Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-09
Joker COSTS MILLIONS
Congregational Act Unearthsd Which
Gives Railroads Rishts to Oil Lands
Valued at $5oooeo, 900.

Gives Railroads Rights to Oil Lands
Valued at $5oo0eo, 900.
Washington, June 9.--Just as the
government is sitting in for the big
gest legal game 1t ever played the dis
covsry 10 made that it Is bound to lose
and the Southern Pacific railroad to
win $500. 100000 IL the play goes on.
The stakes are a great area Of Cal.
ifornia's richest oil lands. They were
granted to the railroad with a clause in
the grant expressly excepting all min
eral lands save those containing Goa
and iron. Most Of these lands were
patented to the grantee more than six
years ago.;
The joker in the situation is specia
statute of limitations, slipped thru con.
gress in an act of March 8, 1891, anC
perfected by another act Of March 2
1895.
Effect to Bar Proceedings.
The effect Of these acts. as con-
strued by the United States supreme
court. is absolutely to bar proceedings
by the government to annul q patent
of land to a Immigrant railroad after
six years from the issuance Of the pat.
ent. Until these acts are repealed, the
government has not a chance on eartf
to get back its lands.
Announcement has been made thai
within a few weeks the government,
will file suit as to these lands with
Special Assistant Attorney Genera
Townsend In charge. The oil men OF
California are thoroughly aroused ant
alarmed by the discovery Of the joker
They are advised by some OF the
ablest lawyers in the state the suit:
can result only in confirming the rail-
roads title and SO they are appealing
to Washington with all the force they
can command to hold off the litigation
until the Joker" act can be repealed
This they believe congress will not
hesitate to do, once it knows the In
wardness and gravity of the situation
Suits already have been instituted
with respect to lands patented to the
railroad company less than six years
ago, and as to these there is no ques'
ton. The special statute Of limitations
can not affect these proceedings. Al
to the contemplated actions touching
lands patented before June, 1905, there
ID Certainly lldk W sue INV, oSAS@ -''>
repeal of the acts OF 1891 and 1895
would be to make a present to the
Southern Pacific Of about half billion
dollars.
The magnitude Of the issue may be
appreciated when it Is explained tina
the Southern Pacit1cs empire on the
Pacific slope ranges from Portland
Ore, southwark to Yuma, Ariz., ano
from Sacramento, Cal, eastward t.
Salt Lake City. 1t is composed Of LAND
grants made by congress TO- numerous
0 railroad companies which have since
become merged in the Southern Pa
cifc system.
BY acquiring ownership or control OF
these various railroads and their lane
grants, the Southern Pacific compan!
has become the largest and wealthies
landholding corporation in the world
The area of land bestowed upon thes'
railroads and now claimed by thu
eouthern Pacific reaches the enormous
total Of 26.177,51s acres, principalit!
carved from the richest section Of
country on the globe.
OF this land an immense area lie
in the oil belt at Kern, Fresno, AM
Kings counties. Much Of it has beer
positively demonstrated to be petrol
cum bearing and is being developed