Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-03-21
y. ~. The Railroad Lands. III. !. 8.
Homestead and Pre-. .emption Settlers.
Letter from Hon. F. R. DelanO.


-: Saint Paul, March 16, 1873.
Editor of the Little Falls Transcript:
:" l have just read in your last pape
the letter of Hon. N. Richardson
your town, in which he clearly sci
forth some of the tricks which wei
performed at the capitol on the lal
days Of the late session, to defeat th
land adjustment bills introduced b
himself in the House, and BY Senate
Houlton in the Senate, which bill
were drawn up for the special protee
; tion Of honest, bona jfde 7homestea
and pre>emption settlers. ::
During the essyears 1875, 1876 an
1877, my connection with the attemr
to secure the construction of tn
"Brainerd Branch" as it is commonl
called, brought me into personal in
terviews with many of these settler.
and also into an examination of Lam
Office and other records. bearing upo1
the rights of such settlers. Such in
investigations led to the conclusion
that there is upon what is known. a
the Railroad lands three classes 0
claimants, to>wit:
l. Honest, bona 1fde settlers who's
claims are right, and which will mo-
be questioned or disputed for a mo
ment by the Railroad Company.
2. Honest, bona ,jide settlers VIII
have not performed in all respect
things required to be done, or don
things not strictly legal according tt
the United States land laws. but il
either case there was no willful intent
to commit fraud, upon either the U
8. or the Railroad Company.
3. Prescriptions by a class of per
sons made in such a manner, tha,
traud. is mild name to apply to th'
transactions, and the manner in which
they have been perpetrated is proba>
bly, so we'll known to a great many OF
your readers that it is no use for me te
mention the same at this writing,
In the first and second classes, the
Railroad Company is anxious and vii,
ling so far as they are concerned tc
have the same adjusted, and the lands
conveyed to these original claimants
or to their legals heirs or assigns as
the case should require to be done
and since last November, work and
communication have. been going on
between the Railroad Land Office a,
St. Paul, and the Dept of the Interi-
or at Washington to accomplish this
result and settle these claims.
With the third class there is more
more difficulty, because the largest
portion of them comes within the pine
land limits, and is within the radius o1
the pine land ring.
It is we'll known that the Hon
Sect'y of the Interior, Carl Schurz, il
making the acquaintance, and learn
ing the habits Of pine men, end that
the intervention of u. S. courts, grand
jurors. and other officials is used te
some extent to complete and legally te
define the situation and status of the
pine business, including both logs and
lands. The adjustment of this class
will have to be left with Mr.. Schurz
for awhile unless the attorneys, who
are looking so closely after the inter
est of these '.poor helpless settlers,' y
can succeed in. getting some act passed
by Congress or by the State of Min
nesota which can be plead in bar Of
actions, or rulings which Mr.. Schurz
may bring or make against them.
I desire to say to every honest, bona
,ide settler, whether original, or the
heirs or assigns of the original
Of either of these classes, that there is
no occasion or necessity for you to EN-,
ploy lawyer, or any other agent at any
cost or expense whatever to look after
your claims, for they will not be con-
tested by the Railroad Company, and
I will only repeat the words Of
your representative, MIR. Richardson,
IN isletter, 'the only course for the
settlers to pursue, IS to break loose
from the pine land attorneys, if they
have them engaged, and give them
their discharge at once : IL.
In regard to meeting of the home.
stead and prescription settlers, I think
it would be well, (and have so advised
the Railroad Land COMMISSIONER, te
have meetings Of such settlers at some
convenient time, at Little Falls, Two
Rivers and Rich Prairie as conven.
lent points to which the most d
the settlers could come and could id,
| just these claims without cost, delay
or expense to the settlers. s.
This mode Of procedure I presume
viii be resisted By the pine land tel'
lo,os, because they want TO hold 81,
persons back referred 70 ID the tirst ans
aud second classes, in order to use then
in various ways to hclp carry the,1
points, and confirm their schemes .
deliberate fraud.
The attorneya maj toll ron tha
they win attend % syopr ease ffor moth
ling this they ON aaaord q do, for 81
honest ease Ieqaines 80 80 attentiion 8
Il &xrAmsn ks.l..1 90 3. -