The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-08-13
For tie Fera,d Of Freedom.
BLACKBERRY GROVE, Riley Co.. K. T.,)
Aug. Sth. 1859.

For the eerGld Of Freedom.
HAcKBERRY GROVE, Riley Co.. K. T.,)
Aug. 9Th, 1859.
GEO. ". BRowN, ESQ. AS am writ
ing to you on private busin ess, / may as
we'll correct an error in my last letter. /
said R. A. Armstrong had purchased
"Newell's Hotel" 1 should have said
R. ]. Harper, who is now the landlord.
The public are interested in good hotels.
and as this one always was and is now
first class hotel, 1 therefore note the
change.
also spoke of the dry weather in my
last. Since then we have had some well
come rain, completely saturating the
ground, reviving vegetation as we'll as the
'chopfallen" farmer. The crops now,
from appearance, promise an abundant
harvest. -,,.-----..-..s.
You are aware, I presume, tn at there
are two steam saw mills in Manhattan !;
one built, and l believe afterward DIS sold,
by Hunt &c Co., the other owned by the
Emigrant Aid Society,"" The mills
were both recently sold for taxes. and the
purchasers of the "Emigrant Aid" mill
allege that it was built on a street, and
therefore personal property, and that the
sale transferred the right to the buyers.
I have not heard upon what grounds the
buyers of the old Hunt mill claim that
the property is vested in them. The lat
ter mill, however, is removed to Ashland,
town five miles above Manhattan, on
the Kansas river, located on as beautiful
site as can almost be found in Kansas,
and the country adjacent is settled by as
industrious and thriving set of farmers
as can anywhere be found. Ashland
promises at no great future period to be a
! place of much importance. 1t is called
after the old sage of that name.
Some persons regret that few of the
useless citizens of Manhattan did not
permanently accompany the mill. II
| they had, and some merchants had located
! there who think it no crime to sell at 1OC
, per cent. profit, the Ashlanders would
undoubtedly have compared favorably
with the Manhattanites in point of scroug
ing generalities, providing they had beer
, able to erect a college az few churches
| suppose the sale of these mills viii
t give employment to the lawyers. One
party may contend that because the mil
: was built on the street it was persona
t property, and the title passed instanter
and that no time is allowed in which tt
: redeem the mill. The other party may
= contend that it was not subject to taxa
=. ton because it wds on the street, ant
e therefore no title passed that if it wa
: on the street, the corporation should hav
. removed it as q nuisance, as it was an oh
. struction to the highway. They may al
y SO contend that the act of Assembly de
d fined the meaning of real property, SO ia
l. as the purposes of taxation were concerned
that it included "the land itself, and a.
buildings, fixtures and other improve
ments thereon, and all mines, mineral,
quarries and fossils in and under tn
10 same ;" and also that it defined persons
le property for the purposes of taxation
ct include goods and chattels, money an
} effects, boats and vessels, and capital in
. vested therein, debts due on accounts
is contracts, notes, mortgages or otherwise,
in &C., and that buildings or steam mills al
RS not personal property, because the act di
u not define steam mills to be personal PROF.
ia erty, and did define that which was pei
* sonal property for the purpose of taxation
es | mention the sale of the mill for the Der
eft of the members of the "Emigrant Al
IL Company" .a.-,
Ut The large hotel built by Gen. (perhaI
W COL, as nearly everybody here is Col
L. Gen., or something) A. J. Mead, is no
Is finished. 1t Stands out in bold relief,
d. and is credit to the energetic gentl ems
al who caused its construction.
Truly yours, A. NJ. BURNS.