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Show In The Settlers' Interests. H The new ruling or the U. S. Su- VH prciuo couit in tho land case in Wash- HH lngtou will commend itself to tho ,HH public mind much more forcibly than HH the old rule did. It is now held that HH settlers who located on the public jHH lands prior to the filing of a map of ' HH definate location by a land-grant rail- ,HH load can hold their claims against tho M ralhoad company. The case was that M of Peter and Henry Nelson, who set- M tied upon land within tho Northern M Pacific grant, after tho filing of Its M general map by the railroad company, M but beforo its map of definite location M was filed. The claim of tho settlers M was upheld, tho court holding that M the general map was not sufficient or M dcllnlto enough notice to settlers to M keep out of tho limits of the grant. H The decision is fair, and is perfectly M reasonable. Under a map of general M course, a lallioad company might H control a region of indefinite extent, M and in a way that would keep out M settlers and practically annul tho pub- M lie land laws. Justice Brewer dis- M sentcd, holding that this decision M reverses the judgment of the court M of twenty j cars ago, which had ever M since been followed. If so, It Is a step M forwaid for tho right, and demon- M stiatcs that the law is a progressive M science. Tribune. M |
