Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1885-11-07
SETTLERS ~ NORTH LOCISE
Ana.


most earnestly and stren""u~'E
that the bona fde settlers on the
lands in North Louisiana. to winch
the Vicksburs Shreveport n Pa
cifc Railroad is now laying clam
anler and oil Srant, should be pro
tected and maintained III the pos
session of the farms they have es-
tablshcl and built up. They are
entitled Ia them 10y every Punciiir 4,
of Justice au,. equity; they establish
ed themselves there IN good faith III
- .ircc when the railroads. cIaijH~
were believed to have lapS"d, aud II
il TO their industry and energy that
these farms owe their pres .
value. They found them wi!d'r-
ness and converted them into clNl-
lization and cultivation.
Hence, III whatever arrangement
or agreement that may be mlue
relative TO the railroads land graft
the Times Democrat has emphatic
ally insisted that these settlers should
be protected;aud maintained IN pos
session oftheir farms, and the rail
road compensated otherw Sc by tie
grant of lands elsewhere. These
farmers are entitled to their places
because they have followed all the
provisions of the land law necessary
for them to acquire possession of
them, and because they have made
them valuable; they are entitled to
them as natural right and therefore
the compromise which has more
than once been proposed, and is even
now being suagested again, whereby
they are t. hold the land from the
railroad by paying o3 per acre, Is not
to lie encouraged or even thought
of.
The Investigations recently made
of the subject by the Times Demo- rat
shows that this compromise is entire
" unnecessary, aud that all bona tide
and legitimate settlers on lands i'll
cluGcd within the railroad grants can
easily make the titles ABSOLUTELY Sc
cure. All those, Of course who es-
tablished themselves on these claims
previous to 1857, when the grant
was made to the rail- ,ad, are natural
Unprotected, being specially exemp-
ted by itsprovisiors. Claims Of this
kind can he presented noE. MS well
as thirt ySsnsasc, and the land Of
fee will, onAppeal, confsm all such
prescriptions and homesteaes- Oh
those who entered lands since 1855
when the time Of the grant had OK
PRED AMI when it was supposed thai
it was forfeited, there Were two class
es-those who had taken the precau
ton of entering their claims and hay
ing them recognized in the Lane
Office, and those who have not dom
90. The first class are thorough,
guaranteed by'an act of Congress o
1876 from the interfe ence of tn
railroad; while the others can by act
ing promptly in the matter, secur
protection for themselves. If the,
immediately present their Claims an'
secure the approval ofthe Land Offic
to their entries before Congress
takes any action on the railroa
grant they will be safe; but if the
postpone action, and the railroa
should i'll the meantime be reinstate
in its grant before their entries al
perfected and made good, they Wi
be without protection and will hav
to make, some compromise with th
company. They have a remed,
therefore, of which they ought
avail themselves and which will col
firm them in possession of their farm
Thus protected by an act of Consre
they are safe against all interference
and there is, consequently, no reasc
why they should agree to compromi