The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-27

great ornamental gates leading to West
minister Hall had been thrown to the
ground, and the windows on the north
and south sides of the immense building
had been blown to atoms. The leather on
the seats in the building had been cut and
torn, and the horse-hair stutfing was scat
tered in every direction. The great win
dow over the entrance to Westminster
Hall was shattered to fragments, and the
floors were covered with broken glass and
masonry. The lobby of the House of Com
mons in the Parliament building was com
pletely destroyed. The strangers gallery
was thrown down A chip was taken from
the speakers chair, and Mr.. Gladstone's 8
chair was in splinters The western ex-
tremity of the building WAS complete
wreck.
But the tower was the most perfect ex-
ample of the power of dynamite. The
doors were completely destroyed. The ex.
plosive substance had played mad pranks
with the many hundred stands of arms,
twisting the rifles into the most fantastic
shapes, and scattering them into wild con-
fusion.
Londoners who heard the explosion de-
scribe it as most terrific 1t was an awful
shock, striking at the heart of English
pride and power. and resounding through
every land and cline with warning notes.
Returning to Blue Ridge the details of
the explosion were commented upon at
great length. Each guest had some theory
to advance as to what would come next,
and why this atrocious crime had been
perpetrated.
"It all comes from this cOnfOunded agita-
ton that Patnell is keeping up" said the
duke, as we were enjoying a comfortable
half-hour by ourselves in his rooms
II do not believe Parnell is to blame.
The Irish people think they can only OBJ.
tain hearing in some such way. If En-
land would deal candidly with the Irish
people as she does with Canada and her
other colonies, men would never resort to
such desperate means.'
Talking about that explosion yet?" ex-
claimed Colonel Haynes, as he came into
the room. ''Pm glad my home is not in
England"
You'll be having the same trouble in
the United States before long | said, eff
your careless way of disposing OF public
lands continues"
II did not know we were careless. Our
laws are liberal but well Defined" said the
colonel. mo one can buy our lands of
the government in large tracts, and the
great West is reserved by homestead and
pre-emption laws for actual settlers only
Surely that is a safe policy"
'Ha, ha," laughed the duke. care you
an American and know 50 little of the do
ings in your own country? Why, own an
estate or ranch, as it is called there, larger
than any one man owns in England; all in
one body, too! And surrounded by barb
wire fence, that is proof against every
thing, even your boasted homestead and
pre-emption la'vs!'
How did you get t." asked the colonel,
amazed.
'Why, | bought alternate sections of
railroad lands, and then sent in different
names as settlers to enter pre-emption,
homestead and timber claims to secure the
government sections"
But they must be different men, pro-
tested the colonel. 'One man can pre-
empt only eighty acres, or, if soldier, one
hundred and sixty. So, how could you get
IL whole section"
''Oh | see you are not politician said
the duke, much amused. "You have not
yet learned the ropes, as they say in your
country.''
NO confess an not initiated" said
the colonel
''1ou seem to know the workings of the
ring | said turning to the duke.
Yes, l was interested. Many of the
politicians in America, as elsewhere, allow
gold coin to cover doubtful points. If
you should go to Washington and examine
the records, you would, if you could trace
it out, find millions of acres held by ticti-
ciOus names. Then, too, the railroads.
large as their grants have been, have near
ly doubled their lands when sold. Here is
q statement which / received from a friend
of mine at Washington, that will prove
what say is true" he said, taking a pa
per out of his pocket and laying it on the
table where we could examine it. ''There,
you see the railroads claim to have grants
amounting 70 297, 100000 acres; while by
ascertainiDg what the different roads have
actually earned, we find it to be less than
one-fourth % their claims. That is a grand
success, you see, for the railroads.
II do not see how that is possible" said
the colonel, when their grants are de-
fined by metes and bounds"
''They are defined on the maps, but
when the lands are surveyed they exceed
the limits from 800 to 600 acres to the mile
The reports say you have 10000 miles OF
completed railroads. An average of five
hundred acres to the mffe gives a total
gain to the corporations of some 10000, COO
acres more land than they have any right
to. So it is stated in your official reports
from the land office in Washington Be-
sides that there are immense ul1antitiaS Of
lands claimed along lines that are not
built, and that cannot now be built under
the laws making these grants, yet the co..
porations claim the lands and are selling
them as fast as they can"
Now do not wonder where the wealth
that seems to flow in upon the railroad
corporations comes fron,' said the colo
mel. II can now see how men can become
milliOnaires in so short q time"
''Yes, tlSlt is grand" said |. "The gov
eminent makes donations to corporations
to build railroads. They double the gift,
then charge the people exorbtant rates for
the roads,
"Waverland, you are slightly sarcastic" :"
said the duke.
"Well, it seems to me that people are
very ignorant or very careless to allow
such schemes to flourish said |.
"It would be hard work for men like Jay
f1,a vi, I,,,