The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-01-16

lrcting the lands aud here was the
monumental fraud The grant specin-
cAuy exempted an lands winch had
been dcs Snated by the United states
as mineral and instructed the SNIP
canal company TO select lands I'm odu'
numbered sections. such locations 10
bee from unsolicited lands nearest 10
the location OF the ship canal The
report OF Commissioner Sparks shows
that the company violated both proyls
ions. They selected 93,ll2.11 acr.s "l
lands which were not AZ the time Oi
selection those nearest the Location
uf the canal, and they selected also
GS.647 47 acres OF lands which had
been reclaimed and offered MS mineral
prior q tho passage OF the granting
act" There, was no question as TO
the designation OF these as mineral
lands. They had been offered by the
government for sale as mineral nav
Ing been designated In part by agents
and by the geological officers
I'm February. 1886. Senator Preston
b Plumb. OF Kansas, introduced bill
senate l507) TO reclaim 10 the Unit
ed States certain lands Improperly ana
Illegally listed 10 tho state o. Michi-
gan for the Portage Lake and Lake
Superior Canal Co. THE successor
20 this company was the Lake Supe-
riOr ship Canal. Railway a Iron Co.
aud the title subsequently passed 10
the present ownersD This bill was re-
ferred TO the committee on public
lands with the Sparks report and IA
yorably recommended from the secre;
tary OF the Interior but II died in a
pigeonhole
ON page 20 OF Prof Gustayus Myers
History OF the Great American For
tunes appears the following
In his annual report for 1885. Com
missioner Sparks, OF the United States
general land Office told Chouse execu-
tive documents, lSS5-S6. vol. III how,
by 1885. the Portage Lake canal was
only worthless ditch and a complete
fraud What had The company done
with its large land grant? Instead or
accepting the grant as intended by
congress. IL had, by means OF fraudu-
lent surveys, and doubtless by official
corruption, caused ar least 100000
acres OF its grant To be surveyed in
the very richest copper lands.
In the same volume Prof Myers
states that the ST. Mays Falls Canal
Co stole large areas of rich copper
deposits in similar fashion; iact
which he CLEANS from official reports
and particularly The disclosures made
in the suit OF Chandler vs. Calumet 4
Hecla Mining Co L. ). Reports. vol.
149. DID. 1880. This suit discloses
the fact that the mines OF the Calumet
L. Hecla were located on part OF the
Identical alleged swamp lands granted
By congress In 1852. The copper com
pany. as might be expected, won the
suit and 1t appears IN the official re-
port OF the case that Mr. Justice
Brown, being interested In the result.
did not sit IA this case and took no
part In its decision Mr.. Justice
Brown was appointed to the supreme
court from Michigan.
There is abundant precedent for re-
opening this question OF title to these
mineral lands by the bringing OF suits
for the canceling of these Old patents
and the restoration OF these mineral
lands to the public domain. The de-
partment OF justice is now prosecuting
suits OF this character against the
Southern Pacific railway involving the
title 10 very valuable oil lands In CAL
ifornia. which were granted 10 the