The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-30
RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY.
w. I. & u. co. CAN BUILD ACROSS
The CoLylLLE RESERVATION.
Washington Delegation Working IN
Secure the N0rthern Half of the
Same Reservation Thrown Open
to Immediate Mineral Entry.

special Dispatch to the Post-lnts lliSencer.
WASHINGTON. March &.-Senator VIII
son has succeeded in getting through the
senate his bill granting 10 the Washington
Improvement arid Development Company
riSai-of-waS through the Coivitle HI
dian reservation. The bill grants in detail
10 the corporation and its assigns A right
or-way for its railway. telegraph and teie-
phone lines through the reservation be-
ginning al a point on the Columbia river.
near the mouth OF the Sans Poll river;
running thence in a northerly direction 10
a point in township g. north of range -
east. Willamette meridian: thence north
erly TO point near the mouth OF Curlew
creek: thence noTtherly TO the interna-
9onal boundary line between British Co.
Nmeia and the state of Washington. with
the right TO construct. use and maintain
such branches. spurs. switches and side
tracks as said company may deem neces-
sary for the operation of said railway. to-
gether with all the rights granted 10 rail-
roads by the act Of congress entitled AN
act granting TO railroads a right-of-way
through the public lands of the United
States" approved March J. 1919.
The right OF way gwen Is nifty feet wide
on each side of the center line of the rail-
road, and the company has the right TO
take from the lands adjacent stone, earth
and timber necessary for its construction:
also grounds adjacent 10 the right OF way
for station buildings and for necessary
sidetracks and switch tracks. not TO ex-
coed 100 feet wide and 3,eV feet long for
each station. and not exceeding one sta
tion for each ten mics of road within the
limits of the reservation.
Ii is made the duty of the secretary of
the interior to fix the amount of COM
pensation 10 be paid to any Indian al
iottees whose land may DC taken by the
company under this act, and TO provide
| the time and manner of payment.
The company must file maps showing
the route of its located lines through the
reservation in the Office OF the secretary
of the interior: and after filing maps no
claim for subsequent settlement and i'm
provemert upon the right of way shown
by the maps shall be valid against the
company. Ii is provided. however, that
when map. showing a portion of the
located line. is fled the company must
commence grading within six months or
the location Will be void. The location
must also be approved by the secretary
OF the interior in sections of twenty-five
miles before the construction of any Sec
ton is begun.
The company is also authorized by the
bill to enter upon the reservation at once
for the purpose of surveying and locating
| the railroad. The rights herein granted
are to be forfeited by the company I'M
less at least fifty miles of the railroad Is
| constructed through the reservation with
in three years.
The Washington delegation confidently
expects TO overcome the opposition OF
| the commissioner of Indian affairs
to the opening of the south half of the
sible. however. TO get from the
individual members of the conference COM
mttee any decided statement Of how they
will vote on this important amendment
1t Is far down in the bill and may not be
reached for some days yet. The letter
OF the commissioner in opposition to the
amendment, which was mentioned some
days ago as being sent 10 the conferees.
is in the form of report to the secretary
of the interior upon all of the Colviie
amendments offered by Senator Wilson.
The commissioner rehearses the legisla-
ton OF 1892. by which the northern half Of
the reservation, subject to the reservation
and allotment of lands In severalty to the
individual members of the Indians Of the
reservation SO vacated ard restored TO the
public domain, Is to be opened to settle
ment and entry by proclamation OF the
president and disposed of under the gen.
eral laws applicable to the disposition of
public lands in the state OF Washington
Section of the act provided that the
Indians then residing upon the portion OF
the reservation vacated. and so entitled to
reside. should be entitled 10 select from
said vacated portion eighty acres OF land
each, 20 be allotted In severalty II f,,r-
ther provided that such selections should
be made within six months after the date
Of the presidents proclamation opening
| the lands vacated to settlement and entry
and after the same should have been sur
veyed.
| BY act OF February 20. 1896. the mineral
| land laws OF the United States We're ex-
| tended so as 10 apply 10 all lands embraced
| within the restored portion OF the Colvlle
| reservation.
| The three amendments offered by Sena-
| tor Wilson are:
, First. TO subject the mineral lands in
| the southern half OF the Coiviie reserva-
| ton. that is. the portion not restored 10
| the public domain. TO the mineral laws of
| the United States second to grant the
| right 10 cut timber for mining and do
| mestic purposes on the unaffected lands
| of both the restored and unrestored por-
| tons under such rules and regulations
| as may be prescribed by the secretary OF
| the interior; and third. to secure the COM
| pletlon Of the alotments of the restored
| portion OF the reservation, and thus throw
| II open for settlement
The original coiviIie reservation contain
| ed about 2.so0.s acres. being very rough
| and mountainous In character and heavily
| tsnhered about one-fifth being IL for agri-
| cultural and grazing purposes. The popu-
| latlon of the reservation Is reported by
| the agent In his annual report for 1897 at
| 20se. He estimates that about 100 reside
| on the restored portion OF the resservat foD.
| The commission thinks this latter estimate
| is too large. Unsier the act OF 1882 the In
/ dams located on the northern half have
the right. IL they 80 desire. 10 reside upon
| the unrestored portion of the reservation.
| ihis portion the southern haiG II still an
/ Indian reservation. subject to all the laws
| applicable 10 such reservations.
~ am strongly nr,f1nepA - the rom
| missioner TO any legislation which would
/ authorize the breaking down OF the bar
| riers which surround the Indian reserva-
| ton and allowing the white population 10
/ enter therein although restricted TO min
/ erai lands as Tire Introduction of sucn pop
| ulaIion among the Indians world unauss-
! tioBabiy result i'm confusion ana greatly In
] crease the difficulty OF restraining and con-
/ trolling the lnsiiaqs and preventing them
from obtaining intoxicating liquors. I see
no more reason for opening the mineral
( lands in this reservation 10 entry than TO
4 mi IN raS<srxs f5f.rsss in