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

the timber corporations There they do the job with mules
and donkey engines.
In the National Capitol log rolling also part the bust
timber corporations There they the job with
money tools and donkey Congressman.
Witness a round unvarnished tale of facts:
Among the railroad corporations which obtained grants of
land the public domain in that period of Congressional
pon and thvng following the close of the Civil War
the Oregon California Railroad Company with lines running
South Portland through fertile valleys and mbered
hills Oregon This corporation granted
million three hundred and sixty thousand and of that i'm
covered with the finest timber standing
this continent
One provision of this grant peculiar it. The act of
Congress stipulated California Railroad Company
should sell 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 and The penalty for vo-
atng forfeiture of the grant
The Oregon California Railroad
promptly proceeded ignore violate the spuacns the
grant segregated land lots any suited
its and sold prices
obtain; and the price always in and frequently
from twenty excess the figure fixed by Con
gress.
In the year 1908 joint resolution
directed Attorney of bring
in equity forfeit the titles of the railroad company and those
holding by purchase from it, the lands embraced the grant
The suit pressed trial and the Government
On August 90 1912 of Congress approved which
provides that individuals corporations claiming purchase
the Oregon and California Railroad Company
braced in the original grant procure of final for
fixture and reoban title the land by paying two dol
lars and half an acre to the United States.
The usual verbiage and fumaddde which distinguish
statements efforts to write English when Travelling in birth
with statute absent from the full text of this act
the is stated
Having log rolled this bill through Congress- the timber
grabbing corporations have busy boy pre-
serving pantry ponng the Federal declare
ties forfeited and then reganng title by paying the Govern
$3.50 for their immensely illegally
obtained tract of timber One corporation alone the c. Smith
Lumber Company has just obtained in this way the United
States District Court Portland possession
of standing timber.
1t the express direction of the Act of Congress
fishing the original grant that these timber lands should
to actual settlers only and lots not to exceed 60
Because the railroad did sell in lots of
thousands of to timber corporations the grant
cared forfeited and having obtained forfeiture this showing
the Government turns around and by log
ed through Congress by the timber rafer year ago.
to the identical timber gabbers public
timber lands in lots of the identical illegal
So that as the stands
The railroad keeps the money obtained original
illegal sales.
The timber grabbrs again have possession immense
tracts they illegally got from the railroad.
The Government gets than hreth the value of the
lands
The actual settlers the common people get nothing
And listen again By virtue act log rolled
in the interest Of the timber rabbe the small owner
bought his 160acre parcel good paid the railroad
for it years ago. LOSES HIS LAND UNLESS HE GOES
THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS INVENTED BY THE TIM
BER-GRABBERS TO CINCH THEIR GRIP UPON THEIR IL
LEGALLY OBTAINED HOLDINGS.
He must go court file stipulation of forfeiture to the
Government and buy back his land from at the
original price of $3.50 an acre
And matter whether he paid the railroad company So or
$50 an his land THE RAILROAD KEEPS THE MON
Ely HE PAID IT. and he pay the Government the price
originally fixed by Congress in the grant railroad
In short the Government of the United having for