The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-09-15
Michigan Land DecisIop.

respondent concerning the decision o
Hoke Smith In the case Of Amssa Dali,
VS.. The Michigan Land q Iron Co.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.-Iioke Smith
has decided the long awaited Homestead
case OF Amasa Daily against the gian
Michigan Land IL Iron corporation.
Fifteen thousand acres Of land Will
some OF the most valuable of pine tim
Der, either standing or cut under bond
depended on the outcome OF this pro
tracted departmental litigation. Over
81 900, 900 was the value Of the property
involved. Land experts have estimated
the land as averaging nearly 500 per
acre.
Hoke Smith DEGREES that several hun
dred homesteaders shall be turned out Of
doors and the title to the property at
issue snail as matter of law aud justice
be confirmed to Lord Brassey, OF Eng
land, and other millionaire stockholders
OF the Michigan Land Il Iron Co. The
10, 900 acres at issue in the suit are To-
Gated west of L'Anse IN the Upper
Peninsula on the line OF the old nj. Ii. &
0. Railroad. The attorneys for the COM
pany during che argument OF the case
contended that their clients should be
confirmed as innocent purchasers" OF
the old railroad land grant, notwith-
standing that the existence OF statutes
known and read of all men seemed to
initiate against the innocent purchaser
theory. This point seems to have been
the pivotal one on which 1.-THE decision
hinged.
Smith holds that the corporation act
ually were innocent purchasers.
The Michigan Land & lion Co. Is the
corporation OF whose holdings of Upper
Peninsula land the Evening News
printed full page map on Jan last. 1t
is one Of the twin giant land-holding
monopolies OF the state, the other being
the Keewenaw Point Co., limited, sue
cessors to the Portage Lake Ship Canal
Co., and the map was most impressive
object lesson on the success with which
land-grabblng operations have been con-
Quoted In the country north Of the
straits, and the great detriment to the
development of that section Of the state
encountered In the accumulation by
royal domain. The issue of the News
containing the map was inspected with
great Interest by officials OF the general
land Office here, and letters which those
officials have ever since been receiving
show that the serious questions involved
In the retention of these immense hold
ings of land aroused great Interest in
Michigan.
The area of Michigan soil to which
LORD Brassey aud his associates in the
Michigan Land IL Iron Co. lay claim
amounts TO 462, 3S4, ~. 100 acres. or this
amount ii Is charged that 1879, j74 had
been fraudulently goboed, and is illeg-
pany possesses in its great estate we're
derived by the purchase OF the Mar
9uette, Houghton q Ontonagon railroad
grant In 1851. The basis of this grant
was the liberal acts passed by congress
10 1856, granting immense land subsidies
TO aid In the construction OF Upper
Michigan railroads. The Bay de No
luette company, the Marquette d Onto
1agon and the Houghton & 0ntonagon
we're three railroad corporations formed |
'or the purpose OF building lines OF road
md obtaining portion of the lands
lnder the conditions of the grant. The
Bay de NOQuette company built line
rear Lake MichiRamme, and then sus-
pended construction. The two other
In process Vt time CONSOLE
lated and undertook to construct the |
Bay de Noquetto line westward from the |
Joint where construction had terminated.
n May 1872. this consolidated company |
uette concern under the name Of the
iarquette, Houghton q Ontonagon com.
ANY, aud In December of thes year
he line had been completed westward
rom Marquette to L'Anse, patents TO
he lands earned by the construction Of
his amount OF road being issued the
ext year. No construction west OF
iAnse, was completed within the time
init, aud IL was supposed that the
feet of the Michigan forfeiture act OF
$50 was W forfeit all title to the grant
Xcept that portion Of already earned
aud confirmed to the company east OF
iAnse. In accordance with the require
lents of the forfeiture act, the commits
Toner of the land Office caused line
tyled a terminal line-to be drawn on
he plat OF the grant at L'Anse, at right
ngles to the general course OF the last
ompleted section of the road to the east.
his line was supposed to divide the
armed portion from the grant lying to
he westward. All lands to the west
'ard OF this line whether patented to the
abroad company or It's successor OF not,
,ere supposed to have been forfeited and
ra M ptIv eetflab IN hv bcmao dare |