF new townships finally
finished and approved so that the land
could De thrown open 10 entry. In some
instances four or five years had elapsed
between the letting OF the contracts and
the hnal approving Of surveys. This was
the matter particularly discussed vita
the surveyors general. and Judge Lam
oreaux Is confident that Ia the expenditure
or The present appropriation not more
that year Will eiapse between the con-
tract and the opening OF the land to entry.
and he thinks the time can be shortened
20 eight months.
he spent three days in Helena, Mont.
In consultation with the mineral commits
sioners recently appointed 70 settle the
status OK the Northern Pacific land grant
through that state. BY the terms OF the
grant all mineral lands ara excluded The
work or the commissioners Is confined 10
examining the different tracts within the
limits or the grant. for the purpose OF de-
termlning their character with reference
70 mineral TO determine whether Or not
the company takes them. The consulta-
ton with the mineral commissioners was
Tor the purpose Of inducing greater speed
In settling the question. and also to In
vsstigate some complaints which had been
urged to the bureau at Washington City
regarding the manner in which the work
was being done.
His work IA this state was largely for
mai. In Seattle IL was confined 10 a few
hours interview with the local land off,
Gals.
Speaking OF the condition ar his hvrpa,
at Washington CITY, Commissioner Lam
oreaux said that he was thoroughly salts
aed with the administration. Many old
cases which had been dragging along for
years. have been finally disposed OF
When he took charge OF the office thsrs
were is.sgo patents IN srresrs Today thar
division OF the Office IS well I'D with It's
work. Not more than six weeks now
eiapses between the time final proof e.
made in uncontssted eases and the denv-
cry or the paten, 20 the claimant In the
railroad division an enormous amount Of
work has been done IN clearing I'd the rail-
road land grant cases. and certifying
lands 10 the companies entitled 20 them,
and many contests OF long standing be-
tween settlers and the railroad companies
have been finally disposed OF.
The party left Washington City June /
going from Chicago through Wisconsin an
the Wisconsin Central TO ST. Paul. ana
thence west 10 Seattle. over the Northern
Pacinc, stopping for day or more at each
iand ONCE In the states through which
they passed. From here they go 10 Port
land, thence 10 San Francisco. Los. An
geles and San Diego. then back sand
around by the Central Pacific and TTnior,
Pacific to Salt Lake: thence 10 Denver
and from there home.
All the visitors profess 70 have en.ovea
the trip highly. particularly their vssit -
Puget sound. Speaking OF Mr.. Iarnoresux
Judge Britten remarked that II was
worthy OF note that he was the frs. com
missioner Of the general lard Office who haa
during his term OF Office made n tour OF
the regions in the United States with
which his Office had the bulk OF Sc deal
ings- In fact. with the exception a. ex-
Commissioner Carter he was the first one
who had visited the Pacific coast
" bile Judge Britten IS making his srs,
visit 10 Puget sound. he has frnou~ntI,-
been In California or business connected
with land office cases arising IN hts rrac-
ties. re himself t.. however well known
fersonaliy or ~ reputatson t. almost ali
the attorneys In Seattle who rrarfsrA IN
ths Ian1 office. ard has been refafras -
considerable OF the litigation over puhl,~
lands which has gnue ID from this S.a.s
notably th@ Valentine scrip cases OF lo,a-
ton on the tlse fats IN Seattle