The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1907-03-22
COLLEGE LANDS SAFE
So Says President E. A. Bryan
in Letter Published.
Holdings Located at Confluence Of
the Columbia and Okanogan
Rivers Very Valuable.

In the Gazette last week was printed a
dispatch from WatervilIe telling of the
attempts OF a number of persons to
Jump valuable tracts of land In Okano-
gan county belonging to the Washing
tan State College. This caused some
CONSERVATION among friends Of the
school, as these lands are not only valu-
able now but are increasing in value
each year, and were intended for the fu
ture upbuilding OF the great educational
institution which has lent an added
charm to the greatness OF Whitman
county. The following letter from Pres
ident E. A. Bryan will be read with inter
est and throws much light on the subject.
1t is pity he did not give the name OF
the lawyer ESQ calledD who seems to be
behind the movement to swindle the col
lege out of it's lands, as it should be
known all over the state. Says Mr.
Bryan:
Relative to the recent filing of con-
test on certain lands in Okanogan coun-
ty selected years ago by the state for
this college, | may say that the question
now raised is not a new one, it having
been brought to the attention of the
board OF regents some years ago. At
that time the matter was referred to the
then land commissioner and attorney
general, who examined into the case and
pronounced the title Of the state perfect
in every respect, and the attempt at con-
test useless.
81 recently received information that
the matter was being stirred up again
and | asked J. J. Browne, who was then
in Olympia, to call the attention of the
land commissioner and attorney general
to the matter. Mr. Browne had left
when my letter reached Olympia, but he
has since no doubt received it and laid
the matter before the proper authorities.
"The tract referred to consists Of about
5000 acres of beautiful irrigable land
lying at the confluence Of the Okonogan
and Columbia rivers, and is known as
the Brewster fat 1t runs nOrthward
along the Okanogan for 10 or II miles
and is very valuable tract, being cap
able of being irrigated from the waters
Of the MethOw river by a canal about
% miles long. There are about 1000
acres OF additional irrigable land not
belonging to the state.
"The land commissioner is authorized
by law to contract for the irrigating OF
these lands and doubtless will do so be
fore long. The settlers of the region
have grown tired of waiting for the land
commissioner to act and thus we're the
more easily misled into making the filing
and beginning a contest.
Il am informed that the lawyer who
has agitated the matter and induced
these filings charges 50 so each for enter
ing the protest, SO that with 500 filings
possible the neat sum of $3.50 would
be available, though nothing should
come of the attempt. Personally, have
no doubt OF the validity of the states
selections and the correctness OF the ap-
proval of the secretary of the interior,
and the clearness of the states title. 1t
is to be regretted that settlers should be
led to waste time and money in an at
tempt to deprive the state OF its prop
erty. Doubtless the delay in the devel-
opment of irrigation is in part RESPONSE
BILE for this"