Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-07-29

to represent the Northern Pacific Com
pany as an Unsuitable devourer of the pub
lie lands, were as unfair as they were un-
founded A bit of Pacific Railroad his
tory may be in place: r. -~
T. The Illinois Central was, we believe,
| the first railroad to receive grant of
lands directly from the government. Of
the wisdom and good results of that mi.
tial grant probably no one now entertains
doubt. When the Union and Central
Pacific roads were chartered in 1862, two
other charters were also granted-one for
a Northern, and another for Southern
Pacific railroad. Upon the Union and
Central Pacific Companies, which pro-
posed to build their roads at once, a SUBJ
sidy of lands and bonds was conferred,
more than enough in actual value to build
the roadside bonds, however, being in
the character Of loan The Northern
Pacific which it was correctly believed,
would be the second line built, received
only land grant, equal in amount, but
far superior in quality, to that of the
Union and Central. The question of q
money subsidy or loan to the Northern
line was left in allegiance until the time
when its construction should be near at
hand; and the Southern Pacific was left
with bare charter, the state of the coun-
try then seeming to indicate that many
years would elapse before the actual con-
struction of a Southern road could be
| thought of. In this way the government
made provision for three main lines of
railroad across the continent, and fully
committed itself, ao5h the hearty ap-
1rooaz Of both political parties, to the
policy of aiding the construction of
these three national highways. The mo-
tives which lead to this action were OBJ
vious enough. Il The Government con-
sidered itself under some obligation to as
sist in opening communication between
the older and the newer sections of the
continent, thus benefting both and be-
getting closer sympathy and better
understanding between distant communi-
ties and the General Government which
taxed them and claimed their allegiance.
| (29 Tt was known that in. time of peace
the bulk of our standing army is employ
ed on the Western plains acting as po-
lice between the Indians and the white
settlers, and that a large part of the great
4 expense of maintaining troops at frontier
! stations consists OF the excessive cost of
transporting men and supplies where
there are no railroads. The saving ofsev.
eral millions year in army transporta-
ton, and the redoubled efficiency of
troops when they can be rapidly convey
ed from point to point, were legitimate
reasons for extending Government en-
enlargement to railroads built beyond the
settlements. 49, The third and weight
est of the reasons which influenced Con-
gress to adopt the land grant policy was
ono which appeals even more directly
than the former two to the common sense
of plain people, and is enough of itself
to Justify the system, as applied to the
three sentimental 1ines Of road Five
years ago the United States Government
was proprietor of eleven hundred million
acres OF wild lands, lying between the
/ Mississippi and the Pacific coast, not in
GLIDING the State public lands of Texas.
Such domain is too vast for comprehen-
sion, and only an approximate notion of
its magnitude can be obtained by con-
sidering that it is equal to tsSrSyj four
States q the size. Of Nsso York, or to two
hundred and four States as large as Mas.
sachusetts. OF these lands, the govern
1nent, during the last five years, has been
able to sell, and give away under the
homestead act, Tess than four million acres
per- gear. AT this rate the present gene
ration would reap'next to no benefit from
the public lands, and 275 years would
elapse before they all would be taken up,
much less TILED. The reason why these
lands cannot be given away to actual
settlers is that they are inaccessible and
hence worthless. No farmer will agree
to live on them for them, and for the ex-
cellent reason that no farmer can afford to.
A farm without market is without
value, and @ market without railroad is
usually impossible Under these circum-
stances the government, through its sys-
tenn of grants, saysto responsible corpo-
rations, ".Build railroad through these
waste lands Of mine, rendering them &C
cessible and valuable, and will give you
ten per cent.jof the lands affected. 9 I re-
gard this offer not as a charity or gratuity,
for you have no claim to either, but con
slider it q business transaction, in which
shall receive back in the enhanced value
of my own lands and the increased area
and constituency for taxation, very much
more than this grant is worth to me or to
you" So a farmer, owning submerged
marsh, which is absolutely worthless ex-
cept for3rearing frogs, and, not caring to
venture his own money in the doubtful
enterprise of retaining it, would gladly
give q portion Of the wet land itself to any
one who would ditch, underdrain and rem
der productive the whole. - 80
The fact that the Government retains
the alternate sections along these Pacific
roads, and offers them for sale at $3.50 per
acre, is sufficient guaranty that the rail
road companies will not hold their lands
at an exorbitant figure; and the fact that
the business and success of the roads will
depend very largely upon the rapidity
with which the adjacent lands are settled,
is ample warrant that the railroads will
not long hold their lands out of the mar
ket. Selfinterest and, the public good
will here harmonic. 49," 49, 80
The Northern Pacific Company, in
coming before Congress and asking for
the recent legislation, which has occa-
stoned SO much discussion and misunder-
standing, requested four things: Q.) That
the original land grant, voluntarily con-
ferred by Congress six years ago, be made
good by permitting the company to ap-
propriate other public lands to compen-
safe for those belonging to the grant,
which had been taken up by settlers and
spectators; (2) That the short branch
road to be constructed from Portland,
Oregon, to Puget Sound be entitled to
the same land subsidy as the main line;
80 that the company be permitted to
make the junction of it's two western
branches at a point further east than the
original charter specifed-this in order
to.aayoid engineering difficulties in the
mountain region and {4.5 that specific
authority be given the company to make
a single mortgage covering all its proper
ty and rights of property. This last re-
~