Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-04-18
timber Land STEAL
C0WLITz COUNTY man Tells OF
METHODS PURSUED.
Reports of Special Agents Of Inves.
tiqafinq Committee Show Means
Employed to Rob School Fund of
State. Land Commissioner Ross
Implicated.

The legislative investigation COM
mittee has placed at the disposal of
the attorney general several special
reports made by it's agents, who
were employed to look into deals in
state timber lands. These special
reports, which are partly included in
the general report to Governor M.
+. Hay, give. more in detail, the
means used by purchasers to obtain
valuable timber land from the state
at ridiculously low figures. One of
the deals investigated was pur-
chase made by Joseph O'Neil Of Cas-
tie Rock.
The information furnished the
committee was given by c. w. Tay-
lor, of Castle Rock. The report says:
M Report to Committee
1T is doubtful whether any citi-
zen in COwlitz county has more
thorough knowledge of the rich tim
Der zone drained by the Toutle river
and it's tributaries than Mr.. Taylor.
Noting in 1901, as he states, that
several friends of Mr. Ross, at Cast
lie Rock, were getting possession of
state timber lands at eXtravagantly
low figures. according to his per-
sonal knowledge of the timber val
ues involved, he decided to take ad-
vantage of Ross power and influ-
cnce in a roundabout way. To quote
him precisely, he said frankly: 81
made my first, last and only attempt
to steal some school lands along
with the rest of them In this in
stance Taylor was not representing
the CoWlitZ Timber Company, with
which he is associated. He had say
ed a couple of thousand dollars from
his earnings, and it was this amount
he intended to invest in sure
thing on his own account.
Finds Two Fine Tracts.
I'm township north, range 2 East
TAYLOR had found two fine tracts of
state timber land. One was the
southwest quarter of section 24l
(granted land) the other the south
west quarter of section 16 (school
land). In his cruise of section "a,
Taylor checked to exceed II 100000
feet of merchantable timber and in
section 16, over 100000 feet. He
proposed to O'Neill, whose office, by
the way adioined his own with a
communicating door, that if O'Neill,
through Ross, would secure a mini
mum cruise Of the timber on two
quarter sections OF state land, of
which he knew the full value, he,
O'Nei|l, should buy one and Taylor.
the other. He showed his personal
cruises to O'Neil The propose
was agreed to. Taylor made applica-
ton for the appraisal and sale of
the southwest quarter of section "a,
township 9 north, range East and
O'Neill at the same time applied to
the land department for similar ac-
tion respecting section 16.
Cruisers Arrive
Charles A. Billings and James M.
d. Israel. whom Ross advised
O'Neill, according to Taylor's state
ment, would be assigned to the work,
arrived at Castle Rock one day in
November. 1901, when TaylCr chanc-
ed to be in his office. That the door
between his own and ONeill's room
was slightly aiar he says the two
men did not notice, but at once stat |
ed the conditions upon which they
had come. The said. Taylor asserts, |
that Ross had instructed them to
charge Taylor a personal fee of 50
an acre for the report on his appli- |
cation. They understood that they
were to accept and approve the es-
values of the two quarters |
AS passed up to them by O'Neill. but |
that Taylor had to pay their private
fee on both quarters.
Easy Money! for Cruisers.
ut seems to have been the prac- |
tice this time, in order to insure
low appraisement on state lands, for
the applicants to tip those cruisers
who were pliable at least 81 an acre.
Having overheard the conversa-
tion clearly, and drawn from it the
plain inference that Ross, while ia
voring his law partner, might upset |
Taylor's designs to share in the prof
its of the conspiracy. Taylor subse-
Guently informed O'Neill of the fact
of his presence in the adjoining room
where he heard all that had been
said by Israel and Billings. He de-
clined to pay the $500 expected of
him. O'Neill frankly admitted the
but insisted on keep
ing faith and paying his half, or
$160. in spite of Ross action. This
Taylor, and the deal pro-
ceeded
"Billings and Israel, Taylor states
never went near the two quarter
sections described, but signed and
filed as their own. copies Of the re-
ports that he made out for them,
they remaining in cOncealment in
Castle Rock three days"