The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-02-09
To Protect Bone-fide Settlers.

Settlers IN the states of Washin gton
and Oregon, and, in fact, in all the
states through which the Northern
Pacific railroad passes, are very much
interested In the ruling now being
made by the interior department on
the act of congress of June 4, 1897,
which allows the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company and others to Sc
lect lands in lieu OF lands embraced in
the various forest reserves and held bv
them under patent or under unprotect-
Ell claims or squatter's rights.
In lieu OF the lands so relinqaished
the railroad company and others was
authorized to select from any vacant
lands open 10 settlement.
The department of the interior has
held "vacant lands to settlement to
mean, if necessary, all unsurveyed
lands. Therefore, settlers or squatters
on unsuryeyed lands have been very
uneasy for sometime, and many of
them felt that there is little prospect
OF holding their claim.
The land department of the railroad
company, however, asserts that it is
not Its purpose to take the lands of
any bona fide settler.
At the same time the department of
the interior encourages the settlers to
continue their settlement, and within
three months after the acceptance of
the official SURVEY of their lands to as
sert their claims thereto.
The ruling of the department. is that
the party first initiating the right of
settlement has the prior claim.
Congressman Jones, of Washington,
who has just introduced relief bill
on hehalf of settlers, is of the opinion
that most settlers would not think of
fighting the railroad company, and,
therefore, the law as it was enacted
does grave injustice to settlers, as a
rule. In an interview Mr.. Jones said:
''It has been repeatedly asserted that
lands upon which there are settlers
have been filed ON by the railroad COM
pany under the present law. To pre-
vent this is one of the objects of the
law. / know that settlers have their
remedy. That is to fight the claim of
the company and establish the prior
rights. This is expensive. The set
tiers are not wealthy. The prospect
OF delay is discouraging and many
prefer to abandon their settlement
rather than bear the expense and delay
of contest.
"The railroad cannot complain at
these provisions. If its claim to
tract of land is just it will prevail. De-
lay and expense cannot hurt it as they
do the settlers. All it has to do is to
inspect the land. If it finds a settler
and doesnot think he is there bona
fide 1t can contest his claim as any
other contestant, but it should bear
the burden of such contest. The bills
are introduced without any hostility
to the railroad, but out of a desire to
do Justice to the settler. / believe the
government should be quite lenient
with men who are striving to reclaim
the public domain, especially now
when the choice land is taken up. If
we had more owners of small tracts of
land we would be better off,"
Senator Foster and Representative
Cushman have each given much at
tention to the claims of settlers and
their rights, and in all cases there is
an unqualified sentiment favorable to
the pioneer and home building squat
ter and settler-Hoquiam Washing
tonian.