, 1873-04-24
NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD LAM


NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD LAND
GRANT.-The concession by Congress of
lands to aid ir the construction of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, is 40 sections
of GAO acres each. per mile, over the
most valuable belt of land across the
continent, making an aggregate for, say
1900 miles, of 81, ,2n0,0 acres, valued
at 50 so per acre, making the round
sum of 1928. G00,000 This valuation, it
is true, is largely prospective, but we
have no doubt, by judicious husbandry
itwould be fully realized, perhaps ex-
ceeded. To make up for waste and un
saleable lands, there Will be 1000 sec
tions adjoining the road, worthGot less
than SO an acre; at least 200 sections
occupied by stations, which will average
500 an acre, and not less than 20 town
sites, occupying SO sections in the ag-
gregate, averaging $1,000 an acre very
soon after the road is IN successful op-
Grafton. At this rate, the town sites
alone, 100 miles apart. would net SOL
100000 This estimate does not exceed
what has already been realized on the,
completed portion of the road from
Duluth to the Missouri River; though
unfortunately for the credit and success
of the project, all that has been realized
from the sale of town sites has been di-
verted from the proper resources of the
company to the private benefit of ring
of sharpers who were in the manage
ment.
Under honest and judicious manage
ment, the land grant would in few
years pay for constructing and equip
ping the road, the interest ON the money
borrowed for that purpose, and left a
surplus capital of at least $50, 100000 =
sum sufficient to control and direct
the commerce Of the Pacific ocean, COM
mand the rich trans-continental carrying
trade between Asia and Europe, and
build up commercial centre at their
Pacific terminus without successful
rival on the globe, and immortalize the
names of the managers of the grandest
enterprise of this or any other age of
the world
But unfortunately for the project, the
country and the world. this grand
scheme fell under the management Of a
combination of greedy, narrow-minded
and unscrupulors sharpers, false to the
country, false to their high trust, and
unwittingly false to their own best in
terests, who sacrificed it all to their own
selfish greed of gain. literally killing
the goose that laid the golden eggs, in
the hope of immei lately realizing by
fraud and violence what wa. only to be
achieved by honest and patient endeav
or. The munifcen: endowment under
the management of ring organized for
the purpose of robbing the company,
offered no security for meeting honest
obligations, in the money markets of
the world; the credit Of the company is
destroyed; no money can be raised upon
Its bonds, and the work has nearly
come to a stand-still, and although Il
better class of men have come into the
direction of the company, it will take a
long time to recover a creditable stand
ing, and will ever lie under suspicion
and consequent embarrassment so long
as a member of the infamous land ring
has vote in lis councils or employmen,
by the company. The control of the
company must not only pass into inno-
cent hands. but the public mus: be con
vinced of that fact, before it can COM
mand means to prosecute the work, and
there must be no more dickering by ir-
responsible agents to rob honest citi-
zens of their possessions by fale preten-
cec