The Great Western Land Grab

Men think they know all about land grants. Few do. Not to know is not to have. The 'Land Grab' by railroads has reached some sensational points, and has finally reached the attention of the Commissioner. It involves a large amount of money and will reveal some startling facts in the administration of these railroad land grants. A large force of clerks has gone over all the grants to adjust them. Strange as it may seem, no road has been found to have less land than the grant called for. All have more, many far more than they are entitled to. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe has over half a million acres in excess of its grant. The Winona & St. Peter shows a good second, with 400,000. The Land Office claims that sufficient facts have been obtained to demonstrate that the St. Paul & Sioux City, the Winona & St. Peter and the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba companies have obtained a large amount of lands that were not embraced in their grants. The fraud was possible because the railroad division of the General Land Office was left to one or two clerks, who made such examinations as best suited their convenience and purposes. No written statement of the result was required or made, and the facts upon which the rights of the companies depended were thus ignored and concealed. In order to more effectually conceal the true status of the land grants, they were treated as grants of specific quantities, and estimates of the quantity of land granted were made and published. These estimates are false and deceptive, and were used for the purpose of inducing the public to believe that the companies have not received the quantity of lands granted. These frauds would have long since been exposed, but for the fact that the companies have had sufficient influence and power to keep the adjustment of the grants in the hands of their friends. It is understood that the report will recommend that suits be brought to recover from the railroad companies the lands patented to them in excess of their grant.