Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-04-18
ANOTHER LAND GRAB
or SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRES
JUST DISCOVERED.
How the Northern Pacific Survey ed Thres
Routes in Washington Territory and
Helped Itself to the Choicest
Land-Sparks' Hopeless Task.

WASHINGTON, April Is. ---Gen Sparks has
issued another important order In the land
Office, making another strike at the corpora,
tions which have for 20 many years con
trolled the land Office. The Northern Pacific
railroad has had number Of friends In the
land Office and through these friends it has
had unusual privileges granted to it under
the land grant given to this road by congress-
The original grant directed that alternate
sections, to the W idth Of twenty miles in the
states and forty miles in the territories on
each side of its line, should be given to this
road When the officers of the road came to
have it surveyed they ran through number
of lines In some cases they made two, In
others three They did not decide at once
which one would be left as the permanent
line. Their friends in the land office per-
mitted them to reserve from entry and pub
lie settlement lands lying along the surveyed
lines. In some cases public lands 100 miles
wide along the line Of this road were kept out
of the market. In some cases there were al
ready settlers upon the public lands be-
fore congress gave the grant to this railroad.
This was particularly true in the states The
road sometimes found itself unable to take up
an entire section in places where the law in
tended them to 60 because other settlers had
been'in advance OF them. To meet this the
friends Of the railroad in the land Office is
sued an order giving them the power Of in
Identifying themselves for such loss. This
order permitted the railroad officials to go
outside Of the grant and locate where they
pleased a corresponding number OF acres to
those already taken up. Under this power
the railroad company has picked out the
cream of all the lands lying along the numer-
Gus lines which they have located. The road
has never confined itself to the grant along
its finally fixed line. To what an extent the
government has been defrauded in this way
cannot be told without a special investiga-
ton
An incident which occurred in the land
office illustrates something Of the methods of
the officials of this road and how they have
oeen hitherto IA vored by the land Office dur
ing the short time that the land Office was in
the hands of the assistant commissioner,
Harrison. Tho agents of the railroads ap-
pear to have enjoyed wonderful success A
week or ten days ago Gen. Sparks discovered
an order of Harrison's exempting 600, 900
acres from Mr.. Lamar's order throwing open
she forfeited Texas Pacific grant to public
entry That matter he was able to reach in
lime to prevent any harm being DONE He
'oupd another order which startled him on
account of the length Of time which had
Elapsed since it had been issued This order
effect presented to the Northern Pacific
railroad over 100000 acres of the richest
ands in Washington territory. He tele-
yraped to all the land offices in Washington
erritory revoking the order He did this
Tor tho purpose Of catching hold of the swim
lie if possible, but he fears that the land
nay have been sold before his order reached
hese Offices. Once the land is sold and in
he hands of innocent parties it il very diff
.ult to right such q stupendous fraud as was
'erpetrated in this order four days before
fr. Sparks obtained control Of the Office.
The way the matter was brought about was
his: The Northern Pacific railroad has sur
Keyed three lines in Washington territory,
md has kept the land bordering upon these
mrveys as usual out of the public market as
ong as possible Five years ago it definitely
coated its line after having picked out the
,est lands along the three lines. The location
If its final line was determined according to
he usage of the land office during the last
wenty years. This line runs through the
'ich valley which is tributary to the -four
shing city OF Walla Walla. The railroad
company has had no difficulty in selling the
and in this valley, as it is very desirable
South of its definite location the country has
,een settling very rapidly. The railroad,
vish its indefinite lines, has claimed nearly
he entire country. 1t Ats sold. number Of
ands outside of the limos Of it's definite loca-
ion in this valley. In the settlement Of this
country these lands have become SO valuable
hat the railroad company has been anxious
% change its location again SO as to take in
n l. l. -.
las at least 10000 acres more. In the alb
ence of any responsible head in the land Of
Ice it found the subordinates there very
wiling to further its schemes. The acting
and commissioner addressed very blind,
misleading letter to Secretary Lamar, and
old him that serious question had arisen
Washington territory as to the exact boun-
laries of the grant of the Northern Pacific
lie said that the innocent settlers lad oGr-
chased OF the railroad company and we're
low informed that the company had no au-
hority to transfer titles. In the names OF
hese poor innocent settlers Mr.. Harrison
lsked for authority to correct the lines. Mr..
Lamar treated the subject as a mat
er belonging to the land Office, and
directed the acting commissioner to
AXE such action as was proper and
n accordance with the rules of the
,fiice. He supposed from the case as stated
hat it was mere mathematical question
Under this general direction Mr.. Harrison
iAd the audacity to issue an order transfer
ing the location Of the line after it had been
definitely located for five years south SO as to
AXE in 600, 900 acres of new land. When
Mr.. Sparks discovered this he went at once
% Secretary Lamar. The secretary was
rery indignant He directed the commits
ioner to revoke the order at once and take as
witt steps as possible to catch up with the
mischief already done. The former order
will be issued. What the commissioner fears
that the ring Of officials has gone ahead
md with the connivance Of the land officials
N the territory obtained possession Of these
ands so as to sell them to some OF its friends,