The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-04-15
WHY LOPEZ CABLE
Is NOT YET LAID
RIGHT OF WAY ACROSS RESERyA.
TIONS NOT GRANTED.
Application for Permission to Cross
Lopez, Shaw and Canoe Island
Reserves Held UP by Major Mills,
Army Engineer, Seattle.


patrons of the Inter-Island Tele-
phone Company is being sorely tax
ed by the long delay in establishing
connection with the international
Company's long distance system.
The cable required for crossing Up
right channel arrived over two
months ago and the work of MAX
ing the necessary land extensions
was commenced soon afterwards.
About dozen poles were erected on
the military reserve at the north
end of Lopez island, without first OBJ
tanning the consent of the war de-
partment. When Major Mills, of
the United States Engineer Office in
Seattle, learned of this atrocious
"trespass, through the report of a
subordinate, the company was per-
emptorily ordered to remove it's line
from the reserve, take down it's poles
and even fill up the holes. Formal
application was then made to the
war department for permission to
cross the Lopez, Canoe and Shaw
island reserves, but it now appears
that this application has been held
up by Major Mills because the Inter-
national company found it necessary
to cut down a little timber in clear
ing it's 80 #. right-of-way across the
Point Caution and Shaw island re-
serves. That this is the present
status of the matter is evident from
the following correspondence on the
subject:
ROCHE HARBoR, March %, 1906.
Maj. Mills,
US. Engineers Office,
Seattle, Washington.
About month ago we sent an applica-
ton to your Office for permission to con-,
struct telephone line across the military
reservation on the north end of Lopez
island, cable across Upright channel,
line across Canoe island, span across
from Canoe island to Lopez island; thence
across the military reservation to connect
with the International Telephone Com
pany's line.
We trust that you will kindly give this
matter your attention, as the people Of
Lopez have no means at present for out
40
government would be glad to aid an en-
terprise of this kind, and especially where
the land crossed, as in this case, is of lit
tie or no value for it's timber or agricul-
tural uses. We trust that the fact of our
having ''trepassed'' on the reservation
will in no way deter you from giving this
matter your favorable consideration.
Very respectfully,
lNTER-IsLAND TELEPHONE Co.
UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
SEATTLE. WASH, Apr. 4, 1905.
Inter- Island Telephone Co.,
Roche Harbor, Washington.
Gentlemen
have received your letter of March -
relative to application for authority to
build telephone line across Lopez
island military reservation, etc.
The application is still here, and | ex-
pect to forward it as soon as / learn the
outcome of the question of the unauthor-
lied cutting of timber on the military
reservations in connection with the build
ing of the present telephone line that con-
meets with Friday Harbor. This latter
has been before the department for some
time and there has been exchange OF let
ters which indicates that the question OF
general policy regarding permission to
build such lines across military reserva-
tions is under consideration, but lshave
not yet learned the result.
Very respectfully,
JOHN MILLS,
Maj. Engrs.