Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-02-07


union Pacific to the Government.
Springfield Republican
The House is clearly in readiness to
do something very sweeping about the
forfeiture of the land grants. For
wears there have been spasmodic eff
forts TO have something done. but
they have been unavail'ng Millions
on millions of acres of land have been
tied up, because nobody was willing
to pay anything for them so long as
the title was in dispute. So it has
come about that some of the best land
of the United States has been quietly
souatted on by men who knew that
it would be years before anybody
could get a title that would be clear
enough to drive them off the soil.
Then, too, a number of very rich cor
porations and individuals have simply
appropriated great blocks of land.
some of them as big as the state of
Connecticut, fenced them in, turned
cattle loose upon them, and are in
virtual possession, practically as
securely as though they had gilt
edged title deeds. These cattle kings
pay no rent, pay no taxes; all is grist
or rather beef that comes to them.
and they are coming money almost
as rapidly and as easily as a mint.
There are two tracts in New Mexico
and three or four in Arizona and no.
body knows how many in more
northerly states and territories. whose
ownership is doubtful, but whose
III coil In,-n
by squatters and cattle men, with no
body to make any protest AS nearly
as it can be estimated the government
has first and last granted about POO
600 600 acres of land to corporations
The finest grant that was given to
any railroad was made to the Illinois
Central early in the fifties 1t is
claimed by men who have made this
subject of public lands study-and
tits q life study-that this grant to
the Illinois Central was almost if not
quite the only one wherein the terms
were made and accepted in good faith
where the conditions were fulfilled as
stipulated, and where both the gov
eminent and the railroad corporation
were benefited precisely as it was pre-
dicted they would be. The building
of that road, which was made possible
by the grant, opened up an immense
country; the price of lands was very
much enhanced and the state Of Hi
nois and indirectly the country de
rived 8 benefit that compensated for the
free gift of these lands beyond the
power of the calculation.
I1,pi,,rr 4Io vxro,, 1,,3lJ,,,o. IS +I,o
Pacific railroad was made possible by
the gifts of colossal tracts of territory,
the three Pacifcs having had in all
somethingli hundred million acres
granted; the Northern Pacific alone
getting over 40 millions. The last
grant of any to the Texas Pacific and
is that which the public lands commit
tee has just reported a bill to forfeit.
Now it is beyond question that many
of these grants were obtained simply
to get the land. That, and not the
railroad, was not the first consider
alton. The passage of some of the
land grant laws was secured by bri-
berry OF that there is no question.
But corrupting as such practices were
the greatest evil that has followed the
system has been that which the bona
fide settler, or the would-be settler has
had to endure, as well as the mixed
and liJigious condition of the title to
colossal tracts of land that are big
enough for empires
Now, if congress will take the bits
in its mouth and bring these blotted
and arrogant monopolies up standing,
the people will rejoice That is what
the resolution passed by the house
last Monday will do. The resolution
thus passed is one of the most impor-
tant on this vital subject proposed in
many years. If the public lands
committee and commissioner of the
land office do their duty as directed
by tie resolution very important and
necessary reforms in the management
of the public lands viii be adopted by
the house. and will probably become
laws in the session.
A RECENTLY MADE STATEMENT
of the land grant business now before
the committee gives the various grants
as they stand on the books of the
committee, and processes to state the
amounts earned by the corporations
by fuIfllment of conditions, and the
amount forfeitable for non-fuliill-
ment as follows:
Texas Pacifc-Grant, 14,309, 700
acres; miles Of road built, none; land
earned, none; forfeitable, all.
Oregon Central-Grant, 2,701, ZOO
acres; miles of road built, 1877; land
earned, 2,000,O 600 acres; forfeitable,
1901, zoo acres.
Ontonogan and state line-Grant,
222, 600 acres; miles of road construct
ed, 20; land earned, none; forfeltable,
all.
California and Oregon and Oregon
and California Grant, 2, 1875, 526 miles
Of road constructed, 1877; land earned,
1852 600 acres; forfeitable, 661, 926
acres
Northern Pacific Grant, As, 215, 040
acres; miles of road constructed at
twenty sections per mile, 22S; at forty
sections per mile, 1876 miles; land
earned. 1865, 200 acres; forfeitable,
u f2Q $40 aorae