People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-03-09
MUSSEL SLOUGH.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC WANTS
MORE SETTLERS OUSTED.
An Old Land Grant Revive d After
Quarter OF a Century OF Allegiance by
the COrporation-win Law Defend
This Outrage Against the People?
(The Oakland, Cal, Citizen.)

SOlIlS L. huntington anu MS doSO-
ciates in the control of the Southern
Pacific railroad company OF Ken
lucky, aided by their great and good
friend, Grover l, dictator Of these
United States, are endeavoring to
consummate the most atrocious scheme
of robbery ever devised in civilized
community. 1t carried to successful
issue, as the corporation management
now believes to be possible, aided by
servile courts and a complaisant ad-
ministration, settlers who have staked
their future happiness and the life
fortunes of their families upon the
guarantee OF patent of the United
States government, bearing the broad
seal of the nation, will be rendered
landless and outcasts, wanderers on
the face Of the earth, that the grasp
ing corporation may satisfy the crav-
ings of its cormorant appetite for
more land. The story is this;
The land department of the South
ern Pacific railroad company of Ken
lucky, which, by tie way does the
bulk of its business 10 California, re-
Gently served notice upon a large
number of ranchers in the vicinity of
Mussel slough, demanding that pos
session of their ranches should be i'm
mediatelY transferred to the agents
of the kentucky corporation.
The corporation bases its claim upon
the act of congress of July 81, 1866,
and also upon the act Of withdrawal
from entry OF the secretary OF the in
terror of March 10, 1867.
Section of the act Of 1865 provides
that there shall be granted to the
Kentucky corporation ten alternate
sections in each mile on either side Of
its track. II prior to the fling Of the
map of the line of the road any Of
these alternate sec. ons have been dis
posed Of by the government, then the
Kentucky corporation had the privi'
lege under the direction Of the secre
tary OF the interior" to select other
lands in lieu thereof m alternate sec
tions within ten miles Of such limits.
The lands in question near Mussel
slough Hateful name in California,
land history are a portion of these
odd numbered sections The Ken
lucky corporation filed its map June
3, 1867, but made no attempt to selec'
its lands until March 20, 1881, twenty
four years later. During this periot
hundreds of settlers filed entries
located upon and received patents o
: their claims from the United State
and wi b strong tise from the bas
CT all titles to real property, slep
soundly in the ',,cGr::y that no litiga
ton could possibly disturb RICH
guaranteed By the federal govern
r ment
Section 6 OF the act referred to says
"The odd sections of land here5
granted shall not be liable to sale
entry or presumption. The Ken
lucky corporation claims that this il
4 cluees all odd nuN'.ered sections.
n number of the settlers after lookin
e at their patents had a more or les
happy thought They wrote a stat,
ment of the case that would fill tw
e columns of the Citi.en and forwarde
!, it to President Cleveland. They r,
e ceiv d in return a four-line answe
y from his private secretary Stain
b that be had referrsd the matter to tn
,. interior department.
IS The settlers, n sw prosperous rancl
ers, purchased the lands u thu 60