The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-02-09
Warned OF FRAUD
LAND LOCATORs SCORED BY GOV.
EMINENT OFFICIALS.
Seattle Land Office Men Tell
Public to Beware of Paying
Money to Cruisers At Time of
Filing-Application Of Itself of
No Value.

Filing-Application of Itself of
No Value.
Seattle, Feb. 2.-The United States
land Office is warning the public
against the methods of some profess
sional timber locators, especially in
connection with the opening of three
townships in the northern part of
Whatcom county, in February. Of
ficials of the Office declare that they
have knowledge Of many attempts at
fraud on the part of so-called locators,
and are anxious to protect the public
against these men.
Every day there are forty or fifty
inquiries at the land Office concerning
the opening of townships s8, range 6,
80 range 6, and part of 80, range 5,
especially with reference to the filing
of applications at the land Office at
o'clock on the morning Of February g..
On this date the approved plats of
these townships will be filed at Wash
ington and the land declared open to
entry.
To all who inquire, the land Office
officials state that the question of pri-
GRITTY of filing will have absolutely no
effect on February 6. All who are at
the Office with applications at 9 o.
clock will be treated alike, and the
applications will be taken in a mass as
filed at this time. Except in cases
of patent fraud, no discrimination
at all will be made.
Warned Against Locaters
Those who inquire are especially
warned against entering into any con-
tracts with professional locators which
can for payments for location at the
time the application is fled at the
land Office. 1t is reported that many
INSCRIPTIONS locators are making con-
tracts of this sort, calling for the pay
ment of their fee as soon as the appi-
cation is filed.
The applications of all timber claim
ants and homesteaders will be received
at the land Office at this time, and all
applications will be suspended for 60
days, pending the states prior right
of selection of school lands from the
newly opened land. After the expira-
ton of this time, before the applica-
sion will be declared valid and clear
of conflicting claims, 80 more days
must elapse under the rights of home
steaders who may have been on the
ground in good faith before the open
ing of the land, and who are entitled
to 80 days in which to file their ap-
plications. II, say the officials, after
this time has elapsed and no conflict
ing claims have been filed against sp-
plications, and they are found to be
for land not taken by the state or the
railroads, they will be allowed and ad
mitted to advertising.
Cruisers Are Busy
From complaints made it is known
that many persons have signed con-
tracts with timber cruisers which call
for the payment of q fee, generally
500, as soon as the application Is fled
at the United States land Office. This
declared palpable fraud, as the mere
fling of an application has no effect
upon the status of the claim, and the
applicant may have been located on
land already owned by railroad
company under the right of lieu seIec-
ton, or on land occupied by home
steader or to be selected by the state
for school purposes.
cit is easy to see," said Frank A..
Twitchell, receiver of the Office, "that
the contracts made by professional
timber locators on such terms are
frauds, as their services may not be
worth the paper on which the contract
is written. From past experience in
this Office we are doing all We can
to warn the public against such fraud.
Railroads Own Much
As matter Of fact, the railroads
own a large proportion Of the land in
the townships which are to be opened.
This was taken under the lieu selec-
ton act, the law which takes the place
of scrip. On top of this selection the
state can step in and claim enough Of
the valuable lands to make up its
school land quota for these townships.
We wish the public to clearly under.
stand it's position in this matter
"Applications for the land will be
received by tn office on the day OF
opening at 8 o clock in the morning.
ALI applicants who are on hand at this
time will be t Gated alike, and the
mass Of applications considered as filed
at 9 o'clock, 80 that there will be nc
use Of forming lines in front OF ouI
door or waiting around to get first
place"
New Kind of Lumber Barge
Everett, Feb. GA new method Of
ahinnino lumber has been invented BY