The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-03-18

aid in the construction OF q railroad
from Ontonagon to the Wisconsin
state line and were within the six
mile limits OF the line of that road,
and having been appropriated for
the construction OF the railroad
from Ontonagon to the Wisconsin
state line il was held they could not
lawfully be selected and certified Tor
the construction OF the road from
Marquette to Ontonagon. The MGR
igan Land & Iron company, now
ever, in it's application for patents
for these lands, claimed, first, that
Ne title to these lands was confirm
ed to il as u bona-tide purchaser by
act OF March 3, 1887, as 'well as ny
the act of March 2, 1896, or that, II
not confirmed by either OF those
acts. il was confirmed by the act OF
March 2, 1889. the same act when
declared the forfeiture.
Public notice was given OF the
hearing on these three applications
and proofs were offered before
the register and receiver in
February, 1898, in support OF the
company $ claim to be IA bona lide
purchaser, and all parties desiring
to contest that claim were allowed
an opportunity of doing SO. a large
amount of testimony was offered be
fore the register and receiver on
these hearings. The Michigan Land
Il Iron company was-represented by
Ball Il Ball, OF Marquette, and tue
numerous parties seeking to acquire
title to the lands as government
lands, who contested the appllca-
tions, by Button & Culver. The
register and receiver, after examln-
ing the testimony and hearing the
arguments, decided that, in their
opinion, the Michigan Land ~ Iron
company was not bona hde pur'
chaser within the meaning oil the
.coniirmatory acts above mentioned,
Their decision was based largely
upon the fact that several OF the
stockholders and officers of the rall
road company were also stockhold
ers and officer of the MichiglnLanc
& Iron companyand that they mus
have known, or were chargeabl'
with knowledge, that the lands were
! illegally certified and that the Mich
| Gan Land & Iron company was no
obtaining u good title by its pur
chase.
Appeals were taken to the com
missioner Of the general land Ollie
from the decisions of the registe
and receiver in each of these cases
TIE cases were submitted to tn
commissioner on printed briefs an
arguments early in December last
On the hearing before the commits
sioner the company was represents
by Ball & Ball, J. *. Redington {
Washington, and Hon. Charles i
! Henderson of Omaha, while tn
parties contesting the Michiga
Land q Iron company's claim wer
represented by Button u Culver
After considering the application
for about two months it appear
that the commissioner of the gencr;
land Office has decided in favor {
the Michigan Land x Iron compan
upon all three of the applications
and that the company is entitled
patents to all the lands describe
therein.
Several other suits have bee
brought involving title to thes
lauds, two by the United States an
several by other parties,all of whic
will be disposed of in favor of tn
company by1his decision if it shout
become final. The pine timberalon
Involved in this decision is said t
be worth upwards of $500, 600, an
the entire value of the lands in
volvcd, including the timber, wi
probably equal or exceed $500, OOC
The decision.if no appeal is taken
or if, on appeal, it is affirmed by tn
secretary Of the interior, will pu
an end TO "a contest over the title t
this company S lands that has bee
fought with great stubborness an
persistency for eight or nine years
and will settle all questions of It'll
of the Michigan Land ~ Iron com
pany (Limted) to the lands.
The result OF the decision is
great victory for Ball Il Ball an
their associates.
The case will be appealed to tn