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Show Seme Railroad Profits Some early railroad history is brought to mind by the decision of a Federal judge, at Spokane, Washington, Wash-ington, :o almost equally divided nearly three million rich western acres between the Federal Government Govern-ment and the Northern Pacific Railroad Rail-road Company. W h.ile we are not familar with the legal aspects cf the case, it seems that the Government contended that .more than two million, seven 'hundred thousand acres of land tlhould remain in the public d:main. This contention was resisted by the Railroad Company. W.-.i..t is interesting in the case is the statement of Noitr.an M. Littell, special assistant-United States Attorney-General, who told the Court that the railroad had .made $205,-000,000 $205,-000,000 from the sale of grant lands, still ,i sseosed six million acres and had spent enly $68,000,000 in building build-ing the railroad. In other words, in the early history his-tory cf railroad construction, toe United States Government gave to the railroad companies vast acreages of public lands. Tiie companies, hi many instances, aided by contributions contribu-tions from the areas traersed, built tie roads aith private capital and gradually sold the lands given to them by the Government. |