The Battle for the Timber Lands

A very important case has been under examination in the United States land office at Seattle, the final decision of which will affect large interests in this territory. It is the case of the United States vs. Russell A. Alger and others, involving the title to twelve quarter sections of alleged timber land in Whatcom and Skagit counties. The land was taken up in 1883 and transferred to Messrs. Alger and Hawley, who paid five dollars per acre and agreed to pay seven more when a patent was received from the United States. The contest now in progress is to determine the character of the land, the entries having been held for cancellation on the report of a special agent that it is agricultural land. If the cases result in establishing the fact that the land is not subject to entry under the timber act of June 1878, a large number of contests will be made by settlers who desire to obtain homes on thousands of acres now held as timber land by mill companies and timber corporations that are known to be adapted to agriculture. If the government fails, the position of the mill men will be greatly strengthened. This case has been running over seven weeks, and will probably continue six or eight weeks longer.