The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-12-30
For the Minnesotian.
The Superior City Land Case,

last few weeks, before the Register and Receiy-
er of the Land Office at Hudson. Wisconsin, in
volving the right to the town site of Superior
city at the head of Lake Superior in Wiscon-
sin.
The facts ore. that more than year ago,
Mr.. Rice, d. A. Robertson, r. Il. Nelson and
others, directed their attention to the head of
Lake Superior, as point of speculation, and,
ascertaining that some of the lands in that sec
ton were about to be surveyed, they and sew
eral others in connection with them, went to
the head of the Lake and, at or near the mouth
ofLeft Hand River, undertook to make their
presumption claims. D. A. Robertson, R. r.
Nelson ard D. A. J. Baker, settled on certain
pieces of land preparatory to making pre-
emption rioiUs thereon. The friends CT Mr..
Rice, and those who were ct work for and I'm.
der him, and as his plant instruments. also
made presumption settlements upon the same
lands which Robertson, Nelson and Baker
claimed.
This fact raised an issue between Rice and
his friends on the one side. and Robertson, Nell
son and Baker on the other; and when the par
ties came before the Land Office to prove up
their prescriptions, it was apparent to both
parties, that contest would be serious to both
their interests as neither party could make a
legal and valid presumption if the matter was
contested.
The parties therefore came together before
the time for proving up the prescriptions arriv-
ed, and made compromise and entered into
an agreement by virtue Of which the adverse
parties joined their interests at the head of the
Lake together, and formed a company for the
purpose of building up town; and the lands
claimed by Robertson, Nelson and Baker, were
after the entry to be owned as common prop
erty by the company thus formed, and the 9TH
or side were to enter and put into the company
certain other tracts of land at the head of the
Lake.
The title to the lands were to be procured by
pre-emption.
This agreement we understand from what
we regard to be good authority, was made be-
fore the prescriptions of Robertson, Baker and
Nelson. or of the other party were proven up
and when the parties had completed this
agreement among themselves, they went on
and proved up their prescriptions ana took
the oath required by ia,c Of prc-emptors.
We wish to direct attention to the form of
that oath which these persons took, in order
that the people may know something of the
course pursued by this company which is
seeking to absorb all the valuable lands at the
head of Lake Superior.
Sec. 49, of the act ofCOngress, approved Sept.
18th 1871, is as follows:
THAT before any person claiming the beniit
of this act shall be allowed to enter such lands,
he or she shall make oath before the Receiver
or Register, of the land district in
which the land is situated, that he or she has
never had the benefit of any right of pre-empt-
ion under this act, that he or she is not the
o,cner of 800 acres ofiand in any State or Ter
ritory of the United States, nor that he or she
.ettled upon and Improved said land to sell the
same on speculation, but in good faith to ap-
propriate it to his or her own erclusioe use or
benefit, and that he or she has not directly or
indirectly made any agreement or contract IN
any tcay or manner ,Dith any person or per-
sons ,chatever, by achich the title tchieh he or
she might acquire from the Government ofthe
/ United States, should inure in ,cAole or IN
part, to the benefit Of any person ercept him
self or herself"
Such is the oath which was taken by the pre-
emptors to the lands, of this company. Such
is the oath which was taken by those men who
are now seeking to rob r. +. Slaughter and
others, of the lands upon which they settled in
good faith and expended large amount of mo-
ney.
Supplied as to believe for one moment that d.
a. Robertson, or D. A. J. Baker, could honest
iy take such an oath and yet they have SOL
EMMY taken that oath we'll knowing all the
facts in the case.
But this is not the worst feature in the trans
actions OF this heartless company. They have
procured ignorant half breeds to make pre-
emptions for them, and have induced those
halrbrecds to take the oath above recited
when they knew at the time that such pre-
emptions were being made for the benefit Of
this Company.
Messrs BrunsOn and Slaughter and several
other persons, made a settlement on quantity
of land at the head of the Lake, and laid the
same off into town site, and surveyed and
plated the same before any person whatever
had made any claim thereto. After these gen.
tleman had expended large amount of theil
means in improving the town site, the Compa.
ny, wanting the lands upon which Brunson and
Slaughter were settled and at work, under
took to fLrcibly eject them from the prcmi.
ses. Some two weeks after Brunson and
Slaughter made their settlement, one Mr.
Stinson. member of this Company, and not a
citizen of the United States, and Benjamin
Thompson, who is understood to be the i'm.
mediate representative of II. NJ. Rice in this
matter, came upon the lands which had been
so settled upon by Messrs Brunson and Slaugb-
ter, armed with pistols and accompanied bv
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