RAILROAD LAND GRANTS. 97 



these land grants will materially assist to a correct 

 understanding of the matter. I quote from " The 

 Public Domain," Ex. Doc. 47, Part 4, H. B. 46th 

 Congress, 3rd Session, p. 268. 



" It was estimated that if the lands embraced in limits of 

 grants to railroads to June 30, 1880, were all available, and that 

 the corporations, State and National, built their roads, and com- 

 plied with the laws, it would require 215,000,000 of acres of the 

 public domain to satisfy the requirements of the various laws. 

 The estimate of the General Land Office in 1878 was that it 

 would require 187,000,000 of acres, which in all probability will 

 be reduced by actual selection, forfeitures, etc., to 154,000,000 

 of acres. The present estimate is 155,504,994.59 acres." 



Whatever may be the actual amount that will be 

 finally conveyed and confirmed to railroad corpora- 

 tions, under the various grants, the amount which 

 has actually been granted by Congress appears to be 

 about 215,000,000 acres. This does not include the 

 railroad land grants from the State of Texas, amount- 

 ing to 38,457,600 acres, as given by the Chicago Tri- 

 bune, which must be taken into account to make a 

 complete showing, making a grand aggregate, in 

 round numbers, of 255,000,000 of acres. 



The best method by which to obtain a correct idea 

 of the magnitude of these grants is by comparison. 

 Without such aid the ordinary mind can not grasp 

 its vastness. 



For example : The total area of Great Britain 

 and Ireland is 74,137,600 acres, or less than one third 

 as great as that given to railroad corporations in the 

 United States. 



For a home comparison I find that the total area 



