The Wilmingtonian., 1884-11-15

l
: and agents of the public estate.
O II is question too whether in the admi
$ istration of these gifts the party in pow
Y (the Republican, have used just foresig
or discrimination IN allowing these extensi,
grants to such number of transcohtinen.i
lines. The criticism arises as to whethe
at the time of the inception OF the idea
federal or state aid to railroad construction
it was intended that land grants should |
given where the estate of the corporation
become almost coterminous or bisect OF
another.
1t is presumed that the original intent
these grants was to aid construction in
now country and not for new railroads in
country where grants had already bee
made, or roads in course of constructio
already existed.
In regard to the Northern Pacific Railloa
and its iniquitous record
The Duly PSt-iatelttgeaeo Of Seattle
Washington, oath of April last, as quoted b
MIR. Lore says:-
1T is now very generally conceded that /
was an error on the part OF Congress to gran
the public land to corporations under an,
circumstances whatever; but had the rail
road company complied with its part OF tn,
agreement and supplied the thoroughfarC
within the time specified, there would hav,
been at least some compensation for the er.
roneous and wrongful act. 1t seems apparent
however, that the managers of the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company Cor at least a ma
jority of them) were irresponsible specu.
lators who possessed neither the requisite
sagacity nor honesty of purpose, nor suffi.
cent means or credit for carrying out their
undertaking. The great aim appears to have
been to speculate in lands, and town-sites,
and stocks, and secure extensions of time
from Congress and other favors from the
Government Land Department.
In the mean time thousands Of hone-seek-
ing immigrants have toiled across the broad
aud thirsty plains, and, Drawing the dangers
and enduring the hardships of frontier life.
have converted the wilderness into produc-
tive farms. Without any assistance from
the Northern Pacific Railroad (Which has
not yet been completely these immigrants
have resned the great Northwest from roam
ing beasts and savage men, not as with the
magic staff of Moses or the tabled spear of
lthuriel, but with plow and scraper and with
reeking toll they have tapped the reluctant
waters at their source, and by constructing
irrlgating bitches for many miles over bar
rem wastes, they have converted deserts into
fields and gardens; and in doing this they
have been forced to fertilize railroad lands
and enhance their value in order to reach
Government lands lying beyond. They have
built handsome schoo-houses, and children
that were unborn whom the Northern Pacific
grant was made hgS. heai ednaatad in thasa
schoo-houses, have graduated from colleges,
have married and now have children of their
own; and still the Cascade branch is not
constructed"
In addition to the 100, 900, oOOaeres Of pub
lie lands given to these corporations, the
statement of the past administration of our
land afflirs and of the manner and method
of their disappearance would be incomplete
were the following detailed table of tracts of
land sold in lots of ., 900 acres to 4,500, 900
acres to foreign capitalists not given. The
total of which amounts to the tremendous
figure of over 20, 000, 900 sold to some score
or so of individuals, all foreigners and ab-
sentee landlords 100000 acres of our
heritage paying annual tribute to Europeans,
very few Of whom bave seen the land they
call their property.
An English syndicate No. $, in Texas. 5000 900
The Holland Land Company New Mexico 4,5OOOOO
Sir Edward Reid, and syndicate in
Florida, .........,................... 100000
English syndicate, in Mississippi. 1880 900
Marquis of Tweedale, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. L7500O0
Philips Marshall & Co., London, n,.......... 100000
German syndicate e...................... 100000
Anglo American syndicate Mr.. Rogers,
president, London. Observation-Disclosures. 10000
Byran H. Evans, of London, in Mississippi 100000
LUKE ol SuIherlahu $4,000
British Land Company, in Kansas ~ s20OOO
WilliamWhalley Mp. ,Peterboro, England $4,000
Missouri Land Company, Scotland. ....... 100000
Robert Tenant, of Londod. od............... 10000
Dundee Land Company, Scotland. .... 2i7,OOO
Lord Dunmore.. 10000
Benjamin Newgas, Liverpool. ol.............. 100000
Lord Houghton, in Florida. a.............. 6OOOO
Lord Dunraven, in Colorado. ............ 0O.OOO
English Land Company, in Florida. ... $4,000
English Land Company, in Arkansas. $4,000
Albert Peel, NIP, ,LecestershiTe England 10000
Sir j. L. Kay, Yorkshire, England. .,..... 5000
Alexander Grant, of London, in Kansas 35,OOO
English syndicate represented by Close
Brothers) Wisconsin. 10000
NJ. Ellerhauser, of Halifax, Nova Scotia
in West Virginia. a..................... 100000
A Scotch syndicate, in Florida. .......... 100000
A. Boysen, Danish consul, in Milwaukee $1,000
Missouri Land Company, OF Edinbtrgh
Scotland ............,............... 185,OOO
Total. ....."..................... 2O,7I7,OOO
There is something wrong in all this. But