Chapter 311. Granting to the Northern Mississippi Railway Company right of way through certain Indian reservations in Minnesota
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/statutes-at-large/vol-28/chapter-311-1976894·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. 311.— An Act Granting to the Northern Mississippi Railway Company right of way through certain Indian reservations in Minnesota.August 23, 1894. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Northern Mississippi Railway Company granted right of way, Loech Lake, Chippewa, and Winand nebagoshish reservations, Minn. That there is hereby granted to the Northern Mississippi Railway Company, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Minnesota, and its assigns the light of way for the extension of its railroad through the Leech Lake Indian, Chippewa, Indian, and Winnebagoshish Indian reservations, in the State of Minnesota; such right of way to be fifty feet inWidth. width on each side of the center line of said railroad; and said Company shall also have the right to take from the land adjacent to the line of said road materials, stone, and earth necessary for the Construction of said railroad; also ground adjacent to such right of way for station buildings, depots, machine shops, side tracks, turnouts, andStations, etc. water stations, not to exceed in amount two hundred feet in width and three thousand feet in length for each station, to the extent of one station for every ten miles of road constructed within the limits of said reservations: *Provided*, That no part of such lands herein granted shall*Proviso*.
Reversion, etc. be used except in such manner and for such purposes only as are necessary for the construction and convenient operation of said railroad line, and when any portion thereof shall cease to be used such portion shall revert to the nation or tribe of Indians from which the same shall be taken. Sec. 2. That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior toDamages. fix the amount of compensation to be paid to the Indians for such right of way and provide the time and manner for the payments thereof; and also to ascertain and fix the amount to be paid to individual members of the tribe for damages, if any, by them sustained by reason of the construction of said road.
But no right of way of any kind shall vest in said railway company in or to any part of the right of way herein provided for until plats thereof, made upon actual survey for thePlats, etc., to be approved. definite location of such railroad, and including the grounds for station houses, depots, machine shops, sidetracks, turnouts, and water stations, shall have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior, and until the compensation aforesaid shall have been fixed and paid, and theCompensation. consent of the Indians on such reservations, as to the amount of said compensation and right of way, shall have been first obtained in a manner satisfactory to the President of the United States.
Said Company is hereby authorized to enter upon said reservations for the purpose of surveying and locating its line of railroad, provided that saidSurvey, etc. line of railroad shall be located, constructed, and operated with due regard to the rights of the Indians, and under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior shall prescribe. Sec. 3. That the rights herein granted shall be forfeited by saidConstruction. company unless the road is constructed through said reservations within three years.
Sec. 4. That Congress may at any time amend, add to, alter, orAmendment. repeal this Act. Approved, August 23, 1894.