The Waterfront Property War

I.B. Montgomery, one of the best-known men in the Northwest, who owned 54 acres of land on the tide flats a short distance from the city, has disposed of the entire tract to four gentlemen in this city. This tract was jumped by J.K. Burns and others about a year ago, and was then enclosed with piles by them, and today the title stands under a cloud, as far as the casual observer is concerned, at least. The purchasers from Mr. Montgomery, who bought into the middle at the rate of $600 per acre, claim the title to deep water by virtue of the riparian right, which they claim gives all the land covered by water, at high tide, to the owner of bordering land. Burns & Co., on the other hand, claim that under the laws regulating the disposal of tide lands, they have the right to claim and improve the tide flats. They have spent a great deal of money and will certainly make a determined fight for possession of the land. Col. J.M. Stoner, about the same time, jumped 20 acres of the land enclosed with piles by the Tacoma Land Company. On this he planted oysters and filed his location of an 'oyster bed' with the auditor of Pierce County. His position to the Land Company is similar to that of Burns & Co. to I.B. Montgomery.