Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-06-02
HUMP NOT IN THE RESERVE
Latest Government Maps Give Bound.
aries Of Bitter Root Reservation
Creeks Enelrclins Buffalo Hump Located
Outside the Forest Reserve Linz

o ondo yOur uncle Sam
aefs agents here and at WASHING
ton have been jumping at conclns
IONS somewhat too hastily in tn,
matter OF locating old Buffal,
hump within the boundaries q
the Bitter Root Forest Reserve anf
IN serving notices to quit unor
saloon keepers and other bushes,
men doing business in our prea,
new mining camp.
Well informed people who know
THESE mountains thoroughly have
always expressed grave doubts
ABOUT the assertion that the Humr
was in the reservation limits ever
since the establishment and loca.
ton OF the boundaries Of the re-.
serve, and the latest map of the
state Of Idaho issued by the Hon.
Commissioner Of the Land Office al
Washington proves the contention
that Buffalo Hump is outside Of
the Forest Reserve.
we received one of these maps
yesterday through the courtesy Of
our friend Senator Shoup. On this
map the boundaries of the Bitter
Root Forest Reserve are plainly
shown and territory covered by i
is printed in green ink. The west
line OF the reserve is 80 miles east
OF the Boise meridian and 10 miles
east Of Harpster.
The map shows Buffalo Hump
to be located four miles east of the
west line of the reservation.
But here comes the sticker. The
two forks of Ten-Mile creek head
on both sides of Buffalo HUMP.
and these forks are shown by the
map to be west of and outside the
boundaries Of the Forest reserva-
ton. Either the creeks or the
Hump are wrongly located upon
the government maps, and the gov
eminent officials are at liberty to
take either horn of the dilemma,
and in either case the business men
at Buffalo Hump are entitled to a
stay of proceedings until the ex-
act location of the Hump is def
nitely located, determined and set
tied beyond the possibility Of dis
pute. This will mean an actual
survey Of the west line of the Bit
ter Root Forest Reserve, and until
this is done it is not probable that
the people doing business there will
be molested, unless the government
agents wish to take chances OF
actions for big damages for election
should the contention that the
Hump is not on the reserve be
proven true.
There is no question about the
two forks of Ten-Mile having their
source on both sides of the Hump,
as the Hump squats squarely in the
middle of these streams. This is a
geographical fact which has been
known for years. There is, OF
course, a possibility that Ten-Mile
is wrongly located on the map, be-
cause when that section was tri-
angulated in 1897 the high noun
tain SUBMITS and their elevations
was the basis on which the tri-
angulation was made. But in the
meantime the doubt exists; and in
our judgment an order of the courts
can very easily be obtained should
the government officials attempt to
enforce the eviction orders. In
this, as in all other legal process,
the accused is deemed innocent
until proven guilty; and before any
one can be evicted or punished
your Uncle Samuel will have to
satisfy the courts by an actual
survey that the people doing bust
ness at the Hump are actual tres
passers upon the sacred precincts
of this part Of the so-called public
domain called the Bitter Root For
est Reserve. The burden of proof
rests with the U. 8. government.
In these United States, of all
countries in the world, the people
are quick to resent any infringe
ment of their constitutional rights
OF individual liberty, and there il
very grave doubt as to whether the
arbitrary rulings of the Secretary OF
Interior in excluding business men
from these forest reservations
would stand the test of a Supreme
Court trial if brought and argued
squarely upon the merits of the
constitutional rights of the citizen.
AS a measure of public policy
the law for the preservation of the
timber on these reservations lie
righteous and just; but we have
always considered that the orders
OF the department to prevent the
carrying on of business therein are
not only odious and unjust, but sure.
" unconstitutional, and to those
interested we advise legal resis-
lance to the proposed eiectment
proceedings.