The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-04-22
i Claim Jumping.
England Prairie, April 20, 1880

England Prairie, April 20, 1880.
Mr.. Editor
As have always lived on the frontier, l
am well acquainted with the rights of the
pioneer settler, and we'll know the hard
ships of all the first settlers in any new coun-
try. You will always see after new county
has been settled from one to two years, men
come in and think they ought to have
the first chance, and Of course they look
around and see if there is any claims to jump,
-some.poor mans claim, and this is Just
why claim protection societies are formed in
all new countries, to protect the rights of
the pioneer settlers. know two or three
men in Wadena who are in favor of helping
some parties to jump claims up on Shell
Prairie. They are not of the kind of men to
80 and help do it. nor to put their hands in
their pockets and pull out money to help do
it, but they want to arrest every man on
Shell Prairie and have them locked up in
Jail, and the taxpayers OF this county to pay
the bills. will make all appeal to all the
taxpayers OF this county, do you want to be
taxed to helpjnmp and hold any man s claim?
say No. Yours, L. A. PADDOCK.
Nix. Paddock's remarks are evidently meant
y apply to the workings of a so-called viga-
lance committee ~ now operating on Shell
Prairie, under the leadership Of a man named
VIM. Kindred, in connection with some trou-
bic they have recently had in the justice
court at this place. The facts in the case
are, as near as the FARMER can find out,
briefly as follows:
BYRON FLOWER,
upon bei=g interviewed, says. I filed on a
homestead, nw1-2, of section %, town 139,
range "a, Dec. 9Th, 1879. First tried to build
on claim about the LIST of April, but was pre-
vented by John Clatlin, Mart Wagner, Rex
and Hair, who turned my horses before got
to my claim, Clatlin claiming the land was
his. About the 10th, returned in company
with Earnest and Frank Benham, Earnest
having claim joining mine, the. ne IA; we
had been on our claims and were on our way
to the mill to see Mr.. Howard, when we
were met by Kindred and thirteen other men,
who stepped in front OF us and leveled their
guns at us, aud while in that position, COM
PEELED US to sign REIMBURSEMENT papers to
our claims. When filed on my claim there
was a small piece Of breaking on it.and some
logs started for a house; there was some
breaking done on the claim filed on by Mr..
Benham. The land was marked vacant on
the plats at the land Office, and did not
suppose that anyone had claim on it until
Ireached the place.
JACOB BUCKINGHAM
says that no pare:s had ever been fled or
Improvements made on his claim. That he
tried to go on to it to build, but was pre-
vented by Kindred, who threatened to shoe
him if he dared to go onto it.
TO impose on these young men, under the
guise of protecting settlers from Jumpers"
is not only absurd and false, but is criminal,
and ought not to go unpunished. Our COR
respondent is evidently misinformed, if he
has reference to these particular cases, and
lue luet VI allowing SUCH Incl dS NlAuIeu W
ply his vocation OF soaring timid but honest
,nen, and preventing them from developing
farms and adding to the wealth and impor-
lance OF our county and State, because it will
De matter Of public expense, is, we think,
erroneous. For what purpose are our Jaws
constructed, if not for the protection Of life
and property against interruptions law
breakers? This is one of the first principles
of law, and a county which cannot afford tt
prosecute and punish its criminal offenders,
had better throw up it organization and he
attached to some county that can. Oar opin.
ion is, that the county much better close
some other avenue of expense than this
At all events. if we desire to settle our coun.
ty, we must provide for the protection Of law
abiding citizens. II ''Bill' Kindred desires
to "run Shell Prairie to suit himself" lei
him lay aside his winchester rifle and his
gang OF desperadoes, and do it lawfully, OF
else suffer the consequences. man who
makes his boasts that he has ''empted the
saddle Of many q northern s-of-a--b-
and will do it agar" is not Ca cnlated to be
Of any particular benefit to any county.
The storm Of Sunday night left the ground