The Placer herald., 1869-09-18
[COMMUNICArED.
Colfax Town Site.

Mr. Editor The Town of Colfax, on the line
of the Pacific Railroad is q verv respectable lit
tie Town, probably as good Station as is on the
line Of road About two mouths ago the ci,i-
zens were much surprised to learn that one of
the Railroad agents had claimed the town site Of
ColEax, after it had been sold to the citizens and
the title guaranteed by the Railroad Company.
Mr.. Editor. this leads me TO explain the full Sc
cret Of this Land matter in the town Of Colfax.
The town of Cofax was laid out by the Railroad
Company about years ago for q town site--the
Company set up their claim to the land as gen.
uine title from the Government, and ousted every
one that set a stake or built on the ground that
had not their title. The Company sold their
town site to Messrs Kohn Il Kind for the sum of
Seventeen THOUSAND doll,rs,--qnite a nice little
sum for the town OF Ctlf,x. An agent OF the
R,roul became an agent OF Kohn Il Kind. The
town site or lots were advertised Tor sale by
Kohn Il Kind and large number OF the lots were
sold. and the title guaranteed through the Rail-
road Companys title rs being genuine.th e
purchasers relying upon the Company title as a
rood one Messrs K0hn Il Kind found, after The
first sale that the demand for lots was rather
dull AMI suspicion rose as TO the title. and kohn
x Co., brought suit against the Railroad Compa-
them, and the Company took tn" Land back and
left an agent still selling lots. telling the buyers
that the title was good as the r ,ilr )ad Company
had a patent for the land. Finally the agent
sold all the lots he could, and then files pre-
emption claim on about one-half Of the town.
including about two hundred and fifty inhtb-
tants and some one hun ired and fifty buillings.
The property included was stpoTn to be worth,
at the Land Office in Sacramento. Twenty tbou--
and dolars this was all done in secret 10 The
citizens of Culfax. The pre-cmptor found out
that this portion Of the town Of Calfax was on an
even Section. (34.) and it was subject to pre-
emption 1t seems that the Eairoad Company
permitted The pre-cmption claim to be filed on it
ior no other reason than that the Company
tbou pbt they might be able to make their title
good through the pre- emption so as TO prevent
any one of the purchasers from coming back on
the COMPANY for they had no right to sell the
Government lands, But the idea of paying so
much money back was horrible, and the Company
could not think Of doing that: but the poor peO.
pie must pay Tor their land twice: just because
the Railroad says they want il. The pre- emptor
nor the Railroad have no more right to that por-
tion of the town than any other citizen OF Colfax;
il belongs to tbe Government, and no one has any
right to cl,im that quarter Section but the cit-
zens of Colf,x. The citizens have petitiOned :,
through the County Judge. praylngt to have the
town Of Coliax located rs II town site. The case
whether th, town of Coltax will get it or the
Railroad Company or the Pre-emptor. II the
Company gets it, the poor people will have to
nav for their land twice. / understand that Mr..
Willet the Receiver has decided in favor OF the
pro.emptor. on the ground that he hid a small
tpring that afforded water Tor about one-hali OF
the wear for one family. We could not expect
any more Of Mr.. Wilett for he cant see more
than half aid that half is Rilroad. lie made
his decision before the evidence was signed. and
after he wcut out of Office he told me that 1t did
not make any difference. that his mind was male
up II men make up their decision in this way
where will the people have to go for Justice! Mr..
Editor. is it possible that we must he entirely
controlled by such monopolies! Must this great
Pacific Railroad control everything? Shall we
lie driven to the walls, both financially and po,
litically! pray not. Let us live as irecmen,
and not become slaves to such Interpretations
as this. hope that the coming Legislature Of
this State will look 10 the interest OF the people
and not he led away by monopolies nd incorpor-
ated Companies. MORE ANON.
How TO SAVE A DRowNINa PERsoN.-lt