The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-07-01
The Agreement the Railroad Has Not
Carried Out Toward the Settlers.
Bentley, La, June 26, 1911.

tbucit pffitsuTc yOuT cuitotiui Coiu-
ments on the unsettled claims of set
tiers, in your paper of the oath inst.
and must say this is the best sugges-
ton | have read or thought of. To
employ Mr. \. e. Blanchard to pros
ecute those snits that have been
pending in the United States court
in the interest of the settlers. that
have been permitted to drag for 8
To 20 years on account OF some one
not having discharged their duty,
seems to be the proper thing TO do
at this time. Our congressman
should have an appropriation made
that would cause justice To he given
the settlers. la this case it is money
and brains against law and Justice.
The railway company has the mon
ey, aud the money buys the bruins,
the people have the law on their side,
anu want justice. The fight so lar
has all been made on one side, in the
interest of the railroad company.
The law gives the lands to the set
,leIs, and the be t the railway COM
pany can do is to have the cases re-
main on the docket, and in this they
have been very successful. There are
very few high class attorneys in the
localities affected by the grant that
do not receive retainer's fee from
the railway company or some one
under them, and when a settler has
gone to an attorney that is SO EN-
ployed he has in many instances
talked very vorably to the sell
tier, and the settler would go home
aud feel like he had lost his rights,
and utter while be would move off
and abandon his claim. There are
hundreds OF cases of this kind. and a
great many have never made any ef-
tort to secure title to the lands ex-
cepted for them from the grant. BY
this method the railway company
has been able to hold undisputed a
paten. though issued through error
to lands that by rights belong to the
settlers. Thus by getting the suits
against the railway company put OF
and not having them caiiedior "a de-
cision, many settlers have been kept
from asserting their rights.
There should be no reason for a
suit against the railway company in
those cases decided by the U. s. Land
Department in fuvor OF the set tlers,
even though patent has been issued
to the railway company, because the
company signed an agreement not to
take an appeal from the decision of
the Land Commissioner of the Gen.
eral Land Office adjudging that the
adverse claimants were actual set
tiers. This agreement was accepted
by a resolution adopted by the stock
holders of the company on the 14th
day OF April, 1887, at which 81 900
ont OF total of $1,000 shares of
stock were voted in the affirmative,
just 50 days after the act of 1887
portions of the original
grant to the railway company, and
certain lands in the grant
to the United States government,
and providing that alL-settlers he
protected.
The following is the agreement
above referred to:
First-That all appeals now pend
ing before the Secretary of the luter-
ior from decisions OF the General
Land Office adjudging that adverse
were actual settlers at the
late OF definite location of said rail-
way compnny's road, shall be and
they are hereby Withdrawn, to the
md that said settlers may obtain
patents for said laDds.
Secondhand neither said railway
nor said trustees hereafter
lake appeals to the Secretary of the
frum the decision of the
Commissioners of the General Land |
Jffice adjudging that the adverse
claimants were actual settlers ut the |
late OF definite location of the said
'ailway company's road; but, to the !
nd that said settler may obtain
for said lands, said adiudi- !
;ations by the said Commissioner
hall be registered as final.
Third-That, in cases where pat
'nts have been issued to said railway |
for lands which have been
,r may hereafter be adjudged 10y the
of the General Land |
Office to have been in the possession
II actual settlers ut the date of the
letnite location of said railway CON-
'any's road, and title is in said rail-
way company, said railway company
md said trustees agree to make,
rithout delay, conveyance thereof
o the United States, and where such
ands have been sold by said railway
ompany to any third persons, said |
ailway undertakes to recover title
hereto, without delay, and convey
he same to said settlers or the Unit
d States, and thesuid trustees agree
o join in such conveyance and to do
II acts necessarily on their part to
nable the railway company to carry
'ut this agreement and stipulation.
Now, after reading the bove gree
nent, and the law of Feb. 8. 1887.