The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-04-02
ADJUSTING TITLES
NORTHERN PACIFIC MAKES PRO-
POSAL TO SETTLERS.
Opportunity offered Either to Ex.
change for Lien Lands as in
Other Cases Under Act OF Juiv
4, 1898, or They May Perfect I'll.
tie Under Homestead Act.

| vancouver, wash, March BIC.
E. Moulton, of Tacoma, attorney for
the Northern Pacific Railway Compa-
ny's land department, is in Vancouver
looking after the overlap land cases
and will remain here for some time
The company has just issued circular
Endorsed by Howard Elliott, president
covering the points of interest. 1t ia
of vast Importance to hundreds of far.
mers in Clarke and Cowlitz counties
and is as follows:
To homestead settlers on Northern
Pacific lands within Portland overlap.
The long litigation between the Nor.
thern Pacific Railway company and
the United States, in the so-called Port
land overlap case, was recently decid-
ed by the United States supreme court
in favor of the Northern Pacific Rail.
way Company. The court holds that
the lands in controversy were all ganrt-
ed to said company. Encouraged by
erroneous rulings of the interior de.
partmeut and by the advice of local
attorneys, large number of settlers
years ago located upon asid lands and
in the effort by the company to protect
its property innumerable contests and
much litigation arose on all sides.
causing great expense to the settlers
and the comdany, besides the ill feel.
ing engendered. On July l, 1898, con-
gress passed an act to afford relief to
the settlers who prior to January 1,
1898, had purchased or settled upon or
oil nl in foif l.
the United States or any ruling of the
interior department any lands within
the limits of the Northern Pacific
grant.
Terms of Adjustment.
Then follows an extract from asid
act. Continuing the circular reads:
This law confers upon the settler the
option of perfecting the title to the
land he occupies or of relinquishing
the land now settled by him to the
United States and selecting in lieu
thereof an equal quantity of govern
ment land in any of the states on the
line of the Northern Pacific railway
Realizing that many of the bona fide
settlers on lands of the company in
other parts of this grant had been in
duced to locate thereon under errone-
Gus rulings of the interior department.
the company, soon after the passage of
the act, notified the interior depart
ment of its acceptance of the law and
its intention to aid in the adjustment
as rapidly as possible of all claims of
bona fide settlers coming Within its
terms.
Circulars were sent out to settlers
generally, citing the act, explaining
its provisions and volunteering infor-
nation and aid in perfecting adjust
mems. 1t was impossible, however, at
tibet time to adjust claims within the
overlap" district under said act, be-
cause the title of the company was in
litigation with the United States and
the interior department denied such
right during the tendency of such liti
cation. Now that such litigation liz
terminated and the act of July 1, 1898,
can be applied to the overlap" lands,
abe Northern Pacific Railway Compa-
ny, approaching that past uncertainty
as to the titles has seriously retarded
the progress of the country along its
line within the overlap limits, wishes
it tobe understood that it desires all
bona fide settlers settled there to take
advantage of the provisions of said act
to perfect titles to their homes as
promptly as possible, and to this end
its land department will gladly lend
all necessary assistance.
Should Present Claims.
In order to secure prompt sction up
on their claims settlers should present
their applications to the United States
land officers of the land district In
which the lands claimed are situated,
alleging their settlement prior to JAN
nary 1, 1898, and continuous residence
since that time, asking that they be
permitted to enter their land under the
act of July /, 1898. In cases where
applications to enter were accepted by
the Uni3ed States land Office years ago
settlers should notify the United States
land officers whether they elect to re-
tain the land occupied or relinquish
their claims thereto, with the view to
selecting other lands in lieu thereof.
The railway company will be notified
of the settlers action and will prompt
ly relinuishq, or otherwise, as the case
may require, SO that titles may be ad-
justed as expeditiously as possible.