Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-30
1 TALK WITH v. 4. MILLS.
rrL1Na UP LAND COMPLICATIONS
OF The CENTRAL PACIFIC.
The Chicago Worlds Fair-The Exhibit
tfon Likely to be Located on
the Lake Front.
Isan Francisco Alta, june 18th. ]

the Like IOuts
ISan Francisco Alta, June 29th.]
w. II. Mills. Land Agent of the Central
Pacific, returned to the city yesterday, hav-
ing been absent in the East since the Sd of
the present month. An Alta reporter
called on him last evening at his residence
with view to ascertaining what his in..
pressions were ebout what he had seen esd
what was being done toward preparing for
the Worlds Fair in Chicago. Mr.. Mills
welcomed the reporter in his usual cordial
manner, and in response to the verious
questions pat to him said IN substance as
follows: ~My principal object ia going
East-next to taking my family on visit
to relatiyes-was to settle some laad mat
tiers that have long needed adjustment be.
tween the Government, settlers or railroad
lands end the railroad company, growing
out Of the fact that since the grants of
lands to the different compaGies settlers
have IN certain instances settled upon
them and obtained patents from the Gov
eminent TO which the companies had 8
prior right. AS the matter is of public in
terest l Will premise by seying that the
first Act of Congress granting public lands
in aid of the construction of railways and
telegraph Enes from the Missouri river to
the Pacific ocean was passed in 1862 and
amended in 1864. These Acts provided
that as soen as the line of a railroad had
been determined upon and the maps filed,
every alternate odd.numbered section of
land should vest in the railroad, subject to
forfeiture for failure to comply with the
Acts Of Congress.
mo provision was made in these Acts to
preserve the rights of the people who had
settled on the odd-numbered sections until
1874, when an Act was passed entitled
@AnAc for the Relief of Settlers on Rail-
road Lands The settlers in many in
stances had paid their money and OBJ
tanned patents for their lands, but could get
no'redress from the Government, and vet
the railroad company had the prior title
and could claim their property, together
with all their improvements. Com mis-
sioner Sparks, of the Land Office, refused
toenforce the Act. 1t was to endeavor to
adj st these matters that went to Wash
ington.
las case in point, may state that the
Cache valley lands, in Utah, contained
about 5000 acres of valuable lands, which
were settled after the railroad company's
title had accrued, and the settlers had OBJ
tanned patents upon them. The Central
Pacific Company went into Court in four
cases, and the Territorial Courts held that
the patents had been granted by mad
vertence, and that the Government had no
title when it conveyed. This left not only
the title to the property, but all the i'm
provements, in the railroad company. l
called the attention of the Directors of the
company to the Act of 1874, for the relief
of settlers which provided that in cases
where the company would relinquish its
rights, where settlement had already been
made, the company might take alternate
tracts in even-numbered grants, even
though they might be less valuable. There
were great many such cases.
Il went provided with letters to Secretary
Noble of the Interior, Commissioner Croft
and Deputy Commissioner Stone, and re-
ceived much attention. Judge Grof was
for many years on the bench in Nebraska
and familiar with land matters, and saw
the importance of the matter at once At
ter long session with him he assured me
all such cases should be preferred cases.
Secretary Noble, whom l found to be a
courtly gentleman. also assured me the set
tiers and the railroad companies should
have their rights adjusted without delay.
The day following my interview presented
the cases in :, 200 acres in which the settlers
are anxious to have their rights adjusted
and others will be presented as they come
up. Forty thousand acres are involved in
Utah alone, and within the limits of the
Central Pacific grant no less than 100000
acres are involved.
Speaking of politics" said he, while in
Washington I saw many Californians-
Colonel Markham, Congressman Morrow,
Clunie and others. Mr.. Morrow had re-
ceived many letters from all over the State,
and he, as well as Colonel Markham, both
considered themselves as good as NOM
mated for Governor. Congressman Clunie
had large Senatorial bee in his bonnet and
was quite happy in consequence.
Il was much pleased with the favor with
which California fruit was received, and
my only regret was that inferior fruits
being sent East. | saw Royal Ann cherries
sell at s. so per box, or fifty cents per
pound, and thought how happy the pro-
ducer would be if he could get the price
the consumer paid. The fruit crop is a
failure ell over the East, and California
fruit ought to bring good prices. found
that the tide of immigration was setting to-
ward the Northwest, and that much money
was being sent there to build up enter
prises. From talking with people whom
saw | found that there were two great OBJ
stacles TO the settlement of California, the
first the cost of getting here, and the second
the high price of land here.
II found that the city of Washington
had grown greatly within the past five
years. New York / found phenomenally
great, barring climate. While there l ad
justed some matters, as President of the
California Associated Press in the way of
renewing contracts with the telegraph
companies. at Chicago l was we'll re-
ceived, having letters from Mayor Pond to
Mayor Cregier, which placed me on proper
terms with him. | found there were
three sets of men who were anxious about
the location of the Worlds Fair-the one
who controlled sufficient property near
Jackson Park, seven miles oct, the other
owning property near Lincoln Park, five
miles away, and the third, the distinctly
business men, who favored the lake front.
/ think the latter will be successful.
my opinion is the fair should have
been held in Washington, because l found
that the Chicagons were treating it as a
proprietary matter and referred TO it as the
Worlds Fair of Chicago. and net.Gt Chi
cago. N endeayoring for space ! sug-
gestsd ten acres for the horticultural ex-
hibit of California, but was told we could
not get more than three. Then / asked for
the privilege of setting out trees, shrubs,
oranges, ETC., along the avenues. which was
acceded to. Notwithstanding the discour-
agement, the fair will be of the highest
possible advantage to California, and we
ought 10 make large ana proper exhibit
Chicago's bray and conceit have somewhat
cooled the ardor of the cities east of Buffalo
and there is much apathy just now in the
New England States, and it will require
much to warm them up. There has been
no such cordissity from the East as fren
California, and Chicagoans feel kindly to-
ward rs as matter of course. When
was met with the charge that Californis