The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-09-02
GAVE A RAILWAY $3O,OOO,OOO
John L. Wilson'S Little BlF' Gave This
Sum to the Northern Pacific
Railway Company

HOW JOnH l.. wilson, persistent per
ennial candidate for the Office of Unit
ed States senator, slipped the Northern
Pacific railway company triiing gift
of thirty million dollars by means OF
the Rainier land grant bill, advocacy
of which, it is reported Mr.. Wilson de-
nies, is specifically and clearly illus
trated in a communication which deals
strictly with excerpts from the con-
gressional records.
The letter which follows was written
in response to a query directed to a
gentleman in Washington, D. c., and
contains the facts culled from the rec
ords touching upon Mr.. Wilson's con-
nection with the Mount Rainier land
grant.
Following is the letter:
Your letter relative to Senator Will
sons connection with the Mount Raj
nier land grant and transfer to the Nor
thern Pacific has been handed me.
On looking it up I find that Wilson not
only supported the measure, but intro
duced it and pushe, it through con-
gress. The bill was senate bill No.
1852, introduced by Wilson in the
55th congress. The bill provided that
on the Northern Pacific releasing its
lands in the Mount Rainier land grant,
said company is hereby authorized to
select an equal quantity Of non-mineral
public lands, so classified as non-min-
eral at the time of actual government
survey The bill further provided
that the company could select unsur-
veyed land, and if after the survey by
the land office the selection shall not
precicely conform with the line of the
official survey, the said company shall
be permitted to describe such tract
anew, so as to secure such conform
ity.'
"Ontpage 5s33 of the -Congression-
al Record, June 8, 1898, is found this
interesting passage:
Senator Wilson-If the senator from
Montana will yield to me, ask unani-
nous consent to call up senate bill
.2552. It is little bill th1t has passed
the senate twice.
Apparently regarding it as little
bill the senate accordingly read it the
third time and passed it, March D,
1899 The house passed the bill with
amendments by Lacey authorizing set
tiers in the reserve to also select equal
holdings in public lands, and naming
the reserve the Mount Rainier. The
same day the senate concuued in the
house amendments, and President Nc
Kinley signed the bill.
Discussing this measure, c. P.
Connolly wrote in Golfers Weekly
about year ago as follows:
The Mount Rainier forest reserve
steal best illustrates the devious infu-
ences of the railroads in congress.
There were never any settlers in the
Mount Rainier forest reserve. 1t was
rough country Of burned-over and
logged-off tracts to large extent. The
Northern Pacific land grant within this
forest reserve included in round num-
bers, 1000, 900 acres. Under the act
of March Q, 1899, this company was
permitted to exchange these million
acres of doubtful lands for an equal
number of other lands lying within any
state into or through which the railroad
OF said Northern Pacific railroad COM
pany runs.
Under this act by which the Mount
Rainier forest reserve was created, the
Northern Pacific has selected in lieu OF
its doubtful lands, 100000 acres of the
best timber lands in Oregon. The
transfer gave to the Northern Pacific in
the state of Idaho 100000 acres,
clean gift OF over s30,oo0,o0O.
Trusting this information may be of
service to you, l am yours truly,
(Signed) A. o. Barton"