The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-02-26
THE ST. CROIX LAND GRANT.

THE ST. CROIX LAND GRANT.
Before our state legislature 1t
Madison this winter the principal
question that iutcrests this country
relates to the old st. Croix land
grant, ut that portion Of the apper-
tanning to the line from Superior,in
aoniheastcrly direction 10 the
North Wisconsin division OF The
Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis 81
Omaha Railroad, distance OF
about 60 miles. L. 1874 tho legis-
iature conferred this grant upon the
Chicago e. North Pacific Air Line
Railway Company (now the
Chicago, Portage .S Superior Rail
way Compauy,) and gave them i've
years in which TO build. Ii 1878
tho Legislature extended the time
three years. This made IN al eight
years or up TO May 9, 1882. Hence
lie c., 7. & ). Co., have
over fourteen months IN
which 10 do the work. As we
understand it they have the means
raised TO build tie line, and expect
10 commence the work this spring
at Superior aud push il on yigor.
ouSly to completion. Apparently
assuming tha; the g., Z. Il 5. Co.
by reason of neglect to build, bad
forfeited all right 10 the grant
several other organiEations have
applied to the Legislature for the
grant. Among these are she
Wabashaw IS Lake Superior CON
pany, composed mainly Of ring CT
LAWYERS and lunbermen the
Superior and Southeastern com.
posed mainly of citizen Of tie
Chippewa valley, the River Falls
q Northern. the Sparta & Onton-
agOn, aud tro or three other com
uanits. Each company desires %
obtain the grant, but it IS exceed
ingly doubtful if the legislature
will attempt 10 disturb It's prescnt
possessols However, should an
act be passed taking the lands az ay
from the G. r. & $. Co. ani con
fpr~ing them or rome nIe Of :Ac
other companies the tl2a>es ::e
that prolonged and embarrassing
litigation might result, thus defeat
ing the object tt'r which The lands
we're granted, / 8 70 secarr q rail
road. The Attorney General OF the
STATE, the Railroad Commissioner
sad i"adirg lIwyrrs ii ia Iisnn ali
..ni,. >lt@liu.'y give .heir opiniolt
i;i.at the i,gi@l-iuya rahnul l,g.,iy
plivrsl the {. Z { >. Gu oi thelr
rigi.lt ut tnls time. f. Is claimed
by lhoae IN the interest of the con-
panias contesting for the grant that
the Z. T. ~ ,. Co. have had
abundsnE tim. in which to build,
and having done no work have tor
ieised all rights in :he grant. It is
tsue the G. p. lE 5. Co. have done
~ work, one great reason being
that for some Years past the times
were not suspicious for raising
money tor such enterprises, and
another great reason being that the
land grant was tied up in suits
until last Summer by the Farm
Mortgage and other companies, 50
that no one could tell what the
result might be or whether or not
any lands would be lett to the grant.
a proposition that meets with
considersble favor at Madison, and
with great favor here, is that an
act be passed giving the lands to
the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis
Sc Omaha Company in case the &.
-, L. & 5. Co. fail to build s miles by
Aug. !, and 20 miles by Jan'y. /,
next the c. St. +. NJ. &c 0. to
build the whole in 2 or years. a
petition TO that effect has been for
varded from here this week. Our
people are more concerned to see
the road built, than as to who
builds it, out they are clear i'll ,De
view that a,l entanglements .ha,
might lead 70 litigation and defeat
OF tie ohjeos .hcnld be carefully
avoided. The question Will likely
be decided at Madison within a
week, and our people are looking
forward TO the result with o great
deal Of interest.
SENATOR MATT. III. CARPENTER
/ II 4