Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-31
ANOTHER SIDE TO IT.
Mr.. Giddings Relates Some Facts About
the Mus ell Slough Cases.


There has been considerable inquiry con-
corning letter written by E. Giddings,
of Mussel Slough, to friend, that was
published in the Yolo Mail. As many of
our readers wish to see it we copy it en-
tire, trusting that the writer will not OBJ
ject to its publication in the Delta, now
that it has appeared in the Maui:
E. Giddings, an old resident of Yolo
county, at present living in Tulare county,
views the Mussel Slough question in an
altogether different aspect from that gen.
orally accepted. The following addition
to business letter to r. II. Newton, of
this place, may be ofinterest to those who are
exerting themselves in behalf of the Mussel
Sloughers l have noticed of late that an
effort is being made in Woodland, as we'll
as other parts of the State, to create sym
pathy and TO raise money for us poor
settlers in the Mussel Slough country. As
one of such settlers l object to the term set
tiers as used by those parties. 1t is an entire
mistake, and the country generally has
been badly deceived. The settlers here do
not need your sympathy, for they are not
in distress. The settlers are not beggars,
neither do they wish to be classe1 as such.
Many of them are from Yolo, and all who
have not been following blind leaders, in
the League, are well-to-do, and desire no
pecuniary aid. | wish your papers would
make the proper distinction between set
tiers and Leaguers. 1t should be under
stood that not one-third of this small cor
ner of Tulare county belongs to the League
Outside of that third, there is no opposi-
ton to the purchase of railroad lands.
These poor distressed Leaguers, except one
or two of their leaders, have had az OPP
portunity of purchasing the lands at the
graded price, but have refused. They set
lands belonged to the railroad. Most, if
not all, fled their application to purchase
with the company, consequently had the
first opportunity to purchase. They have
refused to purchase and thereby brought
on their present troubles. Likely they
need sympathy, and before their attorneys
are paid will need pecuniary assistance.
The settlers proper do not need anything
of the kind, and they scorn the idea of
being classed with agitators, law-breakers,
and lastly, beggars. This trouble is the
natural outcome of bad teaching for the
last FIVE years, and brought about by one
j. j. Doyle, who commenced agitation for
the purpose of money-making, either out of
the railroad or the settlers. He failed to
make anything out of the railroad, and
then led the poor deludei Leaguers, step
by step, through the several land depart.
ments of our Government, always beaten,
aud lastly to the u S. District Court, with
the same result, until they had no other
recourse than to attempt to hold the land
by force. Since this resistance to
the United States authorities the
case is familiar to every newspaper read
er. Save the leaders, the Leaguers are
honest men, and without this agitation
would not have required our sympathy. A
great deal published by the Leaguers is not
true The railroad did not, would not fix
the price of these lands before they got
their title. I have read the pamphlet OF
the railroad company, and visited
their Office nearly eight years ago, when it
was in Sacramento, and they refused to
sell at any price, or fix any price which
they would take when they got their title.
Neither in my opinion have these Leaguers
been badly treated in this land matter.
Many of them have held the land by
simply claiming it; have had the use of
it for six years free. and nearly every claim
couldh have been sold for from 5000 to 81 900,
always largely in excess of their improve
ments. If this is grinding the poor, many
poor fellow would like to be thus ground.
This is probably enough of this matter for
once, and you may think it out of place in
business letter, but desired that you
should know that there is more than one
side to this Mussel Slough story"