The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-11-25
History of the Settlers Controversy.


is scarcely any well informed citizen
who does not thoroughly under
stand the situation. However, our
correspondent below thinks it ought
to be repeated, and he sends MS a
rather long account OF the matter. oil
which We have left out about hall,
for lack of room, and beca use it adds
nothing in the way OF informant to
our renders. 1t is as follows:
Editor CoIax Chronicle:
Our forefathers had millions of
acres of public or acantland. What
was then the wants OF our people?
No doubt ninety per cent OF the peo-
pie were greatly in favor of dispensing
of these lands by some means by
which our State could get some re-
venues from them. People refused
to pay taxes on lands which are very
valuable. Then the railroad made
good use of it's chance. We were
needy and they were ready to supply
our needs by giving us connection
from east to west, which it then took
months to travel.
The railroad proposed to take
these worthless lands and pay taxes
into our State treasury and make
the State rich and get US out of debt,
and said we will give you also rail-
road from east to west, and you can
make your long journeys in few
hours.
There was an act of Congress pass
ed on March 3, 1871, to give the
New Orleans Baton Rouge & Vicks-
burg Railroad Company all land in
the odd sections twenty miles on each
side of it's road bed.
There were some things to be done
by the railroad company before they
received the land. aud there was u
provision in the act, that all home
stead entries were not to be included.
And Immediately the General Land
Office withdrew all lands in odd Sec
tions, to be held in reserve for the
railroad. Now, trouble began. The
railroad company failed tocarry out
it's obliga tions, the settlers began to
complain, but nothing was done un-
til Hon. Newton C. Blanchard WAS
elected to Congress. Mr.. Blanchard
was a young man at the time. and
had the welfare of the poor people ut
heart. The settlers'no doubt appeal
ed to him 80 earnestly that he could
never forget them. He began ut once
to annual the grant. That put the
present Texas & Pacific railroad at a
standstill. Mr.. Blanchard realized
his position in this undertaking iln-
mediutely. He was up against a
wall and knew it. The sentiment of
the business public was to give the
railroad the land. He only had the
settler to give him any assistance.
Luckily he found Mr.. Robinson in
the House, who came to bis assist
ance.
They Immediately filed a protest
against the issuing OF any more pa
tents. This put them in position to
get some relief. The Land Office was
forced to stop the issuing OF land pa
tents, and things were in critical
condition. The majority Of the
House was set against the twosar-
nest fighters, 50 IA compromise was
offered and agreed upon, which is
now known as the Blanchard and
Robinson Compromise. 1t is an act
OF Congress passed Feb. 8, 1887, In
which the New Orleans Baton Rouge
& Vicksburg Railway Co., relinquish-
e,l all OF its rights and interest to the
New Orleans & Pacific Railway Co.,
except that part in section 2 Of the
act, where provisions was made to
protect all atual settlers ON such
lands at the date Of the definite loca-
ton of said road, which was Nov. IL,
1882, and read like this. Itprovid-
ed, That all lands occupied by act
ual settlers at the date OF the definite
location of said road and still re-
mining in the possession OF any set
tier, their heirs or assigns shall be
held and depu,ed excepted from said
grant, aud shall he subject to entry
under the public land laws of the
United States.