Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-01-04
LAPsIyG OF LAND GRANTS.

An Abuse that should find Redress
How Land sharks Get in Their
Work at the Peoples Expense-POOr
Farmers skinned Out OF Their
Rights by BIOated Bond Holders
The Calcium Turned on the Iniquit-
Gus Process.
Judge Payson, of Illinois, who Is a
member of the house judiciary com
mittee, has remained IN Washington
during the holidays for the purpose OF
conducting an investigation of his own
at the interior department. Several
weeks ago Judge Payson received a
number of letters from residents OF
Oregon, complaining about the aohoA
Of the st ctetary of the interior III with
holding from pre-emption l5OO 600
acres OF land granted some years ago
to the Oregon Central railroad COM
pany 1t was charged that the grant
had lapsed long ago, and that this vast
tract of land should be thrown open to
the public entry. Judge PaysOn looked
up the original grant made by congress
in 1871 and found that the company
was required to build its road within
five years in order to secure the lands.
There was never any pretense made
upon the part OF the Oregon company
to construct its road from Portland to
Walla Walia, as described in che act.
Only forty miles Of any road have been
built by this company, and this runs
from Portland down to n point on
the Oregon & California railroad. The
Oregon Central company's line was
L 1, Il
Judge Payson called at the interior
Department after he had learned that
the Oregon Central Compant was no
longer in existence, to ask why a grant
to a deiunct company should stand in
the way of the interest of bona fide
settlers seeking to obtain the land at
the regular government rates. The
Secretary of the Interior said that it
was no part of his business to declare a
railroad grant IS lapsed. That was
alone for Congress to decide. He was
obliged to hold the lands until Con.
gress declared the grant forfeited
Judge PaysOn then said that ne should
ask the Judiciary Committee to report
resolution declaring this grant lapsed,
Here he was COMPOUNDED with new
complication. The old grant of the
Oregon Central Company is newly COW
cred by two other grants The Oregon
Central was an outgroWth of the North
western Transportation interests, which
latterly have been gobbed up by the
Willard Combination, the Oregon &
California Railroad Company. Also a
land grant road runs right over the
lower half of the domain of the Oregon
Central. Then the Northern Pacific
has run an imaginary line across the
upper end of the tract and has filed a
map of the same at the Interior De-
partment claiming that they intend to
run branch road in the direction in
Dictated by the line on the map. This,
it is claimed, is the same grant of land
given to the main line of the Northern
Pacific. The two claims only leave
about One-Gfth of HE tract Of
100000 acres free from dis
pute, The absurdity of the claim
really allied to comply with the langu-
age of It's own grant, and the idea of
sweeping down upon an imaginary
line TO capture and hold the better
part Of million scres is ,he perfec-
ton Of rascally impudence. Judge
Payson will ask the committee to re-
port a resolution declaring all the lands
in Oregon given to the Oregon Central
Company open to public entry. Judge
Payson will also push vigorously his
resolution declaring the forfeiture of
the land grant Of the Northern Pacific.
He says the law is very plain and ex-
plicit. The Northern Pacific railroad has
failed to complete the road within the
prescribed time. Non-action upon the
part of congress Is practical continu-
ance of the grant. ! have learned
within few days that a pool was form
ed last winter on the floor of the house
for the purpose of speculating in
Northern Pacific securities. When the
judiciary committee agreed to report
in favor of not forfeiting the grant
pledge of secrecy was imposed by
Chairman Reed regarding this pool.
Members early learned what was to be
reported and combined to buy North
ern Pacific for hendsome rise, but
the Wall street boys were too sharp.
They also had private points. They
ran Northern Pacific right up, so that
the congressional lambs had to reach
pretty high for the stock. Then when
the favorable report came the ham.
mers were set at work and the stock
driven down until the congressman
were froze out of their margins. The
memory Of this sad experience has
embittered many members, so that
more votes will be found this winter
for Judge Payson's resolution of for
fixture than last season.
q