The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1876-08-10


ere bill goes for it." This occa
stoned hearty laugh and r. G.
Roberts was generally known from
that time as "Old Cedar" which term
has since been applied to the county.
Tho land sales, for land in the
county on the west side of Cedar
river occurred in 1Si1, when there
we're about twenty families living
there, all Of them in what is now
Iowa township. Some Of the prairie
and large part of the timber was
"clsimed" before it came into market.
To prevent difficulty the settlers en-
acted what they termed the .claim
law" neighborhood regulation,
which provided that a man might
claim quarter section of timber,
and the same amount of prairie, and
have the privilege Of selling it to any
other person, but was not to take an
other claim in that district. Clement
Esquires would not join their club.
He claimed more than the rules of
the association permitted, eighty
acres Of which was claimed by John
Dillen. c. Esquires appeared at the
land sales at Dubuque with two re-
volvers, bowie knife and cane gun,
and swore that he would shoot any
man who bid against him. Il. A.
Gray had been appointed by the
"club' to bid of the land for the set
tiers. Before the sale commenced
an athletic German said to Gray,
stranger, you tend to your pizness
and we'll tend to ours" When the
land was offered, that c. Esquires
unfairly claimed, he and Gray both
bid. The German, who was stand
ing close behind Esquires, immedi-
ately picked him up and threw him
over his head, and the dense crowd
kept him moving over their heads
several rods. When he landed in
the rear he was minus his weapons,
and was neither prepared nor in
clined to shoot. The Sheriff then
took him in custody, which ended
the controversy.
The early settlers handled but very
little money. For several years dress.
ed pork delivered in Muscatine would
only bring from s1.25 to $3.50 per
hundred pounds; wheat from rs to
so cts. per bushel, corn from 5 to Is
cts. per bushel, milch cows from IS
to $40, work oxen from $50 to $50
per yoke. For year previous to
this date prices have been lower than
for many previous years. But hogs,
alive, weighing $50 pounds or more,
have brought from s4..5 to $500
per hundred pounds; wheat from G5
to 20 cents per bushel OF 60 pounds,
Tin 1873, it brought $1.47) corn 80
cts. per bushel, cows from $50 to $40,
fat steers from 81 to $3.50 per bun
dred lbs, Tin 1868 fat cattle brought
81 per hundred fbs.); average price
for last years crop of timothy seed
was 81, $500 bushels of which was
bought at West Branch; average
price of last years crop Of flax seed
was sl.10, l6, 200 bushels was bought
at West Branch. Timothy seed
yields from 2 to 6 bushels per acre;
fax yields from 6 to ~ bushels per
acre.
The timber was confined to q mile
or two in width along tho west side
of the river ton the east side it was
wider). The balance Of the town
ship was prairie, which was burn: over
every fall, and thus kept the timber
from increasing. The prairie fires
were grand sights, especially at night
when viewed from some safe point,
as they came sweeping over the hills
at rate from very slow to five or
six miles per hour. But when fenc-
ing and buildings were in danger,
they were terrible to behold, and the
result sometimes disastrous to both
property and life. Compared with
the eastern States the timber was SO
scarce that the first settlers generally
thought it would take fifty or more
years to have the wide prairie be.
tween the Cedar and Iowa rivers oil
bought and much of it inclosed in
cultivated fields. But in 1856 the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific rail
road passed near the southern part Of
Iowa township, bringing lumber and
wire for fencing, and farmers re-
ceived better prices for their produce.
The land was soon all purchased, and
is now all inclosed and under cultiva-
ton.
Specimens of the silver rock at Pc
dee has been analyzed by several
different parties, some Of whom re-
port small trace of silver, while
others report one hundred and sixty
six dollars per ton. It is uncertain
whether there is sufficient amount
Of silver in it to pay for working.
There is no mill or factory of any
kind in the township.
But little attention has been paid
to the cultivation of timber. / have
twelve acres of artificial grove, which
| believe is the largest one in the
township. More than one half Of my
grove is European Larch. The bal
ance is ash, black and white walnut
honey locust lthornlessl, maple anc