The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-01-13

swept away, and the returns /,
them have not warranted its expen
diturc
A few facts in regard to Land
Grant railroads, which We obtain
from reliable and Trustworthy
source, rlay be interesting, espec
ially to our readers in Northern
Wisconsin, where their building is
being prosecuted. and questions in
relation to them are constant
theme for discussions:
About the year 1853, the question
was being agitated, whether il
would not be wiser for the United
States Government to give up to
some of the Western States, the
land it owned within their borders,
lfor the reason that the receipts
|iroin the S ates did not pay the ex-
(,enses Of the Land D, ,partment at
Washington. It was thought best
!, trv the experiment in Illinois, of
,,ran,,ny so;ne land to railroad
.omoanv which should build a rail
road through this then ALMOST uhih-
Aabited State, and thus open up a
highway through the Government
lands and make them access bic 10
xttlers. The land then could no,
be sold at any price, and they would
at least lose nothing by the trial.
The work was commenced IN 1853
and before that year had closed the
Government had sold $500, 700
acres OF it's lands, and within fifteen
years from that time it practically
withdrew from the State as a land
owner, having sold all of its lands
here OF any vaIue. AT the time
tnc construct ton of this road was
cnmmenced, there we've not over
me hundred miles OF railroad In
nat State. Within twelve years
there were three thousand miles and
Illinois in a single decade was
transformed from a y lid solitude in
10 one Of The finest aud MOST flour.
Isl ing farming and stock growing
coun rieS in the world.
By this experiment the fact was
esi abli~hed that railroad building
developed a country more rapidly
than any other agenoy.-W herrvel
they We're built, popul11ion followed
-manutactories built up-tarms
We're cultivated, and towns and
cities sprang ray dly into existence
Government lands W hi, b could moi
he sold at any price, Won d as sOor
AS opened up by a railroad, sell
rapidly at s. SO per acre. The
Government made millions of dol
lars by reason of it's grants 20 rail
roads and the States which chartered
them and encouraged their building
increased most rapidly in wealll
and popul ton.
To prove our, assertions still
tnr'her we give few Of the man,
statistics which form a part of ths
history of the Land Grant rail- DAD
OF the United States, taken from
officlal sources and entirely reliable
These cases are not picked out o
tn mass 10 especially Prove the
paint we desire to sustain, but follow
up the investigation of nearly al
Land grant roads. and the same fac
will be revealed in regard 10 them
THE MEMPHIS q LITTLE RoCI
Il. X. had a land grant of nearl,
one mi lion acres. The State il
addition loaned it ST. 100000 IN ii
bonds and $780, 900 in cash, sub
scrlhed $4,000 to the stock and ez
empted it from all taxes. 1t cost I
build $1,000, 1000; present valu
$S00,00n; estimated value fror
earnings l,500, 900; capt.; sun
S3,500,G00: The increase of popr
latlon along its line has been Yer
great. Lands not accessible to til
railroad but Of excellent quality cs
be so!i at soc per acre, but tn
la ds along heline sell very rapid
ut from IS 90 to $1,000.
The ST PAUL & PAcIFIc r. F
bad a land grant of $4,000 acres
They are exempted from taxes o