Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-12-25

The Alleged Swamp Land Frauds

lcolumn on Saturday morning. No fraud
whatever has been perpetrated or designed
by the parties IN the transaction referred TO-
The facts are briefly ss follows:
In the county of Jasper there is large
scope Of country lying on the slope Of the
KankaSee and the Iroquois. On tho sum
nit level between the two rivers there are
extensive Marshes constantly abounding in
water apparently from springs, These wa
tens having no regular channel or outlet in
their natural descent towards the two rivers,
and especially towards the Kaukakee, over
flow vast tracts of the country, rendering il
marshy, and totally unfit for settlement and
cultivation. The marshes are very large, aud
the county never can be drained except on a
large scale. There are isolated quarter sec
tons and eighties, aud forties, that might be
purchased by individuals, bat not within
twenty years, if ever would enough be sold
by miscellaneous entries TO enable the State
to drain the country. The only mode of
draining the country is for companies, possess
ing capital and enterprise, to take each GER
tain tract, say township, more or less, in a
body, to have all the land as it comes, good,
bad and Indifferent and by draining it, make
it suitable for cultivation.
There was another difficulty respecting the
Jasper county lands. BY the defalcaton Of
the Treasurer of the county, to the amount OF
some $4,000, the process of draining was
nearly or quite suspended, and little conf
dence was felt by purchasers that their lands,
for which they might pay cash, would ever
be drained. The writer of this article, and
several of his friends, had purchased some
of these lands for cash some two years ago.
intending to make farms there; but owing to
this defalcation, and also to the large quanti-
ties of unsold lands in the neighborhood, no
ditching has been done, and our interests have
been greatly delayed. Another fact also has
operated to the injury of swamp land pur-
chasers. A large amount of swamp land
funds heretofore received into the State Trea-
sury, has been diverted from its legitimate
purpose, and used up in paying the interest
on the State debt. Under these circumstan-
ces the officers OF State were obliged, nearly
two years ago, to issue circular, suspending
the letting of contracts for ditching. This cir
cular produced great dissatisfaction Another
was issued, authorizing the Swamp Land
Commissioners to let contracts for ditching, on
condition that the contractors would receive
their pay in the lands themselves. In several
counties large contracts were let on these
terms. To enable the contractors to carry on
the enterprise, advance certificates were Civ
en- them, they giving bonds to complete the
work.
For year or more past several gentlemen,
having already large interest in the coun-
try, have been trying to organize companies
to apply to the Jasper lands the same system
of drainage, which had been successfully ap-
piled to Gibson, Stark, Marshall and several
other counties. During the summer past
some four or five companies we've formed, COM
posed of gentlemen of capital and enterprise,
and whose interest had already suffered by
the delay of drainage, with the design of &C
comprising what from the nature of the cir
cumstances could be accomplished in no 9TH
er way. They proposed to the Com
missioners and Engineer of Jasper, to survey,
lay out and make estimates for disching the
country, and to advertise the letting accord
ing to law, and they would put in their bids.
All this was done in good faith. Lettings
were advertised, the contracts were taken,
and bonds ample and with undeubted secu-
rity were given for the compl etion of the
work.
On the faith of these bonds advance certif-
icates were given to the contractors 70 enable
them the better to accomplish the great and
expansive enterprise they had undertaken
All has been done in perfect good faith, and
the idea of fraud in the arrangement has new
er entered the head of any of the parties con-
cerned. The country will be greatly benefit
ted by the success ofthe enterprise. The gen.
tlemen engaged in the work will receive their
reward in the general improvement of the in
terest they already have in the neighborhood.
Should they make any additional profit on
their work it will bo but the fruit of enter
prise and capital, which we'll used will sue
coed in any employment.
The whole community will be benefited
and nobody can be injured by any acts con-
templated by the persons engaged in this
business. The only dissatisfaction seems to
exist amopg spectators and schemers, who
desire, as soon as they see prospect of hav-
ing the county drained, step in and seize on
the best lands, and utterly supplant those
who have risked their capital in the enter
prise. There are always those who live on
the labor of other men, and such seem in
this case to be particularly anxious to profit
by the risks and the enterprise of those gen.
tlemen who alone have been willing, after
waiting several years. to undertake TO accom-
plish this great work.
The public may rest assured that there is
no fraud contemplated by any party in this
enterprise. Allis done fairly, openly, and in
good faith. The companies intend to com.
plete their work, and fulfill their agreement
in every particular. They have gwen ample
bonds They feel able to make their case
clear before the people, or before any Court.
or before the Legislature. They challenge
investigation in any form, in which it may be
devised. JASPER.
CHARMING" THE New STATE HOUSE,
The Columbus papers advocate a proposition
to mark the first occupancy of the State
House by celebration. 1t is seventeen
years since the building was commenced,