Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-07-30
SENATOR PITTMAh
AFTER RAILROAD
UNITED STATES SENATE
Committee on Territories

Mr.. Charles r. Levers,
Attorney for Southern Pacific
Railroad Co. San Francisco.
California.
My dear Mr.. Levers:
On the 4th day OF March, 1915 Sen
at Bill 5042, entitled AN Act legaliz-
ing certain co%nveyances heretofore
made by the Central Pacific Railroad
and others in the State OF Nevada"
was approved and became a law.
This bill reads as follows:
(Public-No. 326-63rd C~ongress)
(S.5042)
AN act ~legalizing certain convey
ances heretofore made by the Central
Pacific Railroad company and others
within the State Of Nevada.
BE 1T ENACTED by the Senate
and House of Representatives Of the
United States in Congress assembled,
That all co%nveyances heretofore made
on or before January first, eighteen
hundred and eighty-fve, by the Cen.
trail Pacific Railroad Company of Cali
fornia, the Central Pacific Railroad
Company. or the Central Pacific Rail.
way Company, or the contract and FL
n Company, to the extent that the
conTeyances Of the latter company
were founded upon conveyances orig.
inally made by the above named rail-
way companies. or either or any of
them or their assigns, of or concern.
ing land forming part of the right of
way and now within the corporate
town or city limits of the towns or
cities of Elko. Carlin, Reno. Wells, and
Winnemucca, in the State of Nevada,
granted by the government by the Act
of Congress Of July first. eighteen hun.
dred and siXty.two. entitled IAN Act
to aid the construction Of a railroad
and telegraph line from the Missouri
River to the Pacific Ocean and % Sc.
cure to the government the use OF
h same for postal, military and 9th.
er purposes" and all other acts OF
congress a~mendatory thereof or sup.
Elementary thereto are hereby lega.
lized, validated, and confirmed to the
extent that the same would have been
legal or valid II the land involved
therein affected by this Act had been
held by h corporation making such
conveyances under absolute or fee.
simple title, subject to the conditions
hereinafter stated.
"Cao q rho. All. " A--
no validating force until the Central
Pacific Railroad company Of Califor.
MIA; or it's assigns. shall file with the
Secretary of the Interior an instru,
ment In writing accepting its terms
and provisions.
Sec. 3. That nothing herein con,
tanned shall have the effect to dimin
ish said right of way to a less width
than nifty feet on each side of the
center of the main track Of the rail
road as now established and main
tanned.
Approved, March 4, 1915"
In the latter part of June, 1915,
called upon you for the purpose oil
aBcertaining the reason of the Rail
road Company for SO long delaying
in filing the written acceptance OF
the terms and provisions Of the Act
At the time the Act was being consid
cred there was filed with the com
mittee having in charge such bill 0
statement by the Soupthern Pacific
Railroad company wherein It announc
ed that II was DESTROYS OF validating
the title Of all lots that had been con,
veyed by It or by its agents or az
signs, and only delayed in such act
by reason OF lack OF Federal author
ity. The Act Of Congress hereinabove
set out grants the Federal authority
that you announced you required.
At the time the bill was being con
sldered by the committee In the house
OF representatives. there were a mum
Der of members of the committee who
opposed the bill because they believed
that II would relieve the railroad com
pany from an act of forfeiture of its
right Of way to be instituted by the
government. II wac then urged that
to ratify such Illegal conveyanceB or
the part OF the railroad company
would encourage the railroad company
to make other similar c%onveyancei
and TO use part Of their right Of wal
for townsite purposes rather than fol-
the purposes for which the grants
were made, namely, solely for tht
right OF way over which to run rail
road tracks.
During my conference with you n
San Francisco. you called my atten
ton 10 the fact that the bill az passed
did not specifically include the salet
and co~nveyances made by Charles 8
Croker. ! then urged upon you, AZ
now urge. that the bill does include
conyeyances made by Charles 8
Crocker-hrst, because Charles 8
Croker was an agent or an assign Of
tho Central Pacific Railway company
and the bill expressly provides for the
continuation Of any conveyances made