The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-12-12
TIMBER
LAND
FRAUD
Department of In
terror Waking Up
Exposure of the Methods Of
GObblingll Lands
Rev. SchelIiStill Forcing Fight
for Honest Methods

The Otegonian and all kinds OF
Oregon newspapers are filling their
columns with startling articles alleg-
ing gigantic timber land frauds carried
on with the connivance of the federal
officials of the U, S. Land offices. and
the sanction OF the higher officials
in the departments at Washington.
Secretary Hitchcock of the Depart.
ment of the Interior seems to be an
honest gentleman and not deaf to all
appeals. He has long been persona
non grata with smooth and oily
Binger Herman who never laid a straw
in the way of any land grabber on
earth from frozen Nome gold beaches
to the latest forest reserve steal.
How Hitchcock can carry on an in.
vestigation over the head of this agent
OF the General Land office CBinger
HERMANN and members of the ore.
gon delegation, is a mystery. Here
is the latest expose of the frauds and
some comments from Rev. schell.-
An official Expose.
An official expose of the fraudulent
methods pursued by timber and mill
operators in Oregon and Washington
is contained in a letter just issued
by Secretary Hitchcock, Of the In.
terror Department. to Land Commits
sioner Hermann. The letter in part
reads:
THE department has been advised
that the method Of procedure pur.
sued In many cases by corporations.
individuals or associations in whose
interest timber and stone entries are
made in the Pacific Coast States. is,
in substance, as follows:
"A number of locaters form a com.
pany; one becomes solicitor another
a cruiser while another masquerades
in the guise Of capitalist, and tells
in a confidential manner that he rep.
resents an Eastern mill concern. The
solicitor and capitalist travel together
but their social divergence precludes
the propriety of their being seen
much together in company. The mill
operators give the glad hand to the
solicitors and recommend them to
their friends and employees, Glowing
stories are told the locators OF quick
fortunes in Oregon and Washington
timber lands and a stampede ensues.
Arrived In the timber district they
are shown a belt Of timber and told
that the whole country Is like II, and
that when they have seen one
quarter section they have seen a thous.
and without going within miles Of
any vacant land, they are bundled on
to the nearest officer who railroads
their sworn statements through his
shop, the descriptions indicating such
land as his clients the mill operators
have had carefully cruised and know
10 be desirable
when the time comes for final
proof a proposition is made by the
capitalist 20 loan the necessary money
provided a power OF attorney is given
TO sell the land, and after paying all
expenses, 20 divide the net proceeds
between the entryman and himself
This is not as was first understood
when these parties first met. and the
entryman may, and frequently does,
demur. Very well, he is told that he
can advertise and have GO days more
in which 10 secure the money from
some other source. This involves
more expense, but he does II. At the
end Of the time, having failed 10 get
the money, he comes TO the terms Of
the capitalist and signs the necessary
papers rather than lose his rights 10
enter lands.
"There is no public record Of this
and as no one vested
with judicial authority can compel
the attendance Of witnesses, the Gov
is unable 20 act in this mat
ter"