The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1883-12-06
THE ASTORIA LAND GRANT.

Portland to Astoria. and from 4 suit
able point of junction near Forest
Grove to the Yamhin river, near Nc
Minville in the state OF Oregon, there
is hereby granted to the Oregon Cen
tral Railroad Company. now engaged
IN constructing the said road, and to
their successors and assigns, the
right of way through the public lands
OF the width of one hundred feet on
each side of said road. and the right
to take from the adjacent public
lands materials for constructing said
road, and also thet necessary lands
for depots, stations, side tracks, and
other needful uses in operating the
road, not exceeding forty acres at any
one place; and. also, each alternate
section OF the public lands, not min
eral, excepting coal or iron lands,
designated by odd numbers nearest
TO said road, to the amount of ten
such alternate sections per mile, on
each side thereof, not otherwise dis
posed OF or reserved or held by valid
pre-emption or homestead right at
the time OF the passage OF this act
And in case the quantity of ten full
sections per mile cannot be found on
each side of said road, within the
said limits of twenty miles, other
lands designated as aforesaid, shall
he selected under the direction of
the secretary of the interior, on either
side Of any part OF said road nearest
to and not more than twenty-five
miles from the track of said road to
make up such deficiency.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted,
That the commissioner Of the gen
eral land Office shall cause the lands
along the line OF the said railroad to
he surveyed with ali convenient
speed. And whenever and as often
as the said company shall file with
the secretary of the interior maps of
the survey and location of twenty or
more miles of said road, the said sec
retary shall cause the said granted
lands adjacent to and coterminous
with such located sections of road to
be segregated from the public lands;
and thereafter the remaining public
lands, subject to sale within the lin
its of the said grants, shall be dis
posed of only to actual settlers at
double the minimum price for such
lands. And provided also, That set
tiers under the provisions of the
homestead act who comply with the
terms and requirements of said act,
shall be entitled, within the said
limits of twenty miles, to patents for
an amount not exceeding eighty acres
each of the said ungranted lands.
anything in this act TO the contrary
Notwithstanding.
Sec. 3. And be ii further enacted.
That whenever and as often as the
said company shall complete and
equip twenty or more consecutive
miles of the said railroad and tele-
graph, the secretary OF the interior
shall cause the same to be examined.
at the expense of the company, by
three commissioners appointed by
him; and If they shall report that
such completed section is a first-class
railroad and telegraph, properly
equipped and ready for use, he shall
cause patents to be issued to the
company for so much of the said
granted lands as shall be adjacent to
and coterminous with the said com
pleted sections.
Sec. T. And be it further enacted,
That the said alternate sections of
land granted 10y this act. ex-
cepting only such as are necessary
for the company to reserve
for depots, stations, side tracks,
wood yards, standing ground, other
Deedful uses in operating the road,
shall be sold by the company only to
actual settlers, in quantities not ex-
ceeding one hundred and sixty acres
or quarter section to any one set
tier, and at prices not exceeding two
dollars and fifty cents per acre.
Sec 5. And be ii further enacted.
That the said company shall, by mort
gage or deed of trust to two or more
trustees, appropriate and set apart
all the net proceeds of the
sales of the said granted lands, rs a
sinking fund to be kept invested in
the bonds of the United States, OF
other safe and more productive sc.
curities, for the purchase from time
TO time, and the redemption a
maturity. of the first mortgage con
struction bonds OF the company, OF
the road depots, stations, side tracks
and wood yards, not exceeding thirt,
thousand dollars per mile of road
payable In gold coin not longer thai
thirty years from date, with interes
payable semi-annually in coin no
exceeding the rate of seven per cen
tum per annum; and no part o
the principal or interest of saiC
fund shall be applied to an,
other use until all the sait
bonds shall have been purchased oI
redeemed and cancelled; and each o.
the said first mortgage bonds shal