Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-07-16
IOWA LANDS.

Iowa has fallen a prey to land SPECTATORS,
and though they may not be able TO stFangle her
rising prosperity, yet there can be little doubt
that the prospect there IS but poor one for the
emigrant farmer of limited resources. For years
these same SPECTATORS were dead drag upon
the prosperity of Illinois. They seized upon
the very bcStlands everywhere, they prevented
the growth Of the most promising towns, and
arc the dread of all the settlers at the West
From the frequent appearance of letters IN the
newspapers putting up roads IN Iowa, We sur
mise that hundreds Of ( senl h-Tsg 1 Their hage 5
burnt by the indiscriminate rush they have all
made in that direction. They have, however,
eng-ossed al the available land and tlius are
forcing cmigTants to buy of them at five dollars
an acre that for which they paid but one dollar
and quarter. Thousands, who viii not sub
NIT to this, 90 to Minnesota, Nebraska and Kan
sas- The interests of the State would thus have
suffered seriously, had NOT Congress most OPP
portunely relieved Iowa by the bin granting
lands in aid of railways, as it had previously re-
lieved Illinois of q similar incubus by a like
remedy.
The other letter, to which we alluded above,
cago Democratic Press It IS all In q hopeful
tone, but the following paragraph, taken in con-
nection with what we have just said, viii con-
vey to the reader an idea that this letter is from
some Spectator who has been stuck" The
writer says:
"For at least a year the most desirable govern
ment lands the State have been taken up, and
settlers have generally preferred buying from
second hands at moderate advance over the
minimum Government price, thereby getting the
choicest selections at but little more than it
wonld cost them to go back into the State and
be at the trouble and expenditure Of both time
and money in making selections, and entering
them at the Land Office. Now large amounts
OF the most valuable lands, which have been
located from one to five years, are for sole at al
most all the principal points in the State at rc-
sonablc prices, and we do not see that the pas
sage of the railroad grants" has advanced the
price. Lands that have been for sale by agents,
individuals andcompanies have been advanced
no more thanis natural from the settlement and
development of the country, and they are bought
at prices that no settler can object t."
I Here is a palpable confession that the specu
lators have cngrossed all the desirable lands in
the STATE, and that cnigrants can only buy from
theru! We have already given an idea of what
; kind of q moderate advance" is demanded
This land speculation is fast becoming such an
iIntolerable evil in Western States, that Congress
Evill be obliged to pass laIT restricting the
sales to actual settlers. 1t is clear that by per-
hitting tile spectators to engross all the desira
I bic lands IN iowa the national treasury has
been cheated of large amount of revenue
The same land which they bought for Sl.25 per
! acre would have brought So or 81 in the regu
lar process Of sale to bonatide settlers, the only
I difference being that it would not have sold so
! fast as under the influence of speculation
4 thild. Amer.