Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-01-23
For the Grant County Herald.
TIMBER TROUBLES = SPECIAL
NOTICE..


Mr.. Editor-It seems that we are toI
haze something new in regard to tres
pssing on government land. The Uni
td States Deputy Marshal has been
hire to-day making arrests for cutting
Itihber on government land. The chief
object seems to have been to stop par
ceI of men from getting out Railroad
ties. Notices have been served on the
w,rkmen to cease working. This may
bs considered only re-enactment of the
Hnery proceeding of two years ago, as
tie ties were probably destined for a
market in another state.
/ But there is another and new step
hire. had supposed that citizens wo'd
ID. permitted to cut and use wood for do
nestle purposes yet the government
seems TO have singled me out as an ex-
laap.e to this class Of trespassers. l
hive been in the ha55;t of making char
cAl to accommodate our yii,ssse black
smith, and it SO happened that HAD a
but eighty cords cut for that purpose
wien the Marshal came here. This he
has taken possession of; and after in
curing after my person { being absent
at the ,ime), he made search for wit
nesses, one OF which he took with him,
with promise of returning in a few
days, to attend to my case.
| had supposed that the government
officers in their correspondence with
Htn. Ben C. Eastman, had indicated the
linbntion Of government of not interfe-
ring with men that cut wood for home
purposes and this understanding is
what now enables the Marshal to attach
almost my whole stock in trade.
/ have no objections to the q. States
erforcing respect TO their rights in the
Ipnblic domain but ! do object to hav-
ing citizens tempered with in this way !:
first assured that they would not be re-
garded as trespassers, and the next mo-
ment, without warning, have destruction
dealt out to them, as if the government
had reached such crisis that its exis-
tence would not admit Of its notifying
citizens of a change of policy, and see
ling first whether they were disposed to
be aw-abiding citizens or not.
My cause is the same as -tenths
of the people Of this State !; almost ev.
cry citizen cuts wood on government
land for home purposes. IF we are all
i.respassers, it is time it was known 5
and in order that there shall be no OBJ
stacle in the way of testing the matter,
| will just remark, that the Marshal
will after this find me at home.
Yours, &c.,
STEPHEN BARTON.
RemGrls.-We never could see why these
circulating powers of darkness, dubbed U. S.
Marshals, don't go into settled neighborhoo ds
to exercise their powers over whole commtini-
ties, where al get their rails and firewood off
the public domain Why do Marshals go a.
mong the poor, sparsely settled and defence
less lumbermen of the back woods to seize
property and restrain persons at heavy cost,
while the rich in populous neghborhoods, who
are abe to bear, able to defend and able to
stand sexneneiun ials,-et,its =- ~
gufI-traps are all left alone in their depreda-
tlons? 1t is all misunderstanding the lowest
cowardice in Marshals to thus discriminate -
Leave all alone, you base towards, or attack
those who are able to contend with you.-
Your acts betray in You the character of as
sassins, az well as the profession of negro
catching, -rather than the noble qualities of
chivalrous manhood
We believe our Congressman, BEN C. East
MAN has been trying his best to effect some
thing in Congress towards compromising, or in
some way ame'ioratng the laws against tres
passers, but with what effect we have not lear
ned. Some change ought 10 be made to re-
strain these hyenas from praying upon some,
and excusng others equally guilty. The law
ought to be made to operate among all alike
We know the Secretary of the Interior has
pretended to discriminate in favor of those
who get timber for domestic uses merely, but
that is all bind.
From official reports, not dollar of the
seizures has ever been accounted for to gov
eminent, SO that all the money wrung from
lumbermen has gone into the Marshals 'pock-
cts. Their conduct is without parallel, ex-
cept among vessels on the high seas having
letters of mark and reprisal, to rob and muir
der the innocent.
CALIroRNIA.-Iti is astonishing what
opposite opinions there are amonp Cali