The record-union., 1893-11-24
ASKSA WRONG TO BE RIGHTED.
LETTER FROM C. p. HUNTINGTON
TO SECRETARY II. SMITH.
Request For Some Action by the In
terror Department For the Re-
lief of Holders of Land.
to the REcoRp-UN1oN.

Special to the RECORD-UNION.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23-The following
letter has been received from G. p. Hunt
ington by the Secretary of the Interior.
AT this moment it is of great interest to
that official and recites matters of con-
siderable importance to the people of
California:
Hon. Hoke lSDaath, Secretary of the IN
terror, Washington, ID. C.-DEAR SIR:
am in receipt almost daily of either
clippings from newspapers or personal
letters on the subject of the lands lying
along the Southern Pacific Railroad of
California, now occupied by settlers, who
have taken possession thereof in con-
formity with sales made to them by the
United States Government. Will the
honorable Secretary excuse an intrusion
upon his valuable time and permit me,
with great respect, to call his attention to
the facts concerning the present state of
affairs, and to urge upon him, in the in
terest of simple justice, some action for
the relief of innocent holders of land?
In 1866 the United States granted cer-
tain lands to aid in building railro oad
from point on the Colorado River to San
Francisco (see Section Is of the Act of the
Atlantic and Pacific RailroadsCompany
of 1866 relative to the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company of California;. l
think no one has ever doubted the wis
dom of this grant, lnasmuch as it effected
the building of the road at that time and
made it possible, by means of the trans
portation facilities thus provided, for the
farmers to market their produce, which
could not otherwise have been done, and
also made it feasible for the Government
TO sell the even-numbered sections, not
granted, for 81 80 per acre, which was
double the price asked by the Govern
plent for the same, or similar lands, with
out those facilities.
It is fact that anterior to the construc-
ton of the Southern Pacific Railroad
these lands could not have been sold for
81 25 per acre, while to-day, with the
transportation facilities afforded by that
road and necessary irrigation they are
selling at from S25 to 500 per acre.
IN the face of these facts the United
States Government gave notice to settlers
that they could occupy these lands that
had already been granted to the railroad
company, and in conformity with such
notification the settlers purchased their
homes and paid their hard-earned money
to the Government.
road company an appeal to the United
States Courts, which decided that the land
belonged to the railroad company and not
to the Government. The railroad COM
pany having already mortgaged these
lands in order to raise the necessary
money to aid in completing the railroad,
as it had right to do. of course had to
sell the bonds, which are widely scattered
not only over this country, but through
Western Europe.
The builders of the road, IN addition to
the funds realized from the sale of the
bonds, put large sums of money into the
share capital of the company to make up
the amount necessary before the road
could be completed, and they have not,
up to this time, received any returns for
the money invested in the shares.
] have written this letter to the honor
able Secretary more particularly to say
that the builders of the Southern Pacific
Railroad have made no money out of its
construction. If they had, l would be
willing, and would so advise my associ-
ates, to give back to the settlers their
hard-earned and honestly paid-Out
money, which was wrongly accepted by
the Government in payment for land to
which it had no right or title under its
own laws.
The writer we'll knows how hard it is to
earn money in farming, and what self
denial and economy are necessary in Or
der to lay aside any considerable portion
of it, for his early years were spent in
cultivating the soil; and the hardship that
results from the loss OF savings acquired
by such long continued and patient effort
is correspondingly severe.
1t IS because / realize this hardship and
injustice to innocent settlers that inter-
cede with the Government for the return
of this money to them.
1t is not merely my duty, but pleasure
to do SO, more particularly as | feel sure
that the Honorable Secretary of the In
terror Department will right the wrong
that has been committed by returning to
these hard-working farmers the money
that is justly due them; or, in case there
is no money in the Interior Department
that can be used for this purpose, that
you will do all you can to induce Con-
gress to make at the earliest possible mo-
ment an appropriation of money that
shall be applied to the reimbursement
of settlers for the loss of land to which,
through no fault of their own. they never
had or could have title from the Govern
ment. Very truly,
G. P. HUNTINGTON.