Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-07-15
PLUOKY AND LUCKY.
A Wood Chopper on the Ragged Ridge OF
Grant County Becomes a Millionaire.

A Wood Chopper on the Ragged Ridge OF
Grant County Becomes a Millionaire.
On the 9th of July, inst, Willis
Drummond, at the U. S. land Office
in Springfield, ILL.,, entered fractional
section 10, town 80, R. IA, e, con-
tanning 263 acres, and situated in the
city of Chicago. The land is near
the mouth of the Chicago river and
is occupied in part by the Illinois
Central railroad track, depot, ware-
houses and elevators. If it is equal
in value TO the same quantity of ad-
joining lands it is worth not less than
two millions OF dollars. That a
piece of land within the city limits
should remain nnentered to this day
is remarkable The overnight is &C
counted for by the fact that after the
land had been surveyed and put on
the q. S. land office books, end be-
fore Chicago promised metropolitan
growth, the waters of the river and
lake washed it down until it was sab
merged. When the city grew the
land had been so long under water
that its existence was forgotten.
Contiguous owners assumed it as
their right to crowd upon the lake,
and did SO, not knowing they were
improving Uncle Sans land. The
Chicago Times has interviewed Tom
Hoyne and Long John Wentworth,
who are supposed to have traditional
knowledge of all that part OF the AL
mlghty's footstool, but they have not
settled the question of title. Hoyne
thinks it won't amount to the SNAP of
his fingers, bat said he hadn't the
heart to consider the matter. Long
John thought that if the land was in
the books as surveyed, the first man
who applied at the land Office and
paid the money for it, would hold it.
1t happened that Willis Drummond
was the first to do this and 1.-The
early bird got the worm"
Shortly before the rebellion Willis
Drummond, by toll and oil, became
a member of the legal fraternity.
Without means to set himself up
satisfactorily he engaged at whatever
would command living wages. He
chopped wood on the Mississippi
islands bordering on Grant county.
He taught school at Gutenberg,
Iowa. lie helped subduo the Rebel
ion. Near the close of the war he
obtained an interest in the McGregor
Nsl0s. 1t was that paper under his
management that introduced Samuel
Merrill to the public and made him
Governor of Iowa, in 1867. Then
Drummond was appointed Collector
| of Internal Revenue for his District
His integrity and superior abilities
marked him out for promotion and
he was made Supervisor of Internal
Revenue for the States Of Iowa, Wis
consin and Minnesota. Talents such
as his were wanted in higher story
and he was appointed Commissioner
| of the General Land Office The
archives of that office will show that
it never had such faithful and IN.
dustrious worI err as Willis Drum
mond. Before The end of his term
he had put that establishment into
ship-shape, and, not content with the
clock-work of regulated office, re-
signed and opened a law Office in
Washington city, about Two years
| ago. His success has been marvel
lous. No charges of peculation have
ever logged his steps.
| Ifnow he has become millionaire,
by coming into possession of slice
of Chicago, it is because be was q
careful and competent book-keeper
If he does not know whether the
land he entered was ever surveyed
or in market, it is scarcely worth
while to inquire of Tom Hoyne, or
Long John about it.