Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-10-25
U. P METHODS IN
COAL LAND GRAB
Government has InveStigat.
ed and will try to Re-
gain Title to TO-
900 Acres.

the department OF justice, says the
Washington correspondent OF the
Chicago Tribune, to institute legal
proceedings against the Union Pa
cific railroad, with a view to secur-
ing the restoration to public domain
of hundreds of thousands of acres
of valuable coal and agricultural
lands alleged to have been acquired
fraudulently by the railroad.
This action is the result of inves-
LEGATIONS made by special agents of
the Interior department and by the
Interstate Commerce commission.
The information gathered by de-
partmental agents has been turned
over to the department of justice
and the Interstate Commerce COM
mission has confided to Commits
sioner Prouty the duty of preparing
it's report on the inquiry it con-
Quoted. Mr.. Prouty's report is
highly sensational, and duplicates
large number of persons in alleged
fraudulent transactions in the inter-
ests of the Union Pacific. One of
the results, it is expected, will be.
the institution of suit by the gov
eminent for the recovery of $1,000
acres of undeveloped but valuable
coal lands, worth $4,000, 600 an
nually to the Union Pacific on Mr..
Prouty's estimate.
The report also will show that
the Union Pacific maintains a mo-
nopoly of the coal business in the
states it traverses. The informa-
ton will be turned over to the de-
partment of Justice, which now
has a special assistant attorney
general in Utah preparing prelimi-
nary legal proceedings.
The report of Mr.. Prouty, which
will be sent to the president tomor-
row or Friday is the result of his
investigations last summer in
Union Pacific territory. He found
the Union Pacific had used men to
enter claims for lands which its
mining experts pronounced to be
valuable, and later acquired the
claims. Byrus Beard, judge OF
the supreme court of Wyoming,
testified he used $4,000 provided
by the railroad company to enter
land. subsequently relinquishing il
to the company for $500. Other mer
were not SO fortunate, bartender:
and gamblers getting as low as S.
and SIS for use of their names.
The law provides that a com
pany or association may not secure
more than four sections, but b,
methods pursued by the Union Pa
cific this wise provision was multi
fled to the grave injury of the PEG
pie who depend upon these lands TO
their fuel supply.
Another method pursued by thu
company is to prevent Independent
operators from obtaining valuabl
claims BY the terms of the gran
given to the company every alter
nate section for twenty miles o
either side of its route belongs
il.
To quote one of Mr.. Prouty'
associates, the country throug
which the Union Pacific runs ma
be compared to a checkerboard, tn
black squares of which are owne
by the railroad and the red by til
government, or persons who hav
acquired them from the govern
ment. There are no state or terri
torial roads through this region
and it is difficult for private ind
viduals to obtain access to lands
which they are interested withor
consent OF the company. The la
ter does not hesitate to use Il
law to prevent trespass on i
land.
This situation has enabled Il
Union Pacific absolutely to contr
the coal situation in the terrific
which il traverses. It owns t
Union Pacific Coal company, ca
italized at $4,000, 600, and the S
perior Coal company. The railro
and the two companies, it is
legged, cooperate to obtain and h,
coal lands and to control their {
velopment. The principal produ
ton is obtained through work.
the Rock Springs coal mines
Wyoming, from which $500 tC
of coal are taken daily. 1t is
timated that the plant did not C
more than $500, 600, and the
pense of operation is more II
met by the sale of screenings.
The company, it is believ
makes a profit of at least do
a ton on this coal, whereas
West Virginia operators think t
are doing well if they make