Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-09-27


n~---:.~-r UrICIdI uIopuUUI admits
the loss in Schipka pass on Sept. II, o1
of thirty-one officers and one thousand
men, killed and wounded
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Associated Press dispatches from
Washington ofthe 24th say that on the
LIST of the coming month the postmaster
general will establish 152 new money
order officers. Among them will be the
following in Illinois: Albany. Avon,
COrton, Dunleith, Goodhope, Hanover
Industry, Mansfield, Mount Zion, Mul-
berry Grove, Voerns City, Ononee, Terre
Haute, Wyandotte; in Indiana-Boswell
Cicero, Galveston, Middletown, Mont
pelier, Troy; in Iowa-Beloit, Calmus,
Carpenter, Colfax, Elkfort, Essex, Har-
per, Ida, Ledona, Legrand, New Hamp-
ton, Onslow, Pomeroy, Riverside, Shelf
field, Shelby, Vail, West Side, Wood
bine; in Michigan-Willington, North
Branch, Petosbey; in Minnesota
Wright, Mapleton Station; in Nebraska
I-Thayer, Polk; in Wisconsin-Acradia,
Aliens Grove, Maiden Rock, Medford,
National Home, Milwaukee; in Kansas
Cherry Valley, Douglas, Lincoln City,
Rossville, Stockton, Williamsburg.
PosTAGE-sTAMP FRAUDS.
The latest case of frauds in the sale of
postage stamps came to Third Assistant
Postmaster-Genera Hazen, being in the
form of q circular from Cincinnati
firm, in which they offer to sell to post
masters for SO their stem winding
Swiss watch, retailing at $25, receiving
stamps in payment. This enables a
small postmaster to buy these watches
for 81 net, and the firm send them out
on promise from the postmaster that
if not satisfied he will return the watch
in a registered package instead of the
stamps. The firm makes up q part of
its circular with certificates of post
masters who have purchased their
watches.
THE FINANCES.
Members of the syndicate were in
consultation last evening with the secre-
tary of the treasury and other officers.
The accounts of the 4d per cent. loan
We're closed. The whole amount is
$200,000,000, $1S5,000,000 for refunding
purposes, and $15,00O,0O0 for resump-
ton purposes, and will appear in the
next debt statement. The 4 per cent.
loan is being rapidly paid for and ad-
justed, and will be settled next month
as the calls mature, the first call ma
turing the 9Th of October, and the last
November Sd, and $5,000,000 each for
August, September, and October will be
applied for resumption purposes.
THE WEST POINT ACADEMY.
The visitors to the West Point Military
Academy report that the academy is
educating officers in a thorough and
effective manner, and recommend that
a commission be constituted by congress
to report such changes in the organi-
zation of the academy and course of
study as shall promote its usefulness.
Among the recommendations is that
inquiry be made as to the possibility of
abolishing military parades on the Lords
day.
TITLES TO GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.
Judge Raynor, solicitor of treasury
department, in his annual report will
ask congress to make a special ap-
preparation for the purpose of enabling
his office to collect evidence of title and
record proof Of all government property
in this country. AT present there is no
one record that begins to contain ac-
curate proof of anything like this COM
plete.
SCHURZ NIPS A LAND SWINDLE.
A Washington special of the 21st inst,
states that the land office has made an
interesting discovery of an attempt to
defeat its claim upon thirty thousand
acres Of Kansas land. 1t occurs in one
of the acts of reckless congressional
legislation aiding unscrupulous rail
roads. Congress in 1866 made a pres
ent of thirty thousand acres of land in
Kansas to the Kansas and Neosho Val
ley railroad company. 1t was also
stipulated that settlers should be allow
ed to buy this land at homestead rates,
and after the expiration of certain
time the unsold lands were to be recon-
veyed to the government. For the
grant the company agreed to carry
United States troops and munitions of
war free. After two years the name of
the road was changed to the Missouri,
Fort Scott and Gulf road In 1869 this
new company negotiated a mortgage of
So, 100000 in Boston, giving as security
the rolling stock of the road and &c.
900 acres Of Kansas land. This in
cluded the government land grant. In
March, 1877, during the last days of the
forty-fourth congress, bill was SNUG
glen through authorizing the rail
road company to reconvey the I'M
sold lands to the government, without
any reference to the mortgage upon it.
Recently an agent of the company has
called upon the secretary of the interior
to issue certificate that the terms of
this act have been complied with. This
called forth the following letter from
Schurz: MY attention has been called
to said mortgage, and particularly to
clause therein which authorized said
company to sell said lands and return
the proceeds to the trustees mentioned
in the mortgage or their successors or
assigns for the purpose of paying the
bonds of said road, principal and inter
est. This mortgage is still uncancelled,
and remains valid lien on said lands.
The evident intent of congress was to
have a reconveyance of said lands, free
from incumbrance, so that they might
be subject to homestead entry under
the laws of the United States. This can
only be accomplished by release of
the mortgage upon said lands, and until