The Lincoln County herald., 1868-06-11

A Big Swindls $1,000 Farmers in
Kansas 70 be Knscked out Of Seven
Millions Of Dollars.
trrsn, the New. York Hsrald.1
-.-...... WASHINGTON, May 80.
Some thirty.seven years ago, the ma
tional government held In trust for the
the Cherokee Indians the sum Of 900, 900
In gold, and having use for about that
sum appropriated it, giving the Cherokees
instead decd to eight hundred thousand
acres Of land in what is now Southern
Kansas. This tract was never occupied
by the Cherokees, but was held in trust
for them by the national government, sup.
posing that the rise in value would fully
equal the interest on the rum paid. Mean.
while it was taken possession Of and i'm.
proved by settlers, who, finding it vacant,
supposed they could acquire title to it
under the pro cmption or homestead law.
1t was estimated that fifty thousand sst-
tiers, occupied that portion Of Kansas a
year ago, and the number has been rap.
idly increasing since.
In 1866 the Chcroliees applied to Sec.
rstary Of the Interior Harlan for permis-
sion to sell the laud in question, offering
it FIRST to the Government for $500, 900
currency, or S2OO, 900 less than FIRST cost,
If you take the interest and depreciation
Of interest into consideration. 1t could
readily have been rcsold to the settlers
occupying it, in tracts Of 100 acres each,
at the rate Of 81 25 Per acre, or 81, ,OOO,.
900 for the whole, thus repaying the
Government, expenses Of surveying, &c.
An arrangement Of treaty was finally
made by which the Secretary Of the In.
terror was to have the land appraised by
q commissioner and sold to the settlers at
its appraised value, or he might sell it in
o body for sum not less than sSOO,0OO
cash.
As tho land was considered by good
judges to be worth from s1,5OO,0OO to
S3,O0O,00O, Mr.. Secretary did not le,
much grass grow under his feet before
selling it to the American Emigrant Com.
pany Of Connecticut, Of which Mr. John
Williams, tho author Of the National
Bank system, was general agent, for
s25,0oo cash down, aud s775,OOO en- long
credit.
The sale was pronounced by the Attor.
ncy General illegal and void, and Mr..
Browning, after taking control Of the
department, resold the land to one Mr.
Joy, Of Detroit, whose right to it was al
ouce contested by the Emigrant Compan.
ny. Having, however, reconeilel thci,
differences, both contestants are now put.
ting forth every effort to get the Senate
to legalize the first sale.
This tract Of land is nearly equal to Q
principality. Towns have grown ur
with its boundaries, and much Of its now
improved farms worth $50 per acre. II
these sharpers get title to the land the
settlers, or large portion Of them, will
bo ut their mercy, obliged to pay whaever
avaricious spectators may demand, OF
leave their homesteads,
1t is not likely that these hcartless LOB
byists will demand Of their victims les,
than $40 per acre on an average, which
will bring the enormous sum of SIS, 900, ,OOC
being o froGt Of $780, 900 on on in
vcstment Of 100000. This land having
been placed in the hands Of the Govern.
ment in trust tor sale, it was the mpcra
tive duty Of the Secretary Of the Iutcrio,
to have offered it first to the settlers
whose toll wad enriched it. If they re
fused to buy tho sharpcrs then might
have had chunco. Such q straightfor
ward, honest course, however, would hav.
left NO chance for the lobby.gobetwcener.
to make 81 100000.
One very peculiar feature Of the trans
action is that it is all fixed up in secret
session Of the Senate, the, House having
no knowledge Of the matter at any stage
Of the proceeding.