Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-30

An Eastern view OF the situation In
Wyoming.
PhIIadelnhIa Record.

Philadelphia Record.
To break the land monopoly Of the
Union Pacific railroad Is one OF the rec
concentrations made to Attorney General
Bonaparte as the outcome Of the recent
Investigations by the Interstate Commerce
Commission Of the western coal land frauds.
The Union Pacific still holds more than
100000 acres Of the grant made by tho
government I'm aid OF the construction Of
the road This Is a little less than one
third of the total acreage originally dedi-
Gated, but still enough 20 cover the states
Of Connecticut. Rhode Island and Delaware
and leave a good sized farm or two over.
The manner IN which the company uses
its privileges is shown in the following IL
Illustrative instances;
In southern Wyoming whole towns, In
Guiding the streets. are treated by the rail-
road as its private property. The town
Of Hanna is one Of the principal mining
camps in that section; the company owns
the hotel the bank, the general stores
and the dwelling houses, but. besides this,
every street has a sign displayed to the
effect that II is mo thoroughfare" and the
private property Of the Union Pacific. II
an orator becomes too rervent In his
political addresses he is escorted out Of
Union Pacific territory as a trespasser;
that Is the way the company disposes of
the right of free speech. A road zap
parently public running out OF Rock
Springs a distance OF more than twenty
miles has sign posts at intervals informing
the wayfarer that he is subject to prose-
-cution for invading public grounds. Grazers
using government land are obliged to pay
rentals to the company lest they be fined
II their stock happens to stray on the
adjoining sections of railroad land. indie
pendent operators are prevented from
working their coal mines because the COM
pany will not give rights-of-way over its
land, though in some cases the unworked
mines are in sight Of the railroad tracks.
The original grant to the company con-
tanned a condition that n the land should
not be sold within three years after the
opening Of the road It should be subject
to entry and settlement the same as pub
lie land; the usual price Of S1.5 per acre
Ito be paid to the government land Offices
and thereafter to the Union Pacific com
pany." The company. however, mortgaged
its land and the supreme court held that
the rights of innocent parties having inter-
vened it must be held as security for the
debt and to this extent, discharged from
the conditions of the grant Since then.
however, and incidental to the Union Pa
cifc receivershp, the mortgage has been
paid off Whether as a consequence the
right Of entry and settlement was revived
is a question. The company evidently as
sumes that 1t was not. Moreover, the
present Union Pacific is technically another
company; IT probably claims that all ease
ments and reversionary easements in the
land were foreclosed and that the 100000
acres or Whereabouts belong TO it in fee
simple absolute. The prospect is promising
for a great legal battle. with the odds in
favor of the company Possession is nine
points Of the law. Moreover, a new race
Of innocent" bondholders has since grown
up.