The Colfax chronicle., 1904-01-16
coIFAx GRANT PARISH La SATURDAY JANUARY Is, 1904
Judge Blanchard and the Back
Bone Land Grant.

Judge Blanchard and the Back
Bone Land Grant.
Alexandria Town Talk.
The enemies of Judge Newton G.
Blanchard have searched the records
to find something for criticism of
his public career, and after diligent
and persistent search can find moth
ing to harp on but his course in Con.
gress in reference to the Backbone
land grant. The principal reason
that this matter is the one taken
hold OF by the opposition, is not
because Judge Blanchard was at
fault, but because it is more than
twenty years since Judge Blanchard
acted on this question while in Con-
gress, and these false statements
made against him have n better
chance of being believed by those
ignorant OF the facts.
The New Orleans, Baton Rouge
and Vicksburg Railroad Company,
known as the Backbone" road, was
incorporated by act of the Legisla-
ture of Louisiana December 80, 1869.
BY act of Congress which incorpo-
rated the Texas and Pacific road,
approved March 3, 1871, there was
granted to the New Orleans. Baton
Rouge and Vicksburg road, it's sue
cessors or assigns, ten alternate sec
tions Of land per mile on each side of
said railroad, to aid the construc-
ton of the road from New Orleans to
Shreveport. On November IL, 1871 /,
this railroad company filed in the
general land office at Washington,
d. c., map of its projected route
from Shreveport via Alexandria to
Baton Rouge, and a withdrawal Of
public lnnds along said route was
ordered, which became effective in
December, 1871, NINE YEARS BE-
FORE BLANCHARD WAS FIRST
ELECTED TO CONGRESS.
On February 13, 1873, the "Back-
bone" road filed a map of the gen.
eral route from New Orleans to
Baton Rouge, and the lands along
this route were withdrawn by the
general land Office at Washington, D.
G., in April, 1873, but all claims to
these lands were abandoned because
the road was never built on the east
side OF the Mississippi river as first
intended.
Congress in passing the Backbone
land grant stipulated that to secure
the grant of public lands, the road
should be completed within five years.
The FIVE years elapsed and nothing
was done towurd building it, but the
stockholders Of the New Orleans,
Baton Rougeand vicksburg Railroad
hel0 on to their charter from the
State and land grant from Congress.
The New Orleans Pacific Railroad
was chartered by notarial act in
June, 1875, which was confirmed by
the Louisiana Legislature February
10, 1876. Because of the failure oi
the Backbone" Railroad Company
to build the contemplated road, the
Louisiana Legislature, by Act ITO,
approved April 80, 1877, endeavored
to abolish and repeal the charter Oi
the Backbone" company, and in
the winter Of 1877. the New Orleans
Pacific Company made strong
effort to get Congress to declare the
Backbone" land grant forfeited and
have 1T transferred to the New Or
leans Pacific Company. This effort
was scontinued in Congress until 1880,
but it was of no avail. At this juno.
ture the parties who were construct
ing the Texas and Pacific railroad
entered into writings with the pro.
jectors of the New Orleans Pacific
railroad that they would construct
the railroad from Shreveport to New
Orleans, provided the Backbone
land grant was secured to them
This was done by purchase and the
transfer was perfected in February,
1881, and the construction of the
road from Shreveport to New Or
leaus-the present Texas and Pa'
cific-was begun, and the money tC
pay for building it secured because
OF the value of the public lands nc
quired by it's building.
This transfer of the Backbone
Company to the New Orleans Pa
cific Company was made several years
after the Louisiana Legislature had
repealed the charter Of the Back
bone" Company, and it was supposed
that the transfer was illegal, but tht
United States courts ruled that j,
was a legal transfer.
1t was in December, 1881, tina,
Judge Blanchard first appeared as .
Congressman at Washington. Within
a week after being sworn in, in con
Junction with Congressman E. w
Robertson of East Baton Roug'
parish, he fled protest with the U
S. secretary Of the interior agains
the recognition Of the Backbone
grant until the matter could be in
quired into. This protest kept lant
patents from being issued unit
Messrs. Blanchard and Robertson
had time to inform themselves abou
the grant. After a thorough investi