Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1880-09-16

vofnAuk liz CuuhSc, Onpioten Dis
journey on various divisions Of the
Central Pacific. It 10 by virtue of
this branch road, forty miles in
length and o mere feeder to the
main line, that the effort is now be.
ing made to deprive US of our prop.
erty. In 1865, and for several years
after that period, the land In the
Mussel Slough country was dry and
uninhabited, and almost valueless.
It was not worth, on the average,
81 Der acre, At various times be- |
tween 1866 and the date of the COM
pletion of their branch road or
feeder in 1877, the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company, by circulars
and elaborate pamphlets,
INVITED THE SETTLEMENT
We have made. The following are
illustrative extracts:
The company invites settlers to 80 upon
their lands before patents are issued or be-
fore the road is completed, and intends in
any other applicants, and at price based
upon the value OF the land scittout the I'M
prouenents put upon them by the settlers.
If the settlers desire to buy, the company
gives them the first privilege Of purchase at
fixed price, which in every case shall only
be the value Of the land acithoeH regard to
improvements.
In ascertaining the value, any improve
ment that settler or other person msy'
have on the lands will not be taken into
consideration; neither will the price be in
creased in consequence thereof.
Settlers are thus assured that. in addition
| to being accorded the frstprivilege of pur-
chase, they will be protected in their I'M
prorements.
It has been claimed by the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company
that we have denied Its title
and ut the same time demanded
the fulfillment of its promises, and,
therefore, that our position ia in
consistent and indefensible.
But this proposition begs the real
question, invokes an inapplicable
rule Of law and IL as untrue as.it IL
speclous and ingenious. The case Is
not that Of o corporation Offering to
sell under title vested and irrevoc.
able, but of an offer conditional
upon the performance OF
| ITS AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED
STATES.
Many of US went on the land be-
fore and some after the adoption of
the Joint resolution of 1870. Some
Of us were attracted solely by the
glowing and inaccurate descrip-
lions contained 10 pamphlets OF the
company, circulated in the Atlantic
and Southern States. All of US be-
lieved that the soil might be re-
claimed by extensive irrigation,
and that 1t would then become ex-
traordInarily fertile. What we
wanted aud what we relied upon
was the certainly of acquiring the
true title when the time for pur-
chase arrived, either from the
Government or the com.
pany. The company, by its own
acts fully aud clearly recognized
the consistency Of this position.
We desired and intended to buy and
pay for the land once ut proper
rates, that is, in the one case, at
the Government price, and in the
other case, by the standard fixed
by the company itself. 1t Is absurd
to suppose that we would have
made the expensive and lasting
improvements hereinafter mention
ed upon any other expectation. We
knew we could trust the Govern
ment and we thought we could
trust the company. We felt justifi-
ed in taking the chances, or rather,
that we were taking no chances. If
the sections reverted to the United
States we could purchase at a price
not exceeding $2.50 per acre. II the
company finally held them and kept
its word, as we supposed 1t would,
we would scarcely have to pay
larger amount, certainly, at the
very utmost, and for the most
valuable farms, not more than from
Sc to So per acre, and this would
allow
AN ENORMOUS MARGIN OF PROFIT
For any imaginary benefit pro.
duced by o railroad that termina-
ted In q solitude. We were not
bound to take from the company
any but the complete title, derived
from the Government, in accord
ance with the terms and conditions
Of the grant. In conforming with
the quoted offers then we took or
retained possession of large num-
Der of the odd sections within
twenty miles Of the route upon
which the branch road has since
been constructed. Uniting In some
instances with settlers upon the
even sections, who have always
been our friends, and in other cases
acting Independently, we organ
lied companies and saturated the
sterile plain, to the extent OF hun
dreds of thousands of acres, with
water, conducted through large
bitches and canals, some of them
from fifty to hundred feet In
width. We accomplished this work
in the face Of great natural obsta-
cles, with very limited meane, and
under conditions of hardship, toll
and endurance such as 1t would be
impossible for us to describe. We
were not idlers, stimulating our
appetites, speculAting on popular
necessities, and spending our time
in riotous living or fashionable dis
sipatiOp, but workers, whose labor
alone, at current wages, during the
period Of our residence in the coun-
ties OF Tulare and Fresno, would
have given 10 each of us the
price OF
| A COMFORTABLE HOME.
We erected fences, houses, barns,
school houses and churches after
the manner of permanent and
well-ordered community. We laid
out aud established roads, which
are now In many places shaded by
thrifty trees. We cultivated fields
and orchards, and produced the
cereals, vegetables and fruits, even
grapes and figs OF unsurpassed quail
| ity and In luxurious abundance.
We raised stock of all kinds and of
choice breeds. We beautified our
homes with gardens and vines. We