The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1890-12-27

Il
state cannot go beycund the telmina
line defining the limits of the forfeited
lands.
4th. Lands within the granted limits
of the NJ. Fl. 81 O. line are not subject
to indemnity selection by this company.
In conclusion the brief says: This
railroad. d.company is entitled to no eliit-
able consideration in the departnl mt.
All that it has a right to ask is that its
bare legal rights, if it has any shall he
recognized. Indeed it might be ques-
toned whether or not tho proviso in
Sec. 2 Of the act OF March 2, 1889, re-
manding the company to the courts or
to q later congress for the assertion of
its rights does uot oust the jurisdiction
of the department over j claims.
At apy rate it has no equities. Over
thirty-four years ago congress made
liberal grants Of the finest timber and
mineral lands in the world in The Upper
Peninsula of Michigan for the purpose
of having railroad lines constructed
and operated th rough that wilderness.
The very condi ion which is now urge 4
as an excuse by this company for not
building and operating its line is what
induced congress to make the grant,
viz: ths fact that the country wa, an
unbr ken wilderness and that tbere was
no business along theDine. It was as n
compensation for this state of things
that these lands were conveyed to the
state. This company has utterly failed
to ccomply with its contract. Instead of
building roaG from Lake Superior, on
the northwest shore of the peninsula, to
connect that isolated part of the country
with therailroad system of Wisconsin,
as it agreed to, it begun ut the village
of Ontonagon and built twelve miles OF
road down into the wilderness. and
then stopped. Not an acre of this rich
country was furnished communication
with the outside world. For six months
in the yeer the birriefs erected by the
ice-bound waters of the lake cut off all
water communication from Ontonagon,
while the wanderer who seeks egress
from that region by means of this sap
erb railroad of which they boast SO
nn6h, is ruthlessly set adrift at the lit
tie village Of Rockland, twelve miles
inlsS kAA1ls3sit to thread lis way
through trackless forests as best he
may with the aid OF compass.
The Upper Peninsula is rich in nat
ural advantages. The soil is fertile and
productive. The forests are the finest
that exist except, perhaps, those Of the
Pacific coast. Its iron and copper de-
posits are the finest in the world. Yet
the homesteaders Of the country, the
hardy pioneers who do so much to
develop the nations wealth and bring
its resources to the light of day, have
been held at bay and refused their
rights. under the laws of the land, in
this part of the public domain, because
it has fallen a prey to land-grabbers,
organized plunderers OF the porperty
of the government, which, it is declared
should be held us SACRED trust for
homeseekers. Surely no part of the
United States has been worse cursed by
land jobs and st ,als than this Upper
Peninsula. What with it's unbuilt
railroads; its obscure path through the
brush and around the big trees, called
military road; its useless canal; the
wicked frauds perpetrated, years ago,
through the guise Of private cash en-.
tries and invalid locations of soldiers
additional scrip, it would seem that
there is but little left for the settlers.
And now that congress, moving tardily
at the demand Of an overwhelming
public sentiment, has mt last do par
tial justice to the public and taken steps
to wrest small portion Of these lands
from the grasp Of ruthless monopoly,
we find these same corporations fight
ing. the execution of the law at every
step and succeeding in preventing the
people from obtaining their just rights
under it, for almost two years Surely,
it h time for the officials OF tho United
States. whose sworn duty it is to en-
force this law, to say to these contract
breakers. stand aside. You have for
feited all claims to consideration under
your broken promises, and now the
settler whom congress has Invited upon
these lands must be heard to assert
their claims and mnst be protected in
their rights.
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