Williams news., 1904-11-12
SANTA FEE HAS ACRES.
Over Half Million Acres Alone Have Been Scripted in Yavapai.

SiCSO Oil h oiSI 4S. AOt awarded the Santa Fe railroad every odd section of land within fifty miles on each side of it's right of way throughout the southwest, says the Prescott Herald:
 AS result of this congressional act, the old Atlantic and Pacific railroad, which was afterwards ab- sorbed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe road, received no less than 6,0OO,OOO acres of land in Ari- zona alone.
 Some of this land extended south from the railroad to within ten miles of Prescott, the nearest point being at Point of Rocks, and run ming in easterly and westerly direc- tions from that point.
 It is stated that the Santa Fe company has obtained not less than 540,OO0 acres of land in Yavapai county, for the most of which they have received valuable script from the Secretary of the Interior.
 The railroad company instead of taking every odd section of land, takes up its ground in the forest reserves. Instead of giving them possession, the government pays in script, which the railroad is allowed to dispose of in whatever manner it sees fit.
 Most of the script is sold to set tiers, who pay from $4.25 per acre and up for it. They can take this script to any part of the United States where there are surveyed and unappropriated lands, and the gov ernment will award them the land for their script.
 By the use of this script large tracts, of valuable lands have been obtained by large cattle raising con- cerns, as we'll as other companies that require immense tracts to carry on their different lines of business.
 The object of the government in having the railroad company take up ground in the forest reserves is because it can be handled better than that which is not included in the reserve.
 Only a few months ago the county recorder in Prescott had consider. able experience with the Santa Fe and it's lands granted by the gov ernment in 1872.
 Commissioner Jones, who handles all the business for the railroad com. pany, sent in as many as 25O deeds to record at one time. There was g great rush on the part of the rail. road because of rumors that the validity of their title to the lano was to be called into question ir the courts.
 It was necessary at the time fol the Santa Fe Development com pany, which held the titles to tht land, to make a transfer of every acre to the Santa Fe Railroad com pany. This required the prepara tion of an immense number of deed and transfers, all of which Lad tt be placed on the books of record 1T Yavapai county.
 Recorder Farley was obliged t. put several deputies to work on tn job, and it required nearly tw, weeks to turn all of them out.
 The haste was due to the fac that the Santa Fe wanted to clos up with the government for a larg amount of script, and before thi could be done It had 10 nave utIe to all the ground. The transfer resulted
 It is estimated that as a result o the 6,000,O00 acres awarded tn Santa Fe in this territory, they ar not less thon $25.0O0,000 to tn good. At the lowest estimate tn script for each acre sells for $4.25 and at this figuring it would meal much more to the railroad than tn figures given.
 At the time congress passed thi