The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-10-27
Communication.

/ the Northern Pacific railroad, that the
railroad company, which enjoys every
protection and privilege enjoyed BY pri-
vate individuals, under the lBws of this
Territory should be required to pay taxes
on all surveyed lands, just The same as a
private individual or settler. This has
been accomplished, and the assessor of
Gallaiin county has been furnished a
list by the Land Commissioner of the
Northern Pacific railroad company of all
| the lands in the county of Gallatin,
amounting to e56,325 acres, upon
which that company will pay into the
county treasury the round sum of SILL
$50 on lands assessed to this date, Oct.
18th, 1856. and lie is constantly finding
tracts of land that have been sold to
non residents and others under contract
and for which the railroad company have
given no deeds. These lands the Land
Commissioner has not listed, as no deeds
have passed, there is nothing of record
even to show to whom these lands
should be assessed, therefore the assess
or must hold the railroad company for
the taxes. By the time such lands have
ali been looked up and assessed, the total
amount paid into the county treasure by
the railroad company well amount to
S13, 500 dollars, which will amount to
! fully one fifth of all the taxable proper
in the county, and the railroad company
will therefore actually pay one-fifth of
the actual running expenses of Gallatin
county, and cannot every voter see the
pfl, ct o: this righteous law on the edu-
cational facilities Of Galatin county.
Do YOU not see that the increased school
fund will amount to between three and
five dollars for every child of school age
in the county? This is particularly adj
vantageous in sparsely settled school dis
tricts, where it has heretofore been very
| difficult to raise a sufficient school fund
to run your schools even three months
without a special levy. BY the aid of
of this law you will be able to continue
even in small districts, your schools two
months longer. from the revenue derived
from the assessment of the railroad lands
alone. Thus it is that every man or
woman who is taxpayer, is actually
affected as an individual. The assessed
valuation thus increase will enable the
commissioners to make lower levy and
instead of 10 mills on the dollar, which
is the levy this year, the levy can be re-
duced to II mills, or ~ at the outside;
end as these railroad lands are surveyed
from wear to year, the amount of
their taxes will increase. Under this
condition of affairs is it prudent or safe
to send Col. Sanders, to congress; who is
known to be the paid attorney of this
same company whose interest it is to have
this law repealed, ana event if he could
not secure the repeal of this law, he
could prevent appropriations from being
made for surveys and thus prevent any
increasd in the taxable lands of the com
pany, and thereby greatly retard the
growth and Development Of the Terrific
ry, which would affect government lands
also.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC
railroad company state in their late cir
GUAR that they have over nineteen mil;
lion acres of land in the territory Of
Montana, and of this amount five mil
lion acres are surveyed, on which this
company will be forced to pay taxes this
year The railroad company are now
making a strong and noticeable effort to
sell these lands to actual settlers, which
Is one of the important features of this
law, for while they could hold these
lands without taxation, the value being
increased from year to year BY the i'm
provement of adjoining lands, upon
which actual settlers were building
hous es, they did not care to sell them,
but as soon as they find that they are
placed on the same basis as the actual
settler, they are willing to sell at reason
able prices.
The people of GallatIn county are GER
tainly well advised of the past methods
employed by the Northern Pacific rail-
read company, and certainly know this
company. or its managers have shown
bv their acts that they have total and
absolute disreeard for the private rights
of private citizens. For instance, and to
show the grasping spirit of this great
corporation and how little they Gaze for
the rights Of the individual settler, we
herewith present an extract of deed
now on record at Bozeman, for a piece
of land purchased by Rudolf Voeel Esq.
Of Bozeman, from the railroad company
and for which he paid $50. per acre and
ou.ht at least to be entitled to a deed
instead of the worthless instrument Civ
en- him by the railroad company.
"ReseFving and excepting therefrom,
however. :. strip of land extending
through the same (or as much of such
strip of land as p1ay be within said de-
scribed premisesJ of the width of 400
feet. that is, 200 feet OF. !each side of the
center line of the Northern Pacific rail-
road, or Of any branch or other railroad
operated or to be operated in whole or
in part by the said party of the first
rart, to he used for right of way or other
railroad purposes, in case the line of
said Northern Pacific railroad or OF such
branch or other railroad has been or
shall be located on, or over, or within
eco foet of said described premises, and |
also reservIng and excepting from said
described premises so much and such |
parts thereof as are or may be mineral
lands, or contain coal or iron, and also
the use and the right and title to the use
OF such surface ground as may be neces-
sary for mining operations, and the
right of access to such reserved and ex-
repted mineral land, including lands
coal or iron, for the purpose
of exploring, developing snd working
he same, and also reserving the right to
AXE water from, over or through the
;aid described premises, for the use of
he said party of the first part, its sue
,essors and assigns.
Together with all and singular the
enements, hereditaments and aIpurten-