East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-11-13

own use and occupation and not for
or on account of OF at the solicitation
OF any other, ard that he has made
no contract Whereby the title thereto
shall directly or indirectly inure to
the benefit of another"
At such public sale each person was
limited to the purchase of 100 acres
of what was classed as untimbered
lands, and was also, after having pur-
chased a tract of untimbered land,
entitled to purchase 40 acres addition
al, which was classed as timbered
lands, making the full amount to
which one person was entitled not to
exceed 200 acres.
In pursuance of this bill, in 1891,
The register and receiver held pub
lie auction of the lands at the Una
tilla agency and at that time each par
ticuar tract of 100 acres was put up
and offered at public auction, ard
large portion of the lands were sold.
In fact. practically everything that
was considered of any value for agri'
cultural purposes was sold at this
public auction. However. part of the
lands We're located in the Blue noun
tains, at the extreme head of Mckay
creek. which has three branches in the
mountains, and is of a steep, rocky,
hluffy character. These lands in the
mountains We're all appraised at the
minimum price of S1.25 an acre and
were offered for three weeks 1T pub
lie auction at that price and no bid
ders. Consequently when the public
sale closed these lands remained un-
sold for the want of bidders at the
minimum price of SIPS an acre.
History of the Sguaater Movement.
After the public sale few persons
began to settle along the narrow bot
toms of the canyons at the head Of
Mckay creek, upon these unsold
lands and some other settlers upon
the flat high ridges between the forks
Of the creek, so that in the course of
five or six or seven years there were
a number Of squatters upon the high
bench lands of the mountains and also
along the narrow channels of the cam
yon. These squattCrs made applica-
ton to the secretary of the interior
a number of them-to purchase the
lands. The interior department held
that after the public sale had closed
the government was without authority
To dispose Of these lands until another
act of congress should be passed. auth
orizing their sale. Therefore, some.
thins like 10 years after the first sale.
OF, to be accurate, on July |, 1902,
the following bill passed congress and
was approved by the president:
THAT all the lands of the Umatilla
Indian reservation which
We're not sold at the public sale oil
said lands heretofore held, at the price
for which they had been appraised,
shall be sold at private sale by the
register of the land office in the dis
trict within which they are situated,
at not less than the appraised value
thereof, and in conformity with the
provisions of said act; provided. that
any bona fide settler upon any of
said lands, who is the owner of sub
stantial improvements thereon and
who has settled and improved any
subdivision of said lands with the in
same as homestead, shall have a
preference right TO buy the lands so
settled upon by him. at any time with
in 80 days after the passage of this
act upon making satisfactory proof
In the local land office as to settle-
ment, intent and improvements"
This bill passed congress through
the efforts of Representative Moody.
and apparently met with the full ap-
proVal of the department of the in
terror.
Second Sale of Indian Lands.
Under this act the secretary direct
ed that public notice of the opening
he given by publication in certain
papers and that the land be opened
for sale to the first applicant on the
10Th day of September, 1902, and at
the appraised price. Following this
notice ] purchased maps and plats
of all of the lands from the land of
flee at La Grande procured lists of
the appraised value and 1t was gem
orally known and announced that I
had such plats and appraised value,
and for two or three weeks prior to
the date of the opening at La Grande
| was busily engaged in making out
the applications for various persons
who desired to purchase the lands
and on the morning of the 18th, at
La Grande, was present with num-