The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-03-18
Michigan Land & Iron Company
Win Victory at WASH
ihgtOn.
ITS TITLE IS CONFIRMED.
10000 Acres Involved
Case will be Appealed to Sec
retary Of the Interior.

The Michigan Land & Iron com
pany has won the victory in the
long fought case brought against it
by the settlers. The following re-
garding the case is reproduced
from the Mining Journal. 1t will
be found OF interest to many people
in this county: N
This relates TO something over
&c, 900 acres of lands claimed by the
company, the title to a considerable
portion of which has been question
ed by the United States and all of
which has been lattacked by parties
seeking to acquire the title from the
United States. These lands, to-
gether with something over 400, 900
acres more, were lands granted by
congress to aid in the construction
of certain railroads in the upper
peninsula and were purchased by
the Michigan Land & Iron Co. from
the Marquette, 'Houghton & Onton-
agon Railroad company in 1881
SKETCH OF TnR DISPUTE.
The history of the land grant and
the controversy arising over these
lands is, briefly, as follows:
June 3, 1856, congress granted to
the state of Michigan to aid in the
construction of certain railroads in
this state, and, among others, u rail
road from Little Bay de Noquet to
Marquette, and one from Marquette
TO Ontonagon, the alternate odd
numbered sections within six miles
on each side of the lines of such
roads when located, and provided
that, ito when the lines of these
roads should be definitely fixed, any
Of the lands in odd numbered sec
tions within six miles on either side
of the roads had been in any way
disposed of by the United States,
sufficient land to make up the de-
ficiency might be selected outside OF
the six mile limits, and within tif-
teen miles on either side of the re-
spective roads.
March 3, 1868, congress granted
to these roads an additional quanti-
ty of four sections per mile, to be
selected within twenty miles on
either side of the lines of these roads
The selections. under both grants,
were to be subject to the approval
of the secretary of the interior.
The grant for the Bay de Noquet
& Marquette railroad was conferred
by the legislature of the state upon
that railroad company, which com
pany constructed twenty miles of
road, and the road was duly accept
ed.
The grant for the Marquette &
Ontonagon railroad was conferred
upon the Marquette & Ontonagon
Railroad company, which company
constructed twenty miles of the
road between Marquette and Onton.
agOn, commencing at point near
the Lake Superior mine and extend.
ing westerly to a point on the south
shore of Lake Michigamme. The
company failed to construct any
more OF the road and in 1871 the
grant for the remainder of the road
between Marquette and Ontonagor
was declared forfeited and was con
| ferrAd upon new corporation
known as the Houghton q Ontona
gon Railroad company.
This latter company was author
lied by act of congress to make a re.
survey of that portion of the road
to be constructed by it, and it did
survey a new line, commencing at a
point on the road already construct.
ed by the Marquette & Ontonagon
Railroad company, near Champion,
and extending westerly and north
westerly, north of Lake Michigan.
me, to L 'Anse. This portion of the
road was constructed and completed
about the end of the year 1872.
Shortly before this time the Bay de
Noquet g. Marquette Railroad com
pany, the Marquette & Ontonagon
Railroad company and the Houghton
g. Ontonagon Railroad company all
became consolidated into one cor
poration, known as the Marquette,
Houghton & Ontonagon Railroad
company.
These several portions of railroad
we're accepted as completed by the
governor of this state, who was
authorized by an act of congress to
accept the same. Portions of the
lands within the fifteen and twenty.
mile limits OF these roads had been
selected, and had been certified and
approved by. the secretary OF the in.
terror prior to the completion OF the