Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1883-05-10
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
How the Railroads are Gobblinx
1t Up.

How the Railroads are Gobblini
WASHINGTON, May 9.-The followip
letter was yesterday written and deliv
cred by Senator Van Wyack in perso'
10 tho Secrt tary of tho Interior:
Dear Sr: When your order va
made recognising the New Orlsan
Pacific Railway Company's title to liant
grants many years forfeited. I felt it N,
duty to ask your Department to bs in
formed of the progress of proceedings
with tho view t. oppose any further
legislation and t. prevent further ab
sorLtion of the public domain BY cor
poration which had not even the sem
blance Of legal or equitable rights. and
also
TO PROTECT THE SETrLRRS
Who have been occupying and improv.
ing portions of this dead grant. The
New Orleane, Baton Rouge and Vicks-
burg Railroad Company in 1871 OBJ
tanned . large graat Of land ON the con.
d.tioa "that said company shall COM
plete the whole of said road within Eve
years from the passage of this Act. :"
The five years expired, and not nile
had been built-not even . survey
made, nor . definite location. The
ccmpsny's only act was to issue and
distribute bonds among parties who
were intent ON developing the coun
try" Five years more pass, and the
grant is doably dead-yet not . mile
constructed or definitely located. Its
next act was in December, 1882, to
assign what it did not own to another
company, which was organized by the
legislature of Louisiana in 1876 to
build through substantially the same
section without the expectation of any
aid. This company is known as the
New Orleans Pacific, which finally
dritted into the hands OF > syndicate,
who had also been periodically
.DEvEOoP1NG THE COUNTRY"
So that millions of dollars and millions
of acres had rewarded their sacrifices
aud exertions. It became necessary for
the systoms of roads which this syndi-
cato controlled to connect with New
Orleans. They built without any as
surance of aid from the Land Depart.
ment or from Congress, not even bling
= map OF defining the location of any
po. ton Of the road they knew only
that Congress could revitalize the dor
mant graft. It was great presumption-
EVEN for railway corporation-to -
sumo that this could be accomplished
Dimply by their fiat and now they hope
J., forestsll action by this reco9ui,ion
hey have obt ined from your depart
nent. They mu veil know that the
title to these lands is not complete till |
iaal action by Congress. I realize your
whom Congress at its
at session failed to act, ~ the Attor-
ney General bad given to your depart
nent, in response t. . request Of your
an opinion that tho COM
pauy had right to said grant.
WARNING TO TaE PUBLIC.
"There il an additional necessity for
this notice, for that present company,
he Now Orlsans Pacific, are about ie-
'uing mortgage bonds ON the basis of
his forfeited land grant, aud they natu- |
ally desire it legalized long enough to
place these bonds ON tho market. So |
;he victims are to be the people-the
,ettlers ON that portion Of the public |
lomain-or the purchasers Of the bonds.
Ny object is that Congress shall not be
net next session with the plea that in
,ocent purchasers bought these bonds
md they should be protected
"You will allow me to make this
,ublic. ~ my purpose is to aid the pub
ic and prevent imposition by the sale
II bonds secured by . forfeited title
which may be declared worthless.