The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-04-30
The Northern Pacific Files u Gem.
P1etnt Against tho St.. Paul Il
Pacific, ct. cl., for Possessioa of
31,O0O,OOO Worth of Lard.

F~ A8osSe s@0 Ossss E2UA G
Pacific, ct. cl.. for Pessessisa Of
100000 Worth sf Land.
Our readers are generally aware that
the rights of the St. Panl and Pacific and
Northern Pacific railroad companies. to
some six hundred thousand acres of land.
embraced ilDhe twenty mile limit con.
tiguous to their respective lines, conflict
at the point where the St. Vincent
extension Of the former road
crosses the latter in CLAY
county: On the points at issue being re.
ferred to the Secretary of the Interior,
that official decided in favor of the St.
Paul & Pacific company, on the ground
of priority of filing Of plats upon the
lands in question. The Northern Pacific
company now commence suit in the Clay
county District Court, to procure stay
Of proceedings under the decision Of the
Secretary and to recover possession Of
tho lands.
The points on which the cause is
brought, as summarized by the Red
River Star, are as follows:
After giving detailed history of the
grants and acts Of bestowal of lands to
the several lines projected and designed
by Congress and the State Legislature,
the complaint fixes the date, on which the
Northern Pacific bases its claim upon
the lands affected by the decision of the
Secretary of the Interior, as the twenty.
first day Of November, eighteen hundred
and seventy-one-that being tho day on
which the plats and maps Of the Northern
Pacific were fled in the Office of the Com
missioner Of the General Land Office. The
landsinvolved in this suit are claimed to be
worth over one million dollars. It is al
legged that ''the St. Paul and Pacific Com
pany, through certain Of its agents and
representatives, wrongfully, unlawfuliy
and fraudulently, procured, obtained and
caused the issuing Of patents to the State
Of Minnesota, having full knowledge and
actual notice OF all the facts, with the
intent to defraud the plaintiff, and OBJ
tain said lands for its own useand benefit,
combining and confederating to that end
that the St. Paul and Pacific, it's agents
and employees. is endeavoring to procure
from the Governor conveyance of tho
patents, and is furthermore, through
its agents and representatives,
giving out that it will
speedily obtain such conveyance; and is
also endeavoring to sell the lands in dis
pute.' Therefore the plaintiff prays for
judgment, first, that the disputed lands
be adjudged, decreed and determined to
be the lands Of and belonging to the plain.
tiff; that the plaintiff be given a title, in
fee simple; that the defendants be ore
dered to execute the necessary instru-
ment confirming the plaintiffs title to
such lands that the defendants be en-.
joined and restrained from procuring any
patent for these lands during the penden.
cy of this suit or until final judgment is
had; and that the plaintiff have iudr.
ment for the cost Of this suit.
This case will involve many knotty
questions of law, fact, and land grant
complications, and will in all probability
be carried to higher court than our Dis
trict tribunal before decision satisfactc-
ry to all parties will be reached. The
question as to which company has tho
best and most legal rights to, the lands
within the territory comprehended by
what is known ~ the St. Vincent Branch
Junction, is one that interests our read
ers, inasmuch As great many settlers
are directly effected, no matter which
company succeeds in the contest.