The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-09-11
From the ST. Louis Republican
LAND SALES, SETTLERS, SHAVERS, &c.

The settlers in Township 49, range west, and frac-
tiona township 76, range west in Iowa Territory,
have lately held meetings. passed resolutions and made
all necessary provisions for the protection OF themselves
and for The adjustment Of oil conflicting claims which
may either by persons claiming the tract
by conflict Of Iines They have appointed CON-
mtlee to whom all these disputes are submitted, and
in this way s s one man appointed Who /.
called Recorder This person has plats of all the
sections and each settler reports to him the number or
subdivision Of the section which he claims and his name
is entered upon his clanf two claim the same tract,
the dispute is settled before the sales At the sale
there appointed, with assistant to bid in
the tracts Of the settlers and settler liberty
to bid against another neither do they, far they
can prevent II, permit stranger TO interfere with the
settlers.
There arc many mon who will think these arrange
Manufacturing they often do. the price Of the 60
| vernment snds--wrong and censurable But those
who have seen, have, the good effects Of this
the peace and good feeling preserves neigh
borhoods, and the security gives the less weshy
against the opuent, will unite with in saying it is
an excellent arrangement. Those who have not wit
messed land sale in the west know but little Of the
wrongs which the settlers suffer from the spectators
especially in those times when land office money!
is difficult to procure. These Shyioeks attend the
land sales either to buy lands upon which they can
make large profit, else to loan their money at an
exorbant interest II they GO buy lands, they sell
dom select those which are nnmprovcd, though there
be thousands OF acres every way good but seek out
such as have been mproved-where probably the far
has spent two Of labor in fencing,
building, &c. If they can get these tracts they are
sure Of speedy sale for emgrant will give hand
some advance government price to get house to
go into, and field ready fenced for cultivation.
When these Shylocks do not buy, but to loan
their money, becomes their object the settler
into difficulty, by bidding the land up to price above
what he is prepared to give for it. Almost every set
tier is provided with Gland Office money! Just sufficient
to buy, at Government price, ISL 25 per acre.) the
quantity Of land he wants II the land is run up over
this sum- he must lose it, with his mprovements,he
labor OF season or twoor else make great sacrifices
TO procure the money. In this case, the sharper
step in aud make his own terms charge high an in
terest his gum elastic viii permit, and
take the lands and probably every thing else the settler
owns, security Opportunities for these spcculatons,
have been greatly multiplied since the introduction of
the specie ncple" specie for the office holders and
rags for the people"-of the late and present admins
tratons. Formerly, when the common currency Of the
country-that money which the farmer got for the
COW. the horse, the gram any OF the products Of
his farmwas receivable in the Land Office the settler
was not put to these straigh,s Them IL his land
run up few dollars over the Congress price, some OF
his neghb ,rs to whom be was known, would step
forward and loan him the at fair rate Of int.
rest, and upon reasonable secnrity-or land Office
money" then was no better than any other in fact
there other than Island office money! in the
country, and If the settler had any thing to SELL he 90,
" land Office money" for IT, But times are much
changed Now, il he sells horse lot Of bacon or
corn no must first take Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia,
or some 9th ,r distant State Bank notes in paw. This
he must get exchanged into land office money" and
for the exchanges he has to pay pretty heavy shane
We have known instances where from fire to as high as
thirty per cent was paid between " land office money
and notes, which in this city in oil commercial trans
actions, were at par in worth premium
Consequently, few Of the settlers or farmers have in
these days. . land office money abou, the n they
require for their the of some i'm mediate
friend. ard seldom able TO help their peighbor
although they may, and often do have, plenty OF mo-
ney, but it is not " land Office money! In slch cases.
to prevent overbiddng aud runs being made on them
they have no other than some such combination
as that mentioned 10 the Of the citizens Of Iowa
Our eastern readers and in fact many Of our country
friends presume, alike ignorant Of the extent 10
which this shaving business has been carried on since
the introduction of the glorious specie hln5ug In.
mcnse sums ate realized from this source and there arc
very many men engaged into it, As soon as a land
sale Is advertised, these men having the command of
ready cash. set TO work procure specie or land Office
money This Trey enabled to get ia the course of
commercial transactions and par or for small pre-
MUM. Thoy repair with il to the place OF the land
sales and fail 10 mako from twenty TO one hun
dred per cent. profit the speculation, besides an
exorbant interest for the time they have to Law ont Of
the use oft. We know men in this CITY who are
preparing for the land sales to come or this fall in this
State, and in the territories.
These men arc not 10 be blamed for the use they