Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-06
How Congress Came to the Aid
of the Western Timber
GrafterS

the timber corporations they job
and donkey engines.
In the National Capitol log rolling also part of the bust
of the timber corporations There they do the job with
money tools and donkey Congressman.
Witness round, unvarnshed tale of facts:
Among railroad corporations which obtained grants
land the public domain in that period of Congressional
rupon and thievng following the close Of the Civil War
the Oregon and California Railroad Company with lines running
South from Portland through the fertile valleys and mbered
hills Of Western Oregon This corporation granted two
million three hundred and sixty thousand and of that
area much the timber standing
this continent.
One provision of this grant peculiar to it. The of
Congress stipulated that the California Railroad Company
should sell these lands ONLY TO ACTUAL SETTLERS IN
LOTS NOT TO EXCEED 100 ACRES TO EACH PURCHASER
AND AT A PRICE NOT TO EXCEED TWO DOLLARS AND A
HALF AN ACRE.
The stipulation plain The penalty
lating forfeiture of the grant.
Oregon California Railroad took the
promptly proceeded ignore and violate the spuaons the
grant segregated the any
its convenience and sold these lots whatever prices could
obtain; and the price always frequently
from twenty times of the figure fixed by Con
gress
In the year 1908 joint resolution of the Senate House
directed the Attorney General of the United bring
equity forfeit the titles of the railroad company and those
holding purchase from embraced grant
The suit pressed trial and the Government won
On August 60 1872 act of Congress approved which
provides that individuals corporations claiming purchase
from the Oregon and California Railroad Company
the original grant procure final
fixture and reobtain title the land by paying dol
lars and half to the United States.
The usual verbage and Aumadidde which distinguish
efforts write English Travelling birth
the stated.
Having log rolled tins bill through Congress- timber
grabbing corporations have been busy boy pre-
serving pantry petionng the Federal
ties forfeited and then reganing title by paying
ment $3.50 for their immensely valuable and illegally
obtained tract of timber One corporation alone the G. A. Smith
Lumber Company has obtained in this way the United
States District Court Portland possession 10000
of standing timber
the direction of the Act of Congress estab
fishing the original grant that these should sold
only exceed 100 acres in size
Because the railroad did sell these timber lands
thousands of TO timber corporations the
oared forfeited and having obtained forfeiture this showing
the Government around by of log
cd through Congress by the timber gaer year ago
the identical timber grabbe the identical public
timber lands in lots Of the identical illegal size
so that the stands
The railroad keeps the original
illegal sales
The timber grabbers again possession immense
tracts they illegally got from the railroad,
The Government gets less than thrtieth the
lands.
The actual settlers, the people get nothing
And listen again BY virtue of this log rolled
the interest of the timber gbbers the small owner
bought his 160acre parcel in good faith and paid railroad
for it years ago, LOSES HIS LAND UNLESS HE GOES
THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS INVENTED BY THE TIM
Der GRADERS TO CINCH THEIR GRIP UPON THEIR IL
LEGALLY OBTAINED HOLDINGS
He go court file stipulation to the
Government and buy back his land from the the
original price Of $3.50
And matter whether he paid railroad company SO or
$50 an for his land THE RAILROAD KEEPS THE MON
PAID IT and he pay Government the price
originally fixed by Congress in the grant to the railroad
In short the Government of the United having for
Oregon and California Raroad Cnmnanv,s