The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1875-09-25

StruCt IT'S hrdtcN from SOHO COM elllCllt /
point on It's m1n. trunk line across The I
Cascade Mountains to Puget Sound; /
and also providing for any deficiency in
the grant 10 be made up as in the orig
inal act of July I'd, 1901; and that IS
miles of the main line, bctwcccn It's
Western terminus and Portland be com
plctcd by January Ist, 1872, and forty
miles of the remaining portion thereof
each year thereafter, until the whole
shall be completed between said points.
1t will thus be seen that the original
act of July End, 1864, has been changed
in several material respects; the time for
the commencement OF the work being
finally settled to July Ist, 1870, and that
after the second year thereafter, to-wit,
July Ist, 1872, 100 miles per year to hc
constructed, and the whole road com
plctcd BY July 9Th, 1871.
But what is really of more immediate
interest to tins western section ol Inc
Territory tina anything else, save tbs
completion of the whole road, is the
western end of the main line and the
branch road. 1t was the original dc
sign of the projectors to build straight
across the continent to Puget Sound,
and build the branch line from some
point at or near Portland to Puget
Sound. This idea was abandoned, and
it was decided to build the main line to-
PUGET Sound yM the Valley of the
Columbia River, and the grant was
awarded accordingly, rcscrving the
RIGHT for branch road across the Gas
cadc Mountains, with no particular time
for It's construction sPcciiicd. Pursuant
to this arrangement, IS miles on the
main line from Portland to Puget
Sound was constructed from kalama
northward, prior to anuary Ist, 1872.
The act, as amended, then required
them to build forty miles each year af
ter January list, 1872, until the whole
distance between the western terminus
and Portland should be completed.
The company have built the road
from kalama To Tacoma, Il distance Of
liz miles, or Whereabouts, but have not
fulfilled the conditions of the law pro-
vidng for the construction of 20 miles
per year until the whole distance be
tween Tacoma and Portland shall hc
completed.
Altogether On the whole line Of the
road, both East and West, $50 mil 5
have been completed, thus complying
with the amendment of July lst, 1908,
requiring 100 miles per year to be built
after July end, 1872.
The 9th section of the original act
provides that ifthc company make any
breach of til. conditions thereof, and
allow the same to continue for upwards
of one year, then the United States, by
its Congress. may do all that is ncccs-
sary to secure a speedy completion Of
the road.
We have been asked many times if
this land will not revert to the govern
mcnt upon the failure of the company
to comply with the conditions the
grant, and we have known many lomc-
stead and pre- cmption settlers who have
located upon odd sections, believing
that the land would eventually thus re-
vert, and they could then come in with
Il prior right to purchase from the GOV
crnmcnt, but there is great danger that
such settlers make a mistake in so do
ing, not that they may finally lose the
land, together with their improvements,
but that it may be many years before
they can perfect their title thereto.
In case the railroad company forfeit |
their land grant by compliance
with the conditions of the act, the odd /
sections, without some action 10y Con-
gress, would not be open for homestead
or prc-cmption entry, for the reason
that the 9th section of the act of 1861
provides that "thc odd sections of land
hereby granted shall moi be liable to
sale, homestead entry, or prc-emption,
before or after they are surveyed, ox.
cept by said company, as provided in
this act l! then provides that the
homestead and prc-cmtion privileges
shall he extended IL either lands on the
line of the road VIZ Nsurvcycd, ''crcept-
ing those hereby granted to said com
lany.
The time for the company to com
mcncc and complete ;hc work has been
cNtcnded from time to time, and as it is
next to inn possible, far hon, tn ,,,>l..o