The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1856-11-29
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The Land Sales.

The sale of the Delaware Trust Lands,
at Fort Leavenworth, began ON Novem-
Der 18th, according to the advertise
ment. 1t opens every day at 10 a NJ
and is continued for an hour, and then
closed for the day, in orderto make out
the duplicates, and receive the pur-
chase money. 1t goes on very slowly.
The first three days were occupied
with selling that portion of the Trust
Lands offered for sale in Township
=, Range 10; and Township s. in the
same range.
The greater number of the quarter
sections was claimed by settlers, who,
when their claims were recognized by
the association of settlers Of the town
ship, were not bid against, and, on bid
ding the appraised value, had the quar-
ter-section at once knocked Otto them.
Instructions from Washington were
read at the sale, to the effect that COM
petition against bona .fde settlers was
to be discouraged, and where they had
been driven off, or had other meritori-
GUS causes for absence. their claim
should not be sold for the present. Bo-
gus claimants were not, however, allow
ed these privileges, and the settlers were
advised not to attempt to protect them.
The unclaimed sections were offered
for competition. On the first day, Mr..
Collamore, of Boston, bought four
quarter-sections On the second and
third days, pro-slayery men purchased
most of the unclaimed quarter-sections.
Buford bought seven of these on the
second day, and w. II. Russell, of
Leavenw orth, bought five. On the
third day, Hynds, Burnham d. Co., of
the same town, bought eight or fen.
The pro-slayery men were very eager
to become purchasers, after the first
day. They had heard exaggerated re-
ports of large amounts, to the extent
of million of dollars or more, which
had been raised in Boston and New
York, to invest in these lands. A great
noise was made in both places, by ad-
vertisements in all the leading news
papers, and the appointment of ti1Is-
tees to collect and administer funds
These were noticed in the Missouri
Republican, a copy Of which, charging
the Eastern capitalists with attempting
to monopolize the lands, arrived at
Leavenworth on the evening of the first
day of the sale. We are not advised
of the amount of capital raised in the
East for investment in these lands, but
understand that only a few thousands
were collected, by an association in
Boston. Capitalists were present, how-
ever, from all sections of the country,
particularly from Massachusetts,, New
York, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.
In the opinion of most of them, the
unclaimed sections were run up to too
high rate. They ranged, after the
first day, from $3.50 per acre to $500.
There were fifteen hundred persons
present at the SALE, one-fourth of whom
were settlers, who occupied places ad-
joining the stand of the auctioneer.-
The sale was entirely quiet. The set
tiers were. in very many cases. unpro-
vided with funds. They were able to
find them, by allowing the capitalist
who paid the entire purchase money,
to have one-half the claim-he taking
the receipt, and giving bond to con-
vey the half when he received the pa
tent. The settlers were generally 10th
to part with a part of their land on
these terms, and preferred to give 80
and 40 per cent. interest, for the pur-
chase money, on which terms they pro-
cured loans.