The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-05-28
ROBBED
OF HALF
HER LANDS
Oregon Shackled and
Delivered TO Her
Enemies
Powerful Arraignment Of the
Department and Public
PlundereTS Made by
w. w. CardwelI


In the last issue Of the Roseburg
Plaindealer. the following scathing
denunciation OF the land department
and OF congress and OF the public
plunderers. in the shape of military
wagon roads, railroads and grafters.
appears. IL was written by w. w.
Cardwell and completely covers the
case:
II ever state was cursed with
governmental recognition" that state
is Oregon. Oregon has been recoF-
nized TO such an extent that over one
half OF the entire state has been given
away by the government TO one pur-
pose or another. The policy OF the
government has always seemed 10 be
10 get rid OF all lands In Oregon I'm the
easiest way and in the largest tracts
possible. The state has always been
and still is the prey OF corporations
aided and abotted by the federal gov.
eminent II seems as though any cor
poration desiring the acquisition OF
territory has only 10 mention Oregon
and the government Is willing 20 rush
at the opportunity 10 give said cor.
poration all II asks and more.
The total area OF Oregon is approx.
imately 63.0OO.00O acres OF land. OF
this nearly one.half has been given
away-absolutely presented 10 cor.
porauons and individuals for the
mere asking. These presents are dis.
tributed about as follows;
What They Have GRATED.
Oregon a California r. X. Co.. g..
744,OOO acres; Roseburg a Coos Bay
Military Wagon Road Co. 1S4,32O
acres; Oregon Central Military Wag.
on Road Co. i75 900 acres; Coast a
YaquIna Bay Military Wagon Road
Co. 3t,l00: Willamette Valley a
Cascade Mountain Military Wagon
Road Co. i.19S.0S0 acres: Dalles Nil.
itary Wagon Road Co. 1059.S40
acres: Cascade Forest Reserve $780,.
900 acres: Mount Wagner Forest Re.
serve 25.0iO acres; alleged swamp
lands 100000 acres; Northern Pa
cihc lieu lands, 900 600 ceres. school
lands purchased with script. 3.OOO,OO
acres; railroad In lieu OF forest re
serve lands. 100000 acres; school
lands In lieu OF school sections fall
ing within forest reserve. 100000
making n total of 26.b21.720 acres
Deduct from the whole area OF IN,
state (G3 POS 900 Gcresl about 10000.
600 acres for lakes and rivers and 4
leaves the land area OF Oregon about
90. 900 900 acres. OF this one-half has
been given away but the schOO
lands and the swamp lands we're sold
Yes. sold for the munincent sum Ol
Si.25 per acre. one dollar and twon
ty-iye cents In the top price ever re
ceived for an acre OF public land N
lOregOn outside the railroad grant ant
that was paid only for school and
swamp lands by mOnied concerns
either In company or individual fol
Speculative purposes.
Warllke Oregon Roads
The socallcd Military Wagon Roadi
were a gigantic steal. and everyone
who was advised of the facts both IL
Washington, ID. @. and In Oregon
knew a. The excuse offered for pre-
senting these different road compan
les with the tract of land above enum
lerated. was that the company was Il
construct a Military Wagon Road
What was the use OF Military Wag
ON Road" or how a Military Wagof
Road" was to diner from any Othel
wagon road has kept the settlers o
Eastern Oregon guessing ever since
There was certainly no necessity fol
a Military Road. and Il II equal,
certain that none was ever built ol
ATTEMPTED 10 be built The road com
pany's teams came east Of the noun
tainE and Travelled for DAYS In th'
roads that the settlers had been usini
for years: travelled all day along 1
Wen used highway and making eaml
AZ night without disturbing a stick ol
stone on the route.
But Of course they were building
road? And as soon az the military
Road" team passed over the road 1
became military az well as a rOa,
-nOtWithstanding the fact that IN
settlers had driven over the SAM
road for years. and the Indians ha'
used the same as trails for years be
fore the settlers came.
Built 80 Miles q Day
The whole thing amounted TO this
The government gave 20 the roa,
companies a tract of land equal 10
strip five miles vide the entire length
lof the road and contiguous and paral
lei 10 a. IN order 20 get all thel
could fOr the road construction ~
the teams would leave the old road
upon entering q beautiful fertile val
ley. and follOY tho trend Of the val
ley. reRaFdless Of course or direction
20 It's end. always ke ping about M
center. In order 10 get each odd mum
bered section within the ten mile lin
H. And they got it--some Of the Nm
eat land ever the sun shown on
There are Ave of these military wa
gon roads" in Oregon and their tota
holdings are 375iGs0 acres q land
sufficient land FOR 255iq families viii
a hundred and sixty acres cach--or
lcounfins I've persons 10 q family ca
pabie of supporting q population o.
lil7 $50 persons. The Cascade f0res
Reserve is anOther steal. of mor'
land not 30 far Feaching In ~ effects
as the land IA not 40 Wen adapted q
the habitaiions ~ man. Here M
prime motive vac to allow the rail-
roads 10 trade poOr lands Tor good
through The lieu land fake. The re-
serve vas created that the railroad
rniehf lose 4 Iuf 0f NOoF land % Wnicn