Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-31
ton the company is entitled to or was pos
sessed July 1st last of lands as follows:


ton the company is entitled to or was pos
sessed July 1st last of lands as follows:
Acres.
Minnesota and Dakota divisions - 4.056, les
Minnesota reserve for Wisconsin di- al
vision ,459, 200
| Missouri division. Observation-Disclosures. 5,555, 200
Pend d Orciila division. ........... $3.50. 400
Pacific division. n....................2 2,700, 900
Total. 19, 20,92S
On the divisions to be built, it will
| earn according to their esti
mated mileage
Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain and
Clarx's Fork divisions, $50 miles. .21 ,992, 900
Columbia River and Cascade Noun
tain division, 500 miles es.......... IL, 500, 900
Grand total. ID, ,9l2,92
Deducting the 5,515, ,32s acres east of
the Missouri river which is set apart for
redemption of preferred stock and making
a liberal allowance of lands for use of the
company in operating its roads, with a
liberal deduction on, account of worthless
lands, yet the remainder will closely ap-
proximate the estimate of the syndicate
capitalist. SIS
This great landed estate of the compa-
NY equals in its aggregate the whole area
of the State of Minnesota. 1t includes a
broad belt through the timber and mead
ow lands of Northeastern Minnesota, the
fertile prairie and park lands
of Central Minnesota, the
rich alluvial lands of the Red
river and of Northeastern Dakota, the
grazing and coal regions of Western Da-
kota and the Yellowstone valley, the min
eral deposits and great grazing fields and
fertile valleys of Montana, and, from the
Lake Pend d Oreille to the Pacific bytwo
lines, through regions which are in re-
sources like Ohio and Pennsylvania and
in climate like England. This immense
grant NAV seem to make the company
under vast obligations to the general gov
crnment, yet, in fact, this grant was and
is but short means of carrying out the
long settled policy of the government i'll
conveying the lands to the people as fast
as they arc prepared to occupy and inn
prove them. With this company as with
all land grant companies in the North
west, self-interest has led to vigorous and
persistent efforts to sell the lands to those
who will cultivate them, and
the early settlement of the
country, made possible by the
building of the railway, has GER
tainly been greatly advanced by the eff
forts of the company to sell its lands
THE CoMPANY's TITLE.
Efforts have been made in Congress to
reatfirm the. .company's title to its lands by
a formal extension of time for completion
of the road. During the last session of
Congress the Senate's railroad committee
reported favorably to that effect and
the House committee voted to make
q like report. But the Senate bill was
not reached and the House committee
did not make its report. This neglect by
Congress does not, however, weaken the
company's title to its lands or its right to
that portion of the grant yet to be earned
"The supreme court of the United States
has decided, in accordance with well es-
tablished principles of law, that the
| rights of conditional land grant COM
pany remain unimpaired, though it may be
in default, until there is declaration of
forfeiture authorized by Congress y X
The executive officers of the govern
ment recognize this principle and follow
this decision in their treatment of this
corporation, and the lands newly earned
are conveyed to the company as fast as
surveyed. 1t is not supposable, in view
of the diligent efforts of the reorganized
company to complete its roadway and its
present favorable prospects, that Con-
gress will attempt hostile action; but if
it would, there is in this case a question
of its right to annul OF revoke the grant
or any part of it, the company being ad-
vised, on good authority, that its grant of
lands is absolute and not liable.to forfeit
ure in any case This much is advanced
on the question of title because it has
been raised in rival quartcrs-although
the fact is well understood that no for
| feiture to the government by the COM
pany could disturb purchasers from the
company in either possession or title.
THE LANDS FOR SALE.
We of Minnesota are at present not di-
rectly interested in the settlement of the
| company's territory in the far West, but
| a brief statement concerning it may
be interesting. On the Pacific division,
(the line from Tacoma on
Puget Sound to Kalama on
the Columbia river) the company has for
sale about 9, 700, 900 acres, mostly covered
| by timber. AS at present there is small
market for the timber, the sales for the
year ending June 30th last were only
| 5,9335 So acres. On the Pend
d'Oreille division the company will have
this year in all about $3.50, 400 acres,
mostly in the eastern part of Washington
Territory A considerable portion of that
part of the Territory has been surveyed
and emigrants are going in. The COM
panys first sales there were made Now
| 26, 1879, and up to June 30th last il had
sold Al ,09150 acres On the Columbia
River, Cascade Mountain, Clark's Fork
| RocE,- NTounto;p an6 Vo1loucto,,o dix-;O