The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-05-12
Settlers ON N. P. Lands MayGet Title

/
The following interview with Regis
ter of United States Land Office
Frank g. Deckebach will be Of consid
erable interest to settlers residing on
| Northern Pacific railroad granted
lands, giving very fully in detail the
| procedure necessary for settler either
to get title to the land he has in con-
test, or. to relinquish some and select
an equal quantity of land in lieu there
of. A list of about 40 names of settlers
has been received from the general
land Office, all of whom are to be mott
| fed that their claims fall under the
provisions of the act of July l, 1898,
| for the relief of settlers on land within
the limits OF the grant TO the Northern
Pacific Railway company. In answer
to an inquiry as to the provisions of
the act of July l, 1898 Register Decke-
bach said:
"This act of congress was passed to
give proper relief to the many settlers,
in this and other states, who have
settled upon land within the grant of
the Northern Pacific railroad, and
whose title thereto was consequently
disputed by the company. Any claim
adverse 10 the company which was in
itiated IN good faith by settlement,
entry or purchase, prior to January l,
1898, under color of title or claim of
right under any law of the United
States, or any ruling of the interior
department. and which is still main
tanned conformably to such law or
ruling, and is one of which, in the
| absence of the :ailroad claim, could be
perfected into full title-any such
claim could come under this act. It
cuts no figure whether the claimant
would have. won or lost his contest
with the company; the fact that his
contest existed ~ gnoe, faith, entities
him l., tisr lpnctits Of this law.
"ihe option Of relinanishiIig the
| nds il, csmtest and selecting other
lands ii, Ecu thereof is by law first ex-
telsdtd + iti,eindivitlual cl.inant,s IS and
lf Il, cl.rts To hold the lands which
ART, IN contest the railroad claimant
will be called upon to relinquish the
same and to select ther lands in lieu
thereof.
"Wheneyer any contest or contro-.
versy appears to come within the pro-
visions of said act, the commissioner
( of the general land Office will notify
the individual claimant of the option
accorded by law to individual claim
ants and will request him, if still
maintaining his claim as herein re-
quirel ], 10 make proof of such con-
tinued maintenance and to exercise
his option within sixty days after the
time of receiving such notice. If the
claimant elects to relinq quish the lands
in contest and take other lands in lieu
thereof, he must execute a proper re-
inquishment as hereinafter required,
and transmit the same to the commits
sioner of the general laad Office, to-
gether with notice of his election SO
to do.
'In all cases where the individual
claim has not passed to final entry
aud certificate, or to the submission of
final proof emitting the claimant to
final entry and certificate. failure to
furnish satisfactory proof Of the con-
tinusd maintenance of the claim and
to exercise such option within the:
time named win be deemed an aband
onment Of the claim, and the land em-
braeed therein Will be disposed Of ac-
cordingly