Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-02-25
Credit MObilicr.

\ correspondent Of the Detroit
Free Press, writes from Washing
ton as follows in regard to Credit
Mobilier:
/ have watched with great in
terest the developments of the
Credit Mobilier investigation, and
it seems to me that the real, true
point to which inquiry should be
directed is likely to be passed over
in silence.
The construction Of this road
and many of its branches was pro-
vided for by an act Of Congress APP
proved July LIST, 1862, to be found
in vol. y Of the statutes at large,
on page $50.
Section two of this act grants
the right of way, four hundred feet
wide, across the lands of the
United States, to the company,
with all additional lands necessary
for depots, stations, switches, with
the right to take stone, earth and
timber from the other public lands
Section three grants each alter
nate section of the public lands o.
the United States, on each side OF
the route of the road to the
amount of ten sections per mile
This grant was afterward doubled
by the act of July I'd, 1864, volume
ID, statutes at large, page 1856
Section four of the act of 1862
provides that the Secretary Of tho
Treasury shall issue bonds of the
United States Of the amount oil
sixteen bonds of one thousand dol
lars each per mile for each section
of forty miles of the road wher
completed, and when the commits
sioncrs provided by the act certify
to the completion of that length Of
the road.
Section eleven Of the act pro.
vides "that for three hundred
miles of said road most noun
famous and difficult construction
to wit, one hundred and fifty mile:
westwardly from the eastern base
of the Rocky Mountains, and one
hundred and fifty miles eastwardly
from the western of the Sierra Ne
vada Mountains, said points to bt
fixed 10y the President of the Uni
ted States; the bonds to be ISSUED
to aid in the construction thereo
shall be treble the number pc
mile herein before provided
and between the sections las
named of one hundred and fit,
miles each, the bonds to be ISSUED
% aid in the construction thereo
shall be double the number pc
mile first mentioned"
Now, from this statement it i
plain to be seen that it was boil
important and profitable to tn,
stockholders of the company tina
the eastern base Of the Rock,
Mountains should be so far ava,
from the western base of the tn,
Sierra Nevada Mountains as posi-
bic, because between the two sec
tons of $50 miles each, which wer'
supposed to be over the inonntains
the government subsidy So, co.
per mile; whereas on the road {,
the east of $50 miles commencin.
at the east base Of the ROCKY
Mountains, the subsidy was bu
$4,000 per mile.
Well, bow was this determined
The location of the eastern has
of the Rocky Mountains was shift
ed TO the eastward of where
really is, in point of fact, half wa,
down the Platte River. This wa
undoubtedly done on the report Q
the government commissioners
But still it was done. Herculcal
task as it might be, the Rock,
Mountains were cut down in plail
sight of Omahe. The investigation
does not seem to reach this part @
the case at all. What was the oh
ject of this use of Credit Mobile
stock in Congress in 1867 Simpl,
this: The commissioners. or som