Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-05-05
CORRESPONDENCE.
Washington, d. c. April soth. 1870.

they will not only soon lose the entire |
remaining portion of their public domain.
but also witness the establishment of |
such an array Of land momopolics ~ has
never vet cursed the earth. Every dec |
larafion OF the lecturer was borne ont by |
facts and figures derived from sources of |
the most unguestionablc authority, and |
| fancy the conclusion of his discourse, |
which lasted an hour aud a-half aud was |
listened to throughout with the closest |
attention. left scarcely one OF his audit !
ors in doubt of the imminent danger wc /
| are in. and the immediate and urging 1
necessity Of the people making their |
voice heard in emphatic condemnation |
of this land-grant policy
The Chronicle ofyesrerday, containeda
brief abstract Of the lecture, which a il |
contains some statistics of considerable |
interest, think. (although, 10 the exclu- !
sion of much other interesting matter | |
have collected for Your paper ii worth I
| while 10 quote for the benefit of vour
readers. The Chronicle sav-:-Mr. Pc
tiers CONNIE need By referring 10 the fact
that. according to the last report of the
General Land Office. upward of 1872
0O0.o 900 acres have already been granted
to railroads. this being about four and
a-half acres out of each individuals
share in the public domain. and a ter
ritory more than seven times IA large n
the State of Ohio. Over and above the
land donated 10 railroads. and that other
wise disposed oi-amouniing in all 10
about 59s.o p.ono acres-therc remains
about | .236 900 900 acres in the posses
sion of the Government. but il was
shown. by referring Ia statistics Of the
amount of waste land in the Rocky
Mountain region and elsewhere. that.
after deductins such land, and $685.,
100000 acres embraced III Alaska.
there remained, outside OF this latter
territory. only about go $50. eon acres Of
land available for use in the possession
o, the nation. while it i roughly e>ii-
mated that the amount OF land grants
asked for in bills now pending before
Congress is nearly itt.pl.onn acres, or
nearly two-third- a. much A. the whole
available portion Of The public domain
now remaining. The speaker called at
tention 10 the fact that A. the railroads in
new countries generally got a very large
proportion ofihe choicest Lands included
a.. 81 I, IL.
ofthc bills now pending would be 10 kim
the very creasl of the entire surface Of
the public domain. He referred to The fact
that the real value of our wild Lands i
statistics that the Lands embraced within
the new States of Illinois. Wisconsin,.
Minnesota. Iowa. and Kansas have adj
vanced in value al the average rate of
fully one dollar an acre per aunun from
the time they were sold by the Govern
ment. And Vet a Senator recently stated
: that wild lands. situated now Just a. most
of the land in those States was
situated twenty wears ago. are
not worth ten cent. an acre. Ai,cr
I sAipN III iph Atlii lti VII
cumscribcd wa- the available area oi
the public lands. h" called attention 10
the rapid increase of population. and
cited Elkanah Watsons celebrated table
and other authorities 10 show that bv
the year 1900. W. shall have popula-
ton exceeding lou. 10000. the medium
estimate being 100 .0UD. opp. an increase
of 6j,ooO,o0D within thirty wears. II we
had disposed OF 59s 10000 acres since
the beginning Of the present century.
coincidently with an increase of only
100000 in our population. how much
should we need at the same rate during
the next thirty years. coincidently with
an increase OF 65.o"p.000: The great
States OF Ohio, Indiana. Illinois. Mich-
gan, Wisconsin. Iowa, and Missouri had
been settled up aud supplied with rail-
roads nj an expense OF only about a.
100000 acres in land subsidies. the two
first mentioned. which are the most
prosperous among them. receiving no
subsidies at all and yet it has been
deemed necessary to bestow five times
that amount of land Oh the L acific Rail-
roads alone. in order To promote settle
ment in the West-this too in the face
of the fact that when we commenced to
settle the above-named States we had "A
population of only about five millions.
and immigration was obliged 10 make
its way from Europe in slow sailing |
vessels, whereas we now commence the !
settlement of orr Westcan territories !
with a population OF i2,5Oo.00D. and ii
stream of immigration pouring in fro IN
| Europe upon fast sailing steamers which |
have reduced the Atlantic TO mere |
| creek.
The policy OF Substituting railroads
was really policy to give away or sell
for mere song, as rapidly As possible, |
lands which, before many years, we
should. in our individual capacity, be
compelled to buy again at an exorbitant
price from great landlords Of our own
creation.
The 100000 acres given 10 the
Northern Pacific Railroad would bring
the company many millions of dollars
more than the entire cost of building
their road-a statement which was sup
ported by a calculation based upon the
cost of the Union Pacific, the price re-