The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-04-21
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 81, 1909.
STEALING PUBLIC LANDS.


court at Helena, by which q large
tract Of coal land in Carbon county is
recovered by the government from the
Northern Pacific railroad company,
is an incident of the campaign against
public land thieves that is OF more
than ordinary interest. The lands in
question are of considerable value,
one of the estimates making them
worth over two million dollars, and a
strong fight was made by the railroad
company to retain possession of them.
This attempted theft of valuable
Montana coal lands recalls the nefsr.
ious scheme by which the Northern
Pacific has acquired other portions Of
the public domain, to the loss and de-
triment Of the community. The steals
have been perpetrated by using scrip
issued in connection with the Mount
Rainier forest reserve, in the state of
W Washington. It appears that the
land grant made to the Northern Pa
cifc would have given that corpora
ton q patent to large tracts Of noun.
famous and rocky land In the state of
Washington land that was utterly
worthless for any purpose whatever
and q scheme vas evolved by which It
could unload these lands on the people
and sui something better.
Members of congress who were
friendly to the Northern Pacific, or
Who were In its employ, secured the
creation of the Mount Rainier forest
reserve, which included these rocky
and barren lands belonging to the
railroad company. In accord ance
with the regulations, forest reserve
scrip was issued to the company in ex.
change for the lands surrendered, and
this scrip has been used to secure
more valuable lands ia Montana and
other states. Some of the scrip has
been sold to settlers at six to eight
dollars an acre, making the transac-
ton a very profitable deal for the
railroad. This Mount Rainier forest
reserve job is one OF the biggest and
most successful public land steals on
record, but as the scrip does not ap'
ply 70 mineral lands, the company
lost out 10 its attempt to acquire Mon
tana coal lands by its use.
The theft of public land was scarce
ly regarded rs a crime a few years
ago, the practice having become so
general in many parts of the country.
In most cases the otfense applied to
comparatively small tracts, but in a
few instances the violators of the law
were more bold and aggressive, and
appropriated acts OF land of enor-
mous extent. Under the Roosevelt
regime, however, these depred atoms
checked and q large number OF
the more conspicuous land thieves were
prosecuted and the stolen plumber re-
covered. Hon. Ethan Allen Hitch.
cock, former secretary of the interior.
who died q few days ago, earned the
gratitude of American citizens by the
vigor and success with which he con.
Quoted the campaign against the dis
honest acquisition OF public lands,
and brought several of the thieves to
justice. The offenders who were de-
tected and punished through Mr.,
Hitchcock's. efforts included members
of congress and other prominent and
wealthy citizens. whose ownership O,
real estate was found to have been OBJ
tanned through fraud.
The campaign aginst thefts of public
land IL being continued by MIR. Hitch
cocks successor, and deserves com
mend alton and encouragement b!
American citizens generally. The pub
lie domain is the property of thu
American people, and the theft of an!
portion of it is a crime that, to som,
extent, affects the interests of every
individual.