Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-12-09

The action of Congress upon the ex
tension of the land grant of the ST
Croix and Lake Superior railroad is an
ticipsted with a great deal of interest
We find that an opinion prevails gener
ally, throughout the st. Croix Valley,
favorable to an extension, with the hope
that this time it will secure the construc.
ton Of the road.
For fourteen long years two railroad
companies held the conditional grant
from Congress of many thousands of
acres of the finest agricultural and most
valuable pine lands in the st. Croix val
ley-one company controlled it ten years,
another the remaining four, and both
let the time expire, and the grant die
on their hands. 1.-THE past is an augury
of the future, can we blame Congress
for hesitating to extend a grant which,
instead Of developing the country by
building the railroad It is designed to
aid, simply keeps the lands out Of mar
ket and retsrds the settlement of the
region it is intended to benefit Tho
record of the past fourteen years is GER
tainly not of character to proposes
Congress in favor of an extension
What have the companies done?
All this while these lands have been
kept out Of market, much to the discour.
agement of immigration, and greatly to
the detriment of the actual settler. But
the people, always TO lenient with these
corporations, have submitted long and
patiently to these Inconvenience in the
vain hope of securing a railroad. The
lands are still out of market. The re.
gion where they are mostly located is
still bowling wilderness. Not a mile
of track has been laid. The grant has
afforded rich pasturage for the lumber
thieves of Saltwater and Hudson, and
their plethoric purses bespcak good graz
ing upon the public domain. The strip
ping of thousands of acres of the finest
portions of the grant, of valuable pi. g, is
the only notable change that has taken
place since the grant was conferred upon
the St. Croix IL Lake Superior Railroad
companies. These companies held the
charter from the state, and the state held
the lands in trust from the United States,
and the above statement is the result Of
their joint stewardship. Is it very mar
velous that the people are dissatisfied
and demand new deal?
Let us profit by this past experience,
rather than dismiss its lessons with idle
complaining. Again we urge the ex
terson of the grant, and if the company
now holding the charter, Messrs. WIN
TERMUrE, SrlNsoN d Co, mean business
if it intends to build the road, and
that at the earliest practicable moment,
it is we'll and good; but if the only road
it intends to build is paper one, or if
actual operations are to be delayed an
indefinite number of years, to suit the
pleasure of the company, it is better for
us all to let the land revert to the gov.
eminent and be taken up by the sexual
settler as homestead.
II was currently reported before tho
late election that Pierce county was op.
posed TO the Lake Superior land grant.
This, we think, is without foundation.
We believe that the people in this coun-
ty desire the grant extended, relying up
on the positive assurances of WINTER.
MUTE 81 Co. that they will push forward
the construction of the road without de-
Law.
There need be no fight in the legisla
ture in regard TO the requirements of the
charter relative to the southern terminus
of the road. That battle was fought
last winter in the legislature, and the
compromise agreed to between St. Croix
and Pierce counties, which named Prescott
the southern terminusof the road, and per.
mits the company to commence its con-
struction, providing that it shall be built
to its southern terminus, Prescott, with
in eight years. This is as the matter
stands now, and Pierce county so far
from opposing the extension of the grant
should join heart and hand with her
northern sisters in every effort made to
secure its extension.
Extend thegrant once more, give the new
company fair chance. 1t is the third
company that has taken the grant. If
it builds the road in accordance with it's
charter, all right. If it does not let it be
"three times and out" and thencefor.
ward steer clear OF railroad companies.