The Princeton union., 1904-01-14
TIMBER CLAIMS VOID.
Filings and Proofs Made by Many
Princeton People on Oregon s
Timber Claims Illegal.
An Oregon Land Office Registrar Is
Responsible for Tangled
Condition of Affairs.

y
Those from Princeton and other
points in this part of the country are
beginning to think that Uncle Sam in
his dealings with those who have
taken advantage of the stone and tim
ber act and secured land in Oregon, is
not doing business on the square.
The members of the Woodcock and
Oakes party who went to Oregon last
month and made final proof at Prime
vile have anything but complimentary
words to say regarding the treatment
they have received at the hands of the
United States officials. In this party
were fourteen persons who made filings
at Bend, Oregon, in December, 1902,
for stone and timber claims. They
were unfortunate in that they made
filings before commissioner who was
acting without authority, and to make
their filings valid they had to take the
matter up with the land commits
sioner at Washington who made valid
their filings by having the parties
make out proper affidavits, ETC., and
this defect in the fling was made sat-
isfactory to the government authori-
ties. Matters dragged along for some
time and finally the members of the
party were ordered to make final proof
at Prineville last month, but to make
doubly sure that there would be no:
further trouble Ernest Sellhorn, who
was one of the party, wrote the, regis
ter of the land Office at Prineville and
asked if it would be the proper thing.
for them to make fanl proof at that
place, which is not situated in the
Lakeview land district in which the
land they had fled on was located.
Mr.. Sellorn stated that all interested
in making final proofs desired to have,
full instructions in the matter and that
if any questions as to irregularity Of
making the proofs were to arise they
would prefer to have the notices of
final proof readvertised and place set
in land district where land was To-
Gated. The register at Prinevlile, j i
N. Watson, wrote Mr.. .Sellhorn that
since publication of final proofs was
running and all proceedings relating
thereto were pending prior to an or
der from the general land Office that
proofs should be made in the district
where the land was located, he was of
the opinion that they could make
proof before him at Prineville and
they did so.
A few days ago Mr.. Chase and the
balance of the party that proved up at
Prineville received letter from the
register at that place stating that ow-
ing to the fact that their filings had
been made at point outside of the
land district in which their land is
located and also because of the fact
that their proofs were made at point
outside of the. land district their
proofs could not be accepted and fl
ings and all papers relating to the en-
tries would have to be rejected. The
money paid to the government for the
land was returned to all parties who
had filed at Bend and proved up at
Prineville whose land was in the Lake
view district.
Those whose claims have been thus
summarily rejected and their money
returned to them are very much dis
gusted and this is putting it very
mildly. Mr.. Chase says that they re-
lied wholly on the letter from Register
Watson at Prineville who stated that
it would be proper for them to prove
up at that point, and he is unable to
understand how the government will
allow such proceedings to go on and
innocent persons made to sacrifice a
! lot OF time and money. He saws that
the actions of government officials
would indicate that it was the inten-
tion to hold up and reject all claims
possible in that country and after the
claimants have got tired of trying to
get justice to let the land 90 to the
lumber barons on scrip. Mr.. Chase
says that when they filed at Bend Com
missioner Palmer, who was then act
ing as it proved late without author
ity, required them to pay $40, the fee
for the publication in the Bend Echo,
but later on they were advised that
publication would be made in the
Bend Bulletin and they were required
to make payment for publication in
that paper which they did but they
never got back the money paid to Pal
mer fol. publication in the Echo and
there are still echoes of the proceed
ing.
Another thing that looks very un-
reasonable is the requirement that
payment should be made in cash and
cash only which had to be expressed
from Portland at cost of So. and