United States of America and Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary of the Interior v. Minnie E. Wharton, and Cross-Appellants. United States of America and Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary of the Interior v. Minnie E. Wharton

514 F.2d 406 UNITED STATES of America and Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary of the Interior, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Minnie E. WHARTON et al., Defendants-Appellees and Cross-Appellants. UNITED STATES of America and Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary of the Interior, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. Minnie E. Wharton et al., Defendants-Appellants. Nos. 73-2732, 73-2831. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. March 18, 1975. Dick Snell, Atty., U. S. Dept. of Justice, Land & Resources Div., Washington, D. C., for plaintiffs-appellants. Jane Edwards (argued), of Burns & Edwards, Portland, Or., for defendants-appellees. OPINION Before BROWNING and WRIGHT, Circuit Judges, and LINDBERG, * District Judge. EUGENE A. WRIGHT, Circuit Judge: 1 The government appeals from a judgment of the district court ordering the Secretary of the Interior to issue a patent to 40 acres of public land claimed by the defendants under the Color of Title Act, 43 U.S.C. § 1068 . The defendants cross-appeal, contending that the government should be estopped from claiming ownership of the land. FACTUAL BACKGROUND 2 The facts stated in pretrial stipulations and in the district court's opinion are…