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Show TWO THOUSAND SETTLERS AFFECTED Decision in Overlap Case by Federal Supreme Court a Sovero Blow to Many. VANCOUVER, Wash., Feb. 24. Tho decision of the United States Supreme court In awarding the "overlap lands" to the Northern Pacific railway, which appeared In this morning's press dispatches, dis-patches, will affect almost 2000 persons In this county. Tho contested grants comprise all the odd sections In the northern nnd western west-ern portions of Clark county, most of It being fine limber, grazing and farm land. On this land the Government has Issued Is-sued 1895 patents and many of the patentees pat-entees have made their homes there for years besides Improving the property. The suit has been bitterly fought through the courts for the past ten years and thousands of dollars have been expended to defray the costs. In addition to this expenditure, should it be impossible to make the railway company select other lands ua-der ua-der the lieu land act, the settlers must suffer tho hardships of buying their land over again from the company or forfeit their farms an,d the Improvements. |