The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-02-27
SETTLERS LOST.
LANDS TAKEN AWAY FROM
THEN BY RAILROAD IN
COURT DECISION.
Panama Canal to Be Built Now
Soldiers Of the Unitsd States
Sent to the Isthmus-Han-
mas Will-Other Tel
graphic News.


graphic News.
Washington. Feb. 23.-Chief JUS
tice Fuller today handed down a
decision of the United States su.
preme court in the famous North
ern Pacific overlap" land case,
giving to the railway company ab-
solute title to tract of 49, ,458 acres,
lying directly north of Portland, in
Oregon and in Washington. The
supreme court affirmed the decision
of the circuit court ofappeals for the
Ninth Circuit, thus terminating one
of the most litter contests that has
been before this tribunal in years.
The case involved not only the
rights of the railroad company to
this large tract of land, but the
homes and farms of large numbers
1of ttlers within the overlap" linn
its, who acquired title to their lands
from the government. 1t grew out
of a decision rendered by Secretary
of the interior Smith, on July IS,
1895, reversing the esta blished rule
of bis department, and holding that
lands within the overlap limits did
not pass to the railroad company
under the grant of 1870, because at
that date theywere reserved under
the earlier grant Of 1864, to the
same company.
Since Secretary Smiths decision,
about II, 900 acres of lands within
the limits of the overlap have been
patented to settlers by the interior
department, and the rights of these
settlers are involved in the decision
rendered today. Under the terms
of the act of 1898. these settlers will
be required to pay the company for
theirlands, or the settlers may be al
lowed to retain their lands withou
further expense, in which event the
railroad company would be entitled
to make lieu selections anywhere
in the United States, of an area e.
quail to what it relinquishes to thess
settere.
Washington, Feb. 23.-The U:
nited States senate today ratified
without amendment, the treaty with
Panama for canal acroes the 18th
mus of. that name by a vote of 66 te
Ia. The result was fore gone con-
clusion, the interest in the matter
being only in the division of the
vote on the democratic, which wa:
mot known definitely until the rol
was called, all the republicans be
ing for ratification. Fourteen dem
ocrats voted for ratification and r.
against.
Cievelaed, O., Feb. 23.-By the
will Of the late senator Marcus A
Hanna proe ated today, an estimat'
valued about 5000, 900, is left tt
the family. There are no public
bequests.
: The principal benefciaries areth
. widow, Mrs. Charlotte August'
: Hanna, Daniel Rhodes Hanna. th
: two daughters, Mabel Augusta Han
: na Parsons and Mrs Ruth McCor
5 mick, wife of Medill Mccormick o
Chicago. A sister, Lillian G. Han
: ma Baldwin, is given $1o,ooo. A,
: aunt, Mrs. HELEN Converse, is Civ
en- $1,000. Each of the grandchil
s dren gets $4,000 each. The widow
is given the homestead property
: all its furnishings, the stables an'
: : library, in lieu of one years sup
{ port.
: Several years ago Senator Han
ma took out considerable life insur
auee for the benefit of his tbrs
{ children. The will provides tha
|. theee gifts are not to be taken int
{ reconsideration in the settlement {
( the estate.