Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-10-30
yDailD Argus.
THE BISHOP HILL COLONY AND THE CHI
CAGO LANDS.

THE BISHOP HILL COLONY AND THE CHI |
cAGo LANDS.
Proof Of the Erroneous Statements Of ], Russell
Jones and John /. Bennett
Grant has a Deed of the Lands, and Refuses |
to Make any Answer to the swedes.
To the Rditor of the Chicago Tribune;
IR:-Our attention has been called to en-
article of John |. Bennett, dated Chicago,
Sept. II and letter Of J. R. Jones, dated
Brussels, Aug. 30, 1872, inserted in the
Chicago Tribune about week ago, relating
to some land in the City of Chicago belong
ing to the Bishop Hill Colony and sold by
one of tia trustees Of the Colony to said
Jones, and by said Jones to President
Grant to which We, ss members Of said
Colony, desire to make some reply, aud cor
rect the Interpretations by Messrs. Ben
nett and Jones.
Although We belong to the interested par
ties, We, or any other member of the Colony,
as far as we know, have taken no part in
the controversy which has been carried on
between the different journals relating to
the sale of this land, and do not do so now
otherwise than to state the real facts re-
ferred to in said letters, that every one may
judge for himself.
Mr.. Jones in his letter says, in substance,
that be and Mr.. Munson purchased Of the
Bishop Hill Colony SO acres in section 10,
town 80, at about $$150 per acre, being an
undivided half Of tract of 104 acres /; that
he afterwards bought of Mr.. B. f. Sherman
the other half of the undivided l04 acres ,
and ten acres more in the same section : or,
altogether 60 acres and that it WAS out OF
this 60 acres that Mr.. Jones sold 81 to
President Grant.
The land conveyed by Olof Johnson, one
of the trustees OF said Colony. to Mr.. Jones,
Is described as follows
The undivided hall of that part Of the sasi
half OF the southeast quarter Of section 5, tow
SO, N. B. Is east, which lies south Of the Barry
Point road, containing IS $4,000 acres.
| Also the undivided half of that part of th'
west half OF the southeast quarter of said section
| is which lies south of the Barry Point road; anc
the undivided half of the west half Of the south
west quarter Of the northwest quarter Of section
Is, town SO, N. of &. Is east, containing 3.
50-l0e acres, in Cook county, State of Illinois
Joseph R. Jones and Elizabeth A Jone
his wife, convey to Ulysses S. Grant, o
Washington, d. c., May 20. 1869, for tn,
consideration of one dollar, the following
described lands of the same lands mention
ed bove.
The undivided third Of the west half Of tn
southwest quarter of the northeast quarter
section ID, town, 80, range Is, containing 90
; 1876, 100 acres.
Also the undivided third part of the south 4
, 55-l00 acres of the east half of the southsa
quarter Of said section Is, of the County
, Cook and State Of Illinois.
i The deed was recorded May %, 1869, an
re.recorded Nov. 10, 1871 in book AZ, pas
81.
= This proves that Mr.. Jones sold to Pres
dent Grant from the same land Jonts bougl
v of OIof johnson; and even if Jones hs
bought from Mr.. Sherman the other undiv
. ded halt Of the said l04 acres, the LIANT
' that beIou ged to the Bishop Hill Color
were included in the sale to President Ora
D. because the Colony and Sherman each his
ly an undivided half of said tract. To 81
IN that the land from Sherman was sold 81
D President, but not that from the Colon
9 1t would be like dipping pail of water out
= the NiagArs river below the Falls, ana tn
he saving: "All this comes from Lake Supe
lie ior, and not drop from any other lake III
n supplies that river"
y But Gov. Jewell, 10 a speech he late
~ J made in New York, says, RELAXING to II
~ land, that the speculation was first propos
h to President Grant in 1867 and Grant aZre
or early in 1868, to take 81 acres OF land.
r. .his is so, how could Jones propose to 81
Ill to President Grant the Sherman porto
which Jones says he bought in Janus
Ie 1869, or year after the time Preside
- Grant had agreed to take the land?
ne This is enough to prove the misrepres'
Bat tAtion OF the facts stated BY the Unit
States Minister to Belgium, and establish
lie the fact that President Grant holds a p
ne, ZION of the Bishop Hill Colony land.
=" Mr.. J ohn |. Bennett says that ne has be
. the principal attorney for the colony Sill
1857; and that all seven of the trustees
the Colony Joined in the execution of I
deed to J ones that the deed was not ID,
BY johnson alone; that besides, john
was duly and legally authorized by POI
of attorney, executed by the Trustees of
Colony, in 1861, and ratified and confirm
in the general meeting Of the members
.he corporation, to sell aud convey this
any other real estate of the cooperation; t
the lands at the time of the sale, we're bar
q saleable at any figure; that the colony
II been pressed for funds to meet It's obi
| tions, &c.
n To this We will reply that We have iut
y nation from some OF the Trustees who
Z that they have never signed anything {
A corning the Chicago lsnds; but they
I prove themselves free from ever hay
: signed any such deed
n All this is but a contracted statement
only q few of the many facts relating TO
I wrongs to which the members of the CO..
n have been exposed and such is the 90
ton OF those who have lost the Chi'
lands, without valuable consideration.
Eric NOrberg, one of the COMMITTEES,
municated the facts about the lands to
President twice, Ahont two weeks age
" give him an opportunity to express hin
10 relation to the matter but, although
'A' communication has been received, the
idsnt has n ade no answer. and will. pl
bly,, after so long delay, maze none.
Eric L. Norberg, Andre Lock,
John b. Westberg, Eric Hediunt
= OIof Olson. Jonas Heilu1
Olof Anderson, Eric An jeTsc
n II u.u.,d- pa.ar a X ~