The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-10-03


All this excitement and influx u
masses Of men and the consequent irrro.
ular squatting anywhere upon unocen.
pied ground, began At once 10 prnduc,.
discord and a fever 81 speculation N
real estate. A certain corporation
claimed 10 own the whole fown-sitr I'M.
der a patent from the Government. and
tried 10 exact payment from over,
tenant; but the illcgality of this was ".
serted, and pending decision. ever, BODY
not only laughed M the company bui
proceeded to buy and sell origina. squat
ter-claims as though no better title was
ever in existence-a supposition proba-
bly, true ut that time. Town lois M.
from nothing 10 fabulous prices IN 4 dav.
and fortunes were made and Opportnni.
ties neglected accordingly.
Next came 4 period Of "jumpng,~
that i, getting forcible or fraudulent
possession Of property. Men would cali
with paper having legal appearance
and politely inform some man occupy
ing the cabin they coveted that they had
bought the property from the owner.
You know, pard,' they would re-
mark, affably, :. that you just settled
down here cause il was convenient ike.
and nobody said nothing about il: but
now the owner thinks he orter Inv.
some good from his property. and we've
bought II. We don't want 10 be On.
pleasant, but il looks like you'd have ID
vamoose."
"That's all right--no offenSe. 4 The
shaggy headed cottagcr would reply.
quietly; .but reckon II the owner n
any body else wants this we're cabin
they've got 70 take il, and they've got
70 hold over me, and get up right 'arly
in the mornin', too, and he LAYS loving
hand upon the hilt Of his six-shooier,
while the would-bc jumpers anathema.
tie their way out Of the door.
There We're, however. clear eases ~
tenancy Of land where no title was held.
and here the occupant, II mnlv. wa
likely 70 find his cabin timberS falling
about his ears in the middle of the
night, under the vigorous stroke ii a
band Of citizens who proposed 10 See
the real owner put in possession then
and there. Needless fellows would
insist upon putting their trading shan
ties or dwelling-houscs anywhere in the
streets and alleys set apart for public
use, and then down would come n squad
Of police, hitch span Of horses 10 The
underpinning and raze the obstruction
in ten minutes. Hard words were a
matter Of course in all these little pub
lie and private transactions in real es-
tate, and every day or two man was
shot or beaten half 10 death but pub
lie opinion and the numerous witnesses
quickly and loudly decided the right Of
the case, and the Coroner's jury was very
likely TO formulate the popular verdict.
Truth to say, the roz popuii in these
cases was usually about right. Outside
Of Ia case Of robbery by bunko thieves
II a man gets shot in Leadville. il l. safe
70 conclude than he has got his deserts.
Speculation in town-lots did not last
very long, however, and now real es-
tate Is down 10 a pretty solid basis Of
value. The probability i that the fu-
ture will see decline in prices, rs a
whole, rather than an enhancing Of the
value Of real estate within the corporate
limits, AZ no doubt Leadvillc has seen
her highest trademark Of population
.Scribner for october.