The L'anse Sentinel

First Hearing Held.

The big fight between the Michigan Land & Iron company and the settlers on its lands was begun in the Marquette land office Monday, says the Mining Journal, when the register and receiver gave the initial hearing in the first of the three cases which have been brought by the attorneys of the corporation.

Proofs of citizenship, corporation papers, deeds from the M., H. & O. and a deposition from Alexander Agassiz, president of the company, were offered as evidence by the plaintiffs. No oral testimony was given.

After these documentary proofs had been put in, D. H. Ball, the land company's attorney, applied for permission to take depositions of certain stockholders in Boston. This request was granted, the register and receiver overruling the objections of Culver & Button, who, as attorneys for the settlers, wished to have these witnesses brought to Marquette and made to give their testimony orally.

After granting permission to the plaintiffs to have the depositions taken the hearing was adjourned till February 16th.

There have been three cases brought by the complainants covering three classes of lands. Monday's hearing and the adjournment have to do only with the first. The second hearing has been set for Friday and the third for next Tuesday.

In its bill the company alleges that there were no homesteaders or preemptioners on the lands in dispute prior to May 1, 1888, but it is said four will come in at the next hearing and endeavor to make good their claims that they were settlers prior to that date.

The company will lose its title to the lands of as many homesteaders and preemptioners as can establish this fact, for the reason that the titles of such, as well as those of bona fide innocent purchasers of railway grants, are confirmed by the act of congress passed in March, 1887.