not only endowed with exclusive privileges, but the scheme is executed in such an artistic manner as to convey the idea that a great public benefit has been accomplished; whereas, the whole thing is a low-down means of granting the Northern Pacific extraordinary powers in the selection of lands in lieu of its worthless holdings in the two reserves. The Act of June 4, 1897, did not give the railway corporation enough margin in this respect, so the National Park idea was played up for all it was worth.
It is evident, that from the moment the plot was conceived of making a National Park—and incidentally letting down the bars for the Northern Pacific to get in on the ground floor with its lands in the big forest reserve—the corporation had its hungry eyes fastened upon the rich unsurveyed townships of Oregon, Washington. Idaho, and other States penetrated by its lines. Like charity, this law creating the National Park covered a multitude of sins, and nowhere was this idea more clearly outlined than in the clause that has permitted the company to operate with a free hand in the selection of tracts in townships that were not subject to entry through any other process. Under this privilege the Northern Pacific has filed selection lists covering upwards of 50.000 acres of unsurveyed lands in Oregon alone, with several States yet to hear from. The clause referred to provides as follows:
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