Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-08-27
THE ID. Nj. a. WI. RAILROAD.
what the Company is Doing for the
Upper Peninsula.

The Chippewa County News of last
Saturday contains some interesting in
formation concerning the land grant of
the d., M. & M. road and the manner in
which it is being sold. 1t says that by
September "the railroad company will
have earned their entire grant of over
100000 acres Of lands in this peninsula,
and will have absolute title thereto.
Each 20 miles of the road when COM
pleted and approved by the governor of
the state entities the company to 200
sections of this land. and each section is
$40 acres. The first 20 miles is already
accepted and over 20 miles of the road is
already open to traffic. AS the en- tire
road will be completed by September 1,
1T is useless to bring up the governor to
of the road it will be accepted at once,
and patents to the entire grant given.
The patents for the cOmpany's grants
are now being prepared. The conduct
of the managers of the land department,
while conservative, has been extremely
liberal and public spirited, and no where
be found where such care has been taken
vigilance has been displayed to ward off
Spectators and land grabbers. When
the company came into possession of
these lands many settlers were found
upon them who had squatted, expecting
them to revert to the state. All these
were scrupulOusly protected in their i'm
prOvements, and the land, the choicest
of course, was given them at the same
price it was sold to others. We can point
out case where to-day settler holds
tract of this land with over 81 200 worth
Of improvements upon it, and, though
his rights under the rules of the COM
pany expired over year and half ago,
they still allow him the property at the
original price. 1t would be difficult to
find such liberality shown by private
individual. Donations have been re-
peatedly made by. the company for
churches, ,schoOl-hOuses, burying grounds
and other purposes. They are at their
own expense opening fine wagon roads
through the country, Obviating thereby
the greatest difficulties pioneers meet.
Thirty-five miles of road has already been
made by them, and over seventy miles
will be completed this fall. Stations
have been put up at the cOmpany's ex-
pense at different places, both on and
away from the railroad, and men are
stationed there to provide for the wants
of travellers and land-lOOkers, at reason
able charges. LOcators are kept in the
employ of the company at a heavy ex-
pense, who conduct settlers upon their
lands and correctly locate them without
extra charge.
There will be an excursion tomorrow
on the Van Raalte to Mackinac and
around the island. The ChebOygan cor
net band will be in attendance. The
fare, including the trip around the
romantic isle, is put at the very low
figure of so cents.
Chippewa County News: Messrs. New
comb q GOOdreau, submarine divers, are
at work on the propeller Independence,
which was wrecked little way above
the head of the canal twenty-nine years
ago. She seems to be pretty well loaded
and some of her goods and machinery
but little the worse for their long rest
under the water. The wreck was caused
by her boiler bursting. Four persons
lost their lives by the accident. She was
in size about equal to the Emerald and
her run was from the head Of the Portage
TO the then CITY of Superior, now Duluth