The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-05-23
Doubtful Land Titles.

PEOPLE in the North who think they
own land on what is known as the Cum
berland plateau in Tennessee-and we are
will do we'll to have their titles thorough
ly investigated by competent and trust
worthy lawyers before paying any more
taxes on them, according to Correspond
ent who writes to the Sun from that re-
gion. These lands lie on the top of the
Cumberland Mountains, and the State law
allows one man to enter 1000 acres in his
own name, and no more, either direct
ly or indirectly; but many persons
have entered as many as 100000
acres or more, using the names of
other persons, and afterward having
assignments of entries made to them
selves. We are told that large quan-
titles of these lands have been sold or
traded to people in the North, the pur-
chasers receiving quit-claim deeds. It
would appear that the traffic must have
been pretty extensive, as the records show
that county surveyors have in some in
stances certified to having surveyed as
many as twenty 5000. acre tracts in sim
gle day! The great drawback to the
value of these lands is that in many in
stances the owner of claim for 5000
acres finds on investigation that there are
several older claims for the same prop
crty ahead of him, while there is nothing
to prevent any entcrprising citizens
who feel so disposed from putting
two or three more entries on top of
his, and as likely as any way the last one
will hold good against all its predeces-
sors, so defective and fraudulent have
been the practices in relation to surveying
and selling these lands. Besides, under a
State law, any person who has color of
title and has enjoyed seven years pcaCea.
bic possession of tract of land thereby
acquires possessory title to all within
his bounds, no matter who owns the bona
fide title, provided there is one. Itwould
| appear that filing claims one over the
| other upon the same land has been rather
encouraged by the authorities. The
county receives taxes on all the acres
which are supposed to lie in layers several
thicknesses deep; various officials receive
! fees when they are bought and again
when they arc sold for taxes; dishonest
lawyers get we'll paid for making pre-
tended searches and. fraudulent reports;
while the surveyors make money every
time they survey the same piece of ground
| for new claimant. In addition to all
! This tlcre Is the CnanCe tnaL Hon'lcsl-
dent owner may have sent the money to
pay his taxes to a dishonest agent, who
has pocketed it and permitted the land to
be sold for the benefit of common schools.
On the whole, real estate situated on the
Cumberland plateau appears to be very
uncertain property.-N. \. Sun.
THERE is a man in Iowa who is thought
to be lunatic from the fact of his declar-
ing that his wife is a witch, and that he
can see her flying around the room astride
of broom. It is sad, indeed, to contem-
plate such wreck Of mind in fellow.
man. And sadness is intensified until ii
borders upon unutterable apprehensions
when one reflects upon the awful conse.
| quences that sometimes arise from SO
trivial circumstance as the suggestion
on the part of a husband to the partner OF
his domestic joys that perhaps-onlyp per.
haps-that last spring bonnet could be
made over into one that might do this
season.
The production of lumber last year
on the upper Mississippi and its tribu
taries is estimated at 1882 2,163,628 feet
both logs and lumber being included
The supply Of logs on hand for the season
Of 1874 is estimated at 315, ,500, 900 feet.
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