St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-02
Orders Of Eviction From the
Great Northern on Red
River Lands.
Settlers on 0dd-Numbered
Sections Ordered to Get OF
by Dec. is.
Mass Meeting of Land Owners
to Convene at Grand Forks
Dee. IL.
Bills to Ee Introduced in Con-
gresS for the Relief OF
Settlers.
Special TO the Glohe

Special to the Globe.
PEMBINA, y. ID. Dee. 1.-There is the
most intense excitement throughout
the Red river valley over the order just
issued by the Great Northern Railway
company, warning farmers to vacat e
lands belonging to the company by Dec.
ID. The farmers of the Red river valley
have been in litigation. and recently a
decision adverse TO the settlers was rem
dered by the supreme court;
but it was generally understood
that compromise would be
reached by which the railway could Sc
cure indemnity lands III some other
quarter. The holders of the property,
many of them in possession of it for
years. declare that they will not leave it
alive. There is really grave danger of
blOodshed unless the railway recedes
from its position. The notice is issued
over the signature of N. d. Grover, gen
eral solicitor of the road. Evictions are
only directed against owners of odd
numbered sections within the twenty
mile indemnity land grant limit.
The railroad claims include the richest
portion of the Red river valley lands
that have been duly patented by the
government. A meeting of property
holders interested will be held al Grand
FORKS Dec. II. Attorneys assert that
the railroad company has no claim to
the lands filed upon by settlers prior to
1877. 1t seems that the claim is based
upon
The Old Land Grant
of 1857, when Dakota was a part OF the
Territory of Minnesota, which granted
every alternate section of land to aid in
the construction of the railroad. When
Minnesota was admitted into the Union
in 1873, and the boundary between Min
neSota and Dakota was established, the
country along the Red river was still an
unknown wilderness, and remained so
for many years. Up to Dec. %. 1890, it
was taken tor granted as a matter of
course by the land department of the
United States government, by the peo-
pie who settled that country, and also
by the railroad company. that the land
grant did not extend west of the Red
RI yer. On that date, however, there
was in the supreme, court of the United
States decision by Justice L. O. c.
Lamar in the now famous case of the
st. Paul, Minneapolis & Mani
toba Railway Company against
Ransom Phelps, wherein occurred
a dictum, not really necessary to the
disposal of the case in hand, but which,
if carried out TO its logical conclusion.
could have no other effect than to eStab-
lish and confirm the title of the railway
company TO about $4,000 acres of land
along the left bank of the Red river,
now worth from $50 to $50 per acre.
That decision came
Like a Clap of Thunder
from clear sky. and was as great a
surprise 10 the railway company as it
was to the set leTs themselves. MANY of
whom had resided on the land for
twenty years. and all OF whom held
patents under the great seal, and signed
by successive presidents of the United
States from Grant TO Harrison.
Under resolution of the SEN
ate passed at the last session,
authorizing the same, the secre-
tary of the interior has been CORE
spending with the railway company
with view to having the lands relin-
pushed TO the settlers and authorizing
the railway company to select in lieu
thereof other public lands.
NJ. y. johnson, congressman for
North Dakota, telegraphed today for
the benefit of farmers whose homes are
in jeopardy, as follows:
Il had long conference with the Sec
Rotary of the interior on the subject to-
day, and he authorized me to saw to set
tiers that the executive department was
doing all in its power TO protect them
and prevent injustice to all parties. and
that he entertained very strong hope
that the matter could be adjusted with
out resort to
Expensive Litigation,
evictions or other harsh measures. He
told me that Vice President Clough, of
the Great Northern, in an informal
way, had expressed the Willingness of
the company TO relinQdish all title to
these lands on receiving authority from
congress to select indemnity lands else
where in the public domain. 1t is my
purpose to introduce bill in congress
at the very earliest opportunity, author
iZing such REIMBURSEMENT and a new
selection"
1t is understood also that Senator
Casey, early in the session of congress,
Will introduce the matter in the senate
with some sort Of a measure that will
secure to the railway company the
equivalent Of any interest they may
have in the lands claimed, and at the
same time protect the settlers In the
possessions OF their farms.