The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-10-20
Is. A. Express, Oct. 1S7S
THE INTERNATIONALLY LAND GRAB,

As Judge Ireland and his especial cham
pions are running their wild career over west
ern Texas, saying q great deal about the
enorniity Of non-taxable bonds, we will furnish
them with some data concerning some other
property not taxed, and in which the people
Of Western TEXAS are more directly interested
in than in the government bonds. Il is not
necessary to get into details of how, mainly
through the efforts of Judge Ireland in the
state senate, the International road was
stopped at point where Eastern Texas ceased
to have an interest in it, and now Western
Texas, while deprived Of the benefit of the
road, had to sacrifice the best Other land to
satisfy the demands of the railway company.
The general law regulating the location Of
railroad lands provides that the companies
shall locate only every alternate section, and
also bear all the expense of surveying of both
its own lands, and the alternate sections re-
tanned by the state. Under the contract with
the international, however, that company can
locate their lands as it suits their pleasure-ail
in solid body when they SO desire-and the
consequence is, that their agents have ira
versed Western Texas and selected the very
best tracts OF lands to be found. The Inter-
national company have located west Of the
Colorado river, 3,I32 certificates, conveying
64o acres each as follows:
In Atascoso county, u certificates, Blanco
2. Bexar S, Caldwell I, Calhoun 6, Colorado
81, Comal /, Crockett $40, Duval s, Dewitt
1, Dimmitt Coz, Edwards 10, EnciLal 9. FRO
50, Gillespie 5, Guadalupe !, Hayes E. Jack
son 81, Karnes 4, Kimble 3, Kinney 3o2,
Kerr I, Kendall 3, Lavaca 2, Live Oak !.
LaSalle 1877, Llano S, Matagorda IS, McMul-
len ], Mason ~, Medina S, McCulloch 9,
Menard 3, Maverick s94, Nueces "a, Preside
9, Refugio 20, Pecos Io4, San Patricio !, San
Saba IA, Travis 4, Tom Green I, Uvalde IS,
Victoria 3, Wharton 20, Webb I74, Zavalla
Now, we have heard some of Mr.. Ireland's
defenders say these lands belonged Is much to
the eastern portion of the state as to western
Texas, and therefore it made no difference to
our people where they were located; but they
seem to forget that these lands are exempt
from taxation for twenty-five years, and it Win
be difficult task to convince the poorly paid
| officials of those counties where the heavy
grabs have been made of the truth of their as
sertion, or the people who have to pay heavy
taxes upon their homesteads to support ther
county governments, whils the fine lands of
the railroad company lie on every hand I'M
taxed. and on account Of the high prices de-
manded for them, unavailable to the immi-
grant This not only retards the growth and
prosperity of these counties, but throws the
whole burden of taxation upon those who by
their labor and industry yearly increase the
value Of the adjoining untaxed lands. West
ern Texas must raise q certain amount of
revenue, and the proportion that should fall
upon the bene6ciaries from the 3,I32 sections
Of land, must fall upon others. That is why
the hardship of this contract falls upon the
people of western Texas, and bears not at all
upon the people of other sections Of the
| state.