Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1887 — A GENUINE REFORMER [ARTICLE]

A GENUINE REFORMER

Hod. Geo. W. Julian ia making a record of which every man in the country may well be proud. Early in Mr. Cleveland’s administration he prevailed on Mr. Julian toac ceptthe office of Surveyor-General of New Mexico, a position heretofore regarded as insignificant, but under the management of Mr. Julian it is becoming one of the most important in the Government. — The following from the Columbia City Post will be interesting reading for all who are interested in the disposition of our public do. main: New Mexico, before being otr ganized into a territory of the United States, Delonged to Spain and Mexico, and grants were made by those countries which this oountry was bound to recognize on account of the law of nations and a treaty with Mexico. These small grants, by the collusion of corrupt officials in the interest of speculators, were drawn out into absurd proportions, and the Government of the United States defrauded out of over 9,000,000 acres of land.

Mr. Julian gives a few examples of what has bean done in the way of enlarging grants. The Pedernales grant, although no proof of any grant was shown nor delivery of possession shown, w->s based upon an unauthenticated piece of paper describing a tract of 256,. 000 acres. It has since been reserved by Congress from actual settlement. The 1 anada grant was for “a spot of land to plant a corn field,” but the claimants filed a sketch map representing 240,000 acres. This land is reserved from settlement. The Canon de Chuma tract, to which title to 184,000 acres was claimed, was stretched by the surveyor-general to cover 472,000. An honest survey would -reduce the tract to 24,000 acres or less. No record of the so-called Estanica grant is iound in the Mexican archives,*but the surveyor-general approved of a claim set up to 415,036 acres.— The illegal Chaves grant calls for 17,712 acres. The surveyor-gener-al increased it to 243,036 acres. — There is no proof except fragmentary papers of any title to the Socorro grant, yet it was surveyed for 843.259 acres. The Bernado grant called for 4,438 acres; it was increased to 148,862 acres. The Canada Cochita grant called for about 32 acres. The surveyorgeneral recognized the title of the claimant to 104,554. These are but a few examples of what has been accomplished in the way of unearthing fraud since Mr. Julian went to Mew Mexico two years ago. What would have become of the public domain had the Republican party continued in power, is not an idle question, but one worthy serious consideration by serious men.

A Worm That Eats Up Steel Rails. —The existence has just been discovered of a detestable microbe which feeds upon iron with as much gluttony as the phyiloxera upon the vine. Some time ago the greatest consternation existed among the engineers employed on the railway at Hagen by the accidents occurring always at the same place, proving that some terrible defect must exist either in the material or the construction of the rails. The German government directed an inquiry to be made and a commission or surveillance to be formed for the purpose of maintaining constant watch at the place where the accidents —one of them attended with loss of life—had occurred. — It was not, however, until after six months had elapsed, that the surface of the rails appeared to be cor- , roded as if by acid, to the extent of one hundred yards. The rai was taken up and broken and it was perceived that it was literally hollowed out by a thin gray worm —Cologne Gazette.