The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-17
UNCERTAIN STATUS OF MANY SET
TIERS IN CowLITZ COUNTY.
Townships o and North, Range !
East. the subject of Much Trouble
to the Land once. as Well as to
Per.on. who Have settled There.

| hoping to get title from the department,
| and are becoming very discouraged Rep
| resentatiys Jones personally assured
Commissioner Hermann that he had been
| through these townships and knew OF the
| conditions existing there from personal
| knowledge. He stated that the improve
| ments Of these settlers were very extern
| sive, considering the conditions under
which they haa oeen t,d nsu was any possi-
| Bile way by which the completion ana ac-
ceptance of these surveys coulu DC has
| tened that Il should be done.
The commissioner EXCLAIMED 70 the
washington representative the status or
| the surveying contracts for these two
| deputy surveyors. M @. Usher and Will
| lam Mayer. In the year 1873. and have
| been the source OF much trouble 10 the
| general land office ever since. representa-
| live Doolittle was the first man to try 10
get these surveys accepted. during his
! first term Of office, and the department
has since made several attempts TO nave
| these surveys put In a condition so that
| they could be accepted.
Lishers contract, which covers town
| ship 6, was examined In the held during
| the past surveying season, but for some
reason which the commissioner could not
| explain neither the report OF the exami-
deputy has been received here. The ex-
| aniner will be pushed up and the com
| missioner has promised that the once
| the survey approved at once II Il is cor
rect. II IL is found however, that the
survey has not been properly made, II viii
| be promptly rejected and new contract
entered into with some competent dep
uty. II is the opinion of many that this
should have been done long aso,
township I, Ia In even n more unsatis-
factory condition. and the commissioner
has promised to do all he can 70 straight
en- II out. Mayer expressed his willing
ness TO correct this survey. and In 1sSs
the surveyor general of the state Of
Washington recommended that he be al
| lowed to make one more effort so far as
the general land office is informed he
has never made the corrections required.
| The surveyor general Of Washington has
been directed within the past few days
to inform the commissioner whether or
not the surveys have been corrected, and
Il not, to recommend some action rela-
tive thereto
Township boundaries.
Representative Jones has for some time
been endeayoring to get certain town
ships OF land now included In the Water
vile land district detached therefrom
district because of the Inconvenience and
expense Incurred by the settlers and min
ers 10 visiting the former land once The
secretary of the Interior with n recon-
mendation by the commissioner OF the
general land ONCE that the president be
requested to order the change OF boun-
daries
Commissioner Hermann states that from,
Correspondence nad with registers ana
receivers OF the wa,erville and North
Yakima offices II appears that almost the
same condition exists In townships IL to
~ north. ranges % to 10 east. inclusive.
in the North Yakima land district, in that
the settlers In these townships are com
PEELED to travel nearly 500 miles by rail
because OF the impossiblity OF crossing
the Columbia river, which bounds these
townships on the west. The commission
er. therefore, has recommended to the
he NJ ha
same time requested TO order these town
ships detached from North Yakima dis
trict and attached to the Wsterville dis
trict.
Mr. Jones is confident that this action
VIII be takes within a short time.
New Hond Required.
The treasury department. in a letter 10
the collector OF customs at Sitka. gives
ed route by the Chilkoot Railroad 4
transportation Company. which has sold
out to the White Pass a Yukon Railroad
Company. and the deputy collector asked
for instructions regarding the execution
OF new bond, in the event OF the latter
company operating tho former road this
spring. The collector Is ordered 10 retain
the original bond without cancellation In
order to meet any liability which may
have occurred hereunder. But tho trans
portstion OF dutiable merchandise in bond
from Dyea to the British boundary viii no
longer D. allowed under the old bond
The treasury department. however
the collector at sitks TO permit the White
Pass & Yukon Company TO execute a new
bond IN the sum Of No,e0. ns g carrier
over the old Chilk0ot Railroad 4 Trans
poTtation Companys road The bond
must when prepared be submitted Ia the
treasury department for approval
Forest Reserve settlers.
Representative Jones has secured an i'm
poFtsnt ruling from the commissioner o.,
the general land office IN behalf o.
settlers within the lirni, OF forest reserves
{u the state Of Washington Mr. Jones
made application 10 the commissions In
behalf ~ number n. settlers whose
homes were within The limit Of tho Wash
luSton forest reserve in Whatcom county.
These settlers were there at tho time O
Sas set aside and made comDlain, TO their
representative that they have been unable
% secure titie= 10 The lands, although they
have been surveyed
Commissioner Hermann states that any
settler located upon land Nithiu thu limits
o. q reserve. who was occupying air
claim March l. 1856 the aate that the land
nation 81 febr,iary = 1897. creating tho
reserve and who continued 70 reside upon
such claim and protested bis rights with
from the hling ~ the requt>d office -
the township Plsi q survey. may perfect
his title thereto me sSms a. 70 tre rsssf-
vati0u had not been created
The Grcciamatigu creating the reserve
lu ne stssc ~ Washington expressly to-
clafes that All lands are excepted from
tHN fDfUe nWI ftEtHk kTFFfNE aNNN NnNn
eny xaHl zetiIement has been made pur-
sgAut ia LAW and the statutory parted
NlgAin which 20 make entry f4r hling -
record has not expired p"
u would appear from ths foregoing that
the settler wh9 has failed % protect 81.
rights within three months after the ptsi
~ sarvay - practically IN .h~ same con
tit0u - ere who ass aitsmpfed 90 take
Ip lands ln the forest reserve Rftef March
3 1864 rnat he has no claim upon toe Cov-
t-nrsrt f1r the land Should F1ch bona
faa raaee exist. however G e. possible
,hty soulH ncrure raIsf by special iesissa-
ton Mr. Jones viii te glad 90 bear from
any settler upon amy - these reserves
sru through ignorance n tire law. has
r7t etUreA q ii..e Tor bis hnlns.
NooksRck River Gorge.
Senator Fosts- fas nrraEa, 90 Pc atfsn-
taH q Ihe var Department THE request ~
a @ Blake. 81 Ncw Nhafcer1- asking
lath0rify &c remove ard appropriate %
Gi7 aWu use 81 EnrFs Of 6rfftWocd 81 the
1o4.a - the $oekrark river Tac depart
rafrf hrv 1ssafs1 tha sr0ef0r rNHf fHn~~
Womb - ra objection 20 NJ Eiake Doing
tcs e. }cng as navigation Interests are
rsf#r Inv hA 2