The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-04-18
Jumping Claims. Again.
EMroRlA, K. T..April 6. 1857.

We have had some claim jumping !.
this region of different and mon.
eomneadable stripe, and some whib
| think is little the meanest of II.
mean. Before Emporia was foundes
and the recent settlers began to Don,
in, the people here held, by mutual
agreement, and by virtue of a club
they had formed to protect each Other
three hundred and twenty acres Of
land. The argument was that no
man could farm ; timber claim With.
out prairie. or prairie claim with.
out some timber. Hence they inferred
and agreed that all men should holS
two quarter seetions-one of timbe,
and one of prairie. But, alas th;,
fine arrangement was doomed to dis.
arrangement. The 'Kaw Yankees
as the old settlers call the Lawrene.
BOYS, came down with a new and r..
pugnant theory. Their argument was
that no man could till over fifty. or
eighty acres, at most /; and that The
more closely the land could be settled
the better it would be for the general
welfare of the people; that the land
would thus be doubled in value and
there would be larger society, better
schools, DC. Their idea was that if
there was TO be any club. it should te
to limit the settlers to eighty acres.
This the cid settlers would not Listen
to; but. the Kaw Yankees began TO
make thems elves at home on the "es.
tras." as they called their second
quarter sections 81 they wisely re.
ceded' from their broad position. but
n0t-I must do them the justice to
add,-until they had shown a proper
spirit of fght--a little Of the kai,as
git. Having sent out committee
and learned the impracticabiliiy Off.
moving the jumpers, a compromise
was effected, and the law of the United
States. entitled An act to appropri-
ate the proceeds of the sales of the
public lands, and to grant pre-emp.
tion rights" was selected TO hereafter
regulate this matter.
But of another class Of jumping.
and of case we have recently hal
here, l can hardly speak with pa
thence. The particular case which !
refer to, is this : When the site Of
Emporia was selected. the latter part
of last February. young woman in
your place chose claim here and had
a foundation laid for a house, in the
manner tie young lords IF creQtisa
here take their claims. and registered
her Intentions at the land office. She
wished to come down to live on lei
claim and keep boarding house
omething we greatly nee her and
lre-empt herself home. which. ac-
cordiug to the fourth section OF the
act of Congress before alluded TO. she
can legally do. Now, alteit h.re are
more than fifty thousand quarter sec
tionS Just as good as this down here.
yet one or two young lords immedi.
a;ely began 10 covct this. Timber
claims are usually the rage. ami Of
these there are plenty but they were
all neglected in the strife after this, |
which has neither timber nor water I
on it. Other employment prevented
the young lady from coming here for
& few weeks. In the meantime one Of
the young lords put on another found
alton, but afterwards gave If up to bis
cousin, Mr.. Howard Hunt. who had
taken a claim near Burlington, bat
who has since, through an agent.
commenced building house on this.
and took for himself timber claim
far more valuable than the one in
question. Thus the case stands. | an
unacqHainted with either party. and
have never TO my knowledge seen BIZ.
Hunt but as ii is 3 matter of great
public Importance. | bring Dir. Hunts
name before the public. 1t j. mat
ter of great public Importance because
it concerns the rights of large class
OF HUMAN BEINGS. (which ! beliere
young women are considered to b.
and involves TO quite an extent the i'll.
terests OF the Territory. ! know per.
SONS who came here supposing they
coult'. and in ending Oh; { their dargh-
ters should, obt, in homes for them
selves by complying with the law.
Thousands in the west, in the north
and in the east, world come to the
Territory if they could get homes for
their daughters as well as their IONS,
Abont one-third Of the population OF
the Territory are young bachelors. ioi
whom there are 20 f.male companions,
and for whom there will be none Tor
many years TO come. unless public
sentiment decides 10 snstain the tights
Of unmarried females. and thus OLE I
inducements for this class of tmigTs'
ton.
/ say that such cases Of jumping
are the meanest of the mean-l think
it worse than stealing,-ior this ies'
son: In ease Of thest. those who lose
properly have the Law to prolect lhen.
md whereby The, can regain it. but
in this case, those who jumped TIE
claim did so presuning there was no
law to operate against them and Pio,
,ect the rights OF the female. ! think y
honorable to steal. where there IS
law to break, compared 10 steal Whsr
the party is weak and is supposed 70
have no law to defend them. If Nf.
HowARD HUxT is right, ] invite hiE
to come forward and yindicafe his Pc-
sition in the columns of the Heral4
Let it be either honorable or dishoh-
orsbie to jump q woman's eiaIS'
where her intentions are bona fds az S
her proceedings in eempIiaace III.
law. and if dishonorsble. let all Sod
as do it be. pointed ont as the .' we
mans claim jumper." Yours for u
right. JAS. ii. HOLMES.
--z----- Z
H We learn that the Units
Brethren Church of Kansas design %
eatfno a college az our enterpTIsih.