The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-06
BY G. E. ARNEY.

SpeClal 10 Inc lrlbunc.
BOISE, Idaho, Dec. The commits
sion specially created by the last legls-
lature of Idaho to investigate and re-
port on the controversy between "set-
tiers on the Marble Creek lands in
S.-oshone county and the state S special
land grant fund. has filed its report,
In brief the report proposes to give
TO about one-half these "scttlers the
land they have entered under the va
rious federal land laws as against the
state g right, to them for endowment
purposes. Usually these claims are in
units of l60 acres and there arc eighty
of them upon which the commi ssion
finds for the settlers. These eighty
claims are said to be fairly valued at
100000.
This commission consists of two mem
bers of the last Observation-Disclosures
OF the senate from Washington county,
and Harris of the house from Fremont
county, the third member being George
A. Day, the state land selector,
With the fling OF the report on De
cembcr /, Volley of protests were sent
up about the capital and those VINO
are indignant over the terms of the
same find satisfaction IN SUIT to en-
Join the board of land commissioners
from carving this report into effect.
The history of the case is full of in
terest.
When Idaho was admitted to the
union of states certain lands TO be
afterwards selected were donated by
charitable purposes. BY federal enact
mentfa sixty day preference right was
granted the state. after the plats show
ir1 the survey OF the lands are hled.
On March 10, 1899, Governor Steunen-
berg, the chairman of the, state land
board, made fling on the land now in
controvcrs" This withdrawal at.
tempted by the governor comprised
10000 acres of the most valuable white
pine lands in Idaho and for that mat
ter, standing anywhere IN the country
TODAY.
About this time in the history of lum
Der and timber products, forests of
white pine became especially valuable
The northern Idaho country was
90 Gooded' with men and women eager
for land. timbered if possible with the
white pine species.
Governor Hunt s admin stration,
which followed Governor Steuneuberg $.
was importuned by these settlers, -
through petitions letters and personal
testimony, to revoke their claim TO
these lands and allow them TO acquire
title to the valuable lands. any one
quarter section of which was in itself
an independent fortune,
This board Invariably denied the pc
titions of these contestants.
The Northern Pacific railroad com
pany came in for its share of the spoils,
which it observed the settlers trying
to grab by filing on l3443 acres of this
land, and Immediately the state con
tested their right and these cases, one
after another, were decided in favor of
the state special grant funds and
against the company by the interior de-
partmcnt.
But these settlers hung on with
teuacity. They reached out for those
elements in the case which makes life
and property unsafe and patriotism
shrink and shrivel before its influence.
namely "political pull
The "settlers came in groups 10 the
capital and pleaded with the members
of the board They hired attorneys
and men Of power aud OF influence,
upon whom individual members of the
board relied for aid in politics. They
became braver as the occasions for re-
election came about and sent direct word
to one state board that they were or
ganized in such n manner Us TO exer
else great influence for or against can
didatcs for Office. Their agents or at
torncys specified their claims of
strength. They made showing of an
organization There were 162 of these
settlers > They displayed evidences
OF an organization of ten voters for
each claimant, over 900 in all. which
they could rise TO the special end Of
furnishing their respective interests in
securing title to this land. regularly en-.
tered by the state for the state agri
cultural college endowment, the state
peutentiary endowment and lieu lands
for tho common school indemnity
grant.
They made a contract with one agent
named Showalter by which he was TO-
receive $500 from each claimant to force
plan through state conventions and
obtain title for these settlers. This
was a prize worth while, for il involved
possible revenue Of $S1 900 for Mr.
Showalter, His work appeared at each
agents were there. They accomplished
their full design and each platform
come forth with its pledge 10 treat the