The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-02-13

the press Au0 on We sse"PS
,e;.l .ssirs OF the county, bad been grossly
m,;,m.p.eed, and 50 general vas the belief
= the treth 81 this, that i no doubt had
d.e;d,d influence IN causing the defeat Of
n. Kxrrprs and ths election Of Mr.. NrE,
= the County Judgsship. During the can
vas, the latter gentleman pledged himself
in case Of his election, 70 present to the peo-
ME Of the county, full exhibit Of ito imam
e;.l condition, and also full statement
Of the condition Of the Swamp Land Fund.
Upwards Of Eve months have rolled by, ana
At last 70 have the promised "repors'
through the columns Of the "C!af'o",
which appears to be the Official organ Of 'ns
County Judges Office, and the sdltor Oh
which, introduces the statement, WITH
half eolomn Of his usual twsddle, about
".ur efficient and able County Judge"
Well. since W have got the exposition,
=. =. ,oot At Il. and see what it contains.
m. amount Of County Indebtedness on
order, issued up to August 10th, 1857, is
sf5,475. What amount Of orders have been
issued since that date, the report does not
tell US. Why not, we cannot see.
The amount expected to DO realized from
the Tax list Of 1857, including the deln-
quent Tax, is set down at $25,OOO.
Amount of indebtedness a. above l5,475
leaving . balance Of $685.
to inset the expenses Of the current year.
It may be q matter of interest to some, to
compare the expenses of the county Tor the
last six years. From August, 1851, to Au-
gust 1853, under Judges Burdick and Rob-
inson, they amounted to IS, Ala "a. Annu-
al average $2,732 q.
From August 1853, to August 1855, under
Judge Street, they amounted to $l3,4sl 62.
Annual average, $6,74O 81. a~
From August 1855, to August 1857, under
Judges Hall, Larimer l. James, $i9,SSl SO.
Annual average, $9,s4o rs.
Judging from the sbove rate OF increase,
the expenses of the County for the present
year, cannot fall much short Of 81, 900, 20
that even should the full amount anticipat-
ed, be realized from the tax list for 1857,
the county will still be in debt, including
interest on outstanding orders, some S. 600.
OF the orders issued by Judge James, the
sum Of $3.50, was for the purchase Of n
lot for Court House. This lot is situated
at the intersection of Broadway and Ban
croft streets, in Council Bluffs. It fronts
some 70 feet on Broadway and runs back
about 200 feet on to the bluff.
Tho County Judge next proceeds to the
Swamp Land Exhibit:
The whole number Of acres of Swamp
Land belonging to the county, is stated to
be 57,s7l acres.
OF these, there had been sold by the q. S.
before being Withdrawn from market 1891.
Sold BY Judge James o. IL ~'-~ 13,sO3.
27.2O4.
Number Of acres undisposed of 3O,667.
For the l3,30l acres sold by the United
States, the county 10 entitled to receive from
the government Tie sum Of $l6,626, being
at tho rate Of 81 25 per acre. This is not
stated by the County Judge, but is the fact.
lie has also omitted to state that there is on
file contract executed by tho last County
Judge, with C. Baldwin, Esq, to pay that
gentleman = commission of S per cent. for
obtaining this money from the U. S. Gov
eminent! Whether this was necessary, our
taxpayers of the county can Judge for them
selves. To say the least, it furnishes a nice
little job for the party employed to do it.
But to proceed with the "exhibit.' The
number Of acres of Swamp Lands as
above, is 1851
But the list handed over to the present
Judge, by his predecessor, only
contains 56,s3l
What has become of these l,o4O
acres, does not appear.
The number Of conflicting emptions,
il stated to be 3,066 acres.
The number of pre- emptions on Govern
ment lands, is l,27l acres.
The number of pre- smptions on lands
not in County 800 acres.
From these Illustrations Of the way the
"books" have been kept, We may well be-
lievs that stnumerous errors have been
found" not only in "ths Swamp Land
plats," but in other parts Of the county re.
cords. The Judge says, that 'sthe old Swamp
Land Record l have not been able to find;
tho record now in my Office, being copy"
That old record was familiar document to
all having anything to do with the Swamp
Lands. Probably, there were good reason,
why il never was suffered to see daylight
after tho term of the late County Judge OK
pired. It's existence might have told some
tales, which it would be unpleasant for GER
tain ex-of6cials to hear.
BY the way, it may be here stated a. .
fact, although it does not appear in the
"exhibit," that of the 1903 acres sold by
Judge James, about one-half was decided to
Thomas A. Walker Of St. Louis, and that
it is well known fact, that the officer who
made the deeds, was, at the time, the agent
Of Walker in land speculations in this coun-
~. Perhaps that was all right, but at any
rate. tho fact should be noted.
There appears to have been great loose
ness in the way in which the deeds were ex-
ecuted. Witness the following from the
"exhibit:'' ...t 80
The Deeds for swamp Lands are erroneous in several
particulars amounting In ALL To ils7 7s-l00th acres
~. owamp s.us. -
No such Land in the County. Observation-Disclosures |
Wrong description. ...............,..,,. 20
l,lS7 - |
Who Is to be the loser BY the.. blundsrs,
which amount to nearly sixth Of the whole
amount Of land sold? Must the county "a.
fund, or must they fall upon the individu-
ais to whom the eonveyances were mades
The amount received BY Judge James for
Swamp Land sold, appears to have
been 17.378 *
John II. Sherman, do, 1887 O8