The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-02-24
The Land Grant Railroads--Shali the Time
for their Conjunction be Extendeds

To the Editor OF the Advertiser and Tribune:
Your readers are of course aware that what
are known a. the Land Grant Railroad Com
panies are, or will be, applicants TO Congress
for an extension OF time for the construction q
their several roads.
By the terms Of the original grant they were
required TO complete the roads within ten years. !
Over six and half years have already passed,
and bow many miles OF road has been construc |
ted, One OF the companies, the Flint and Pere
Marquette, has built and stocked a very TAR
road from Flint 10 East Saginaw, distance OF
IS miles Another the AmbOy, Lansing and
Traverse Bay Company, have IN operation a |
road from Lansing 10 Owosso, dstOnce Of 2s
miles. The third and ast-iOr al present l
speak only of those in the lower Peninsula
which was to build road from the south line Of
the State ria Grand Rapids 10 the Straits OF
Macknaw, has done some grading, etc, but
completed no part of its road
Thus, as above stated, six and halt years Of
the ten allowed for the construction OF ihe roads
have elapsed, and only sixty miles, less than one
twelfth part, have been completed. Al this
rate of progress, some eighty years would be re-
euired 30 build these roads
| Under these circumstances tie companies
come forward and ask for an extension OF time.
Should it be granteis This may seem 70 many
perhaps, without reflection, might say yes
give them time, aud thus secure the roads II
bv granting the desired extension the cOnStruc-
ton OF the roads could be secured within rea-
sOnable tne-say three or four years-it might
be well to comply With the request OF these
companies. But l see no reason tor anticipating
such result. Judging the future by the past
3 We have nothing 10 expect from one OF these
companies, and but little from the others The
best of them has built, on average, but sA
miles of road per yesr, the second but four, OF
Whereabouts, the third none.
Il When the law granting lands for these roads
: passed there were in the township Of Blank
n three families who had purchased land, bull
their cabins, and commenced the lsborious pro-
cess OF making farms in the forest. The sod O
the region around them very good. pure
= water abOunded, and those families expected
and had reason TO expect, that what had Oc
, cured in hundred other townships, no more
fsvorRby situated, would also happen here
. They supposed immigrants would como amonl
n them and that in two or three years, at farther
v est, the whole township would be settled, road
a would be opened, aud school houses and church
es would sprtDg up in their midst. Aud so
would have been had not the land grant act be
e come law. Immediately after the passage o
N tlis act, one-half of the land in this TOWNSHIP
the other half OF the unsOd lands was raise
from one dollar and twenty five cents TO tw
~ dollars and fifty cents per acre. Aud as III
price OF the land went up so the hopes aud pros
OF poets OF those three families went down. The
still reside in the township. But one family ha
been added 10 their number. The railroads, !
: which for time, they tried to have some faitf
r has not come within one hundred and fifty mile
er of them, and these pioneers will be in the
4. graves aud their tomb stones well coated wit
j., moss before the steam whistle will be heard
that vicinity.
Ut There are scores of townships similarly situa
ty ed and thousands OF pioneers equally interested
Justice TO these people demands that no extei
sion of time be given TO these companies.
-. soon the ten years, expire, if il cannot
~ done before, let all these lands be restored
market. Then the country will be settled, j
immense resources rapidly developed, and Il
way opened for the building Of railroads, and f
IL all other improvements that 80 quickly follow d
lp hardy piOueeI when 10 unnatural or uunecesssl
lr- obstacles thrONn in his way. Give to IL
be pioneers of our northern woods an open field,
- fair fight, and they will succeed. Prosperil
:, will attend them, and they will cause the wilde
10 ness to bud and blossom az the rose. l..