The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-13

Extent to Which the Northern Pacific Com
pany Has Robbed the Public Domain.


WASHINGTON. Oct. 12.-The following has
just been received by Commissioner Sparks:
"RATHDRuM, I. T., Oct. 3. 1885.
ITO the Honorable Commissioner general Of the
Land Office:
'Sir-I have the honor to report that | have
completed the reports in the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company and the Montana Improve
raent Company timber tresspass cases. and
herewith transmit eight reports, making.
with what / have already transmitted,
thirty one separate indictments in ali, showing
that these corporations have caused to be cut
from the public domain 49, 100, 600 feetof lumber
and bridge timber, 3d. 744 railroad ties Is, AGO.
600 shingles (6l6.000 bunches). 80. 035 cords of
wood aud 20. 900 cedar posts, to the value the
lumber. at $40 per 1000 feet, which would be
low figure; the railroad ties at 40 cents per tie:
the wood at So per cord; the posts at 80 cents
per 1000, and the shingles at So per |, 900, or so
cents bunch, which would amount to $0l3. 4O2
This does not represent all the ties and wood cut
for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company by
Eddy, Hammond g. Co., which changed it's
firm name into tho Montana Improvement Com
pany in July, 1888. found it an absolute inn
possibility to get witnesses to testify in those
eases, or even to find persons of whom / could
obtain anything like satisfactory information
Where the depredations were committed
between Rathdrum, l. IT,, and Bear
mouth, NJ. T., is thnly settled
and the men who were employed on the con-
tracts during the construction of the Northern
Pacific railroad have gone to parts unknown
Owing to this it has taken me much longer to
complete this investigation than it otherwise
would. was hampered by officers of the Mon
sana Improvement Company, who appeared to
aspect an investigation, and fortifying
their position. The company had agents along
the line endeavoring to suppress the facts of
the Montana Improvement Company's opera
tons. The company is an INSCRIPTIONS corpora
ton that will leave nothing undone to gain their
point. found that reliance whatever could
be placed upon statements made by officers of
the Montana Improvement Company. / have
mailed you copy, in duplicate, of the contract
between the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
and the Montana improvement Company. 1t
was furnished by A. w. Fairweather, of
Sprague, an ex-division superintendent of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
IN. j. HALEY, Special Timber Agent"
The contract referred to by agent Healey, in
the above report, is between the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, of the first part and
the Montana Improvement Company, of the
second part 1t binds the railroad company to
withdraw all of its timber lands from sale or
disposal, and gives the Improvement company
the exclusive right TO cut timber from the lands.
In return for the privilege. the improvement
company transfers to the railroad company 001
full shares of its capital stock of the value of
800. 100, reserving to itself shares valued at
$999, 900. The Improvement company also agrees
to erect, at its own expense, all mills and furnish
all plant necessary for its business of timber
cutting.