The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-16

er and more lonely, and settlers less fire.
quent. They had ridden some three or
four miles over the wild prairie without
seeing n house or nm individual, when the
driver stopped and got down.
"How much farther have we to gop
asked the traveller.
"This is Wisconsin City," said the
driver. =.
A light broke in upon the mind of the
other. BY looking closely he could see
numerous stakes rising above the tall
prairie grass, in regular order, but not
even a wild animal betokened the exist
ence of life or activity in the silent city.
The passenger paid his fare back, and
returned to tho east, a wiser, if a sadder
man, and made up his mind that the ways
of western men were too deep and dark
for the steady habits Of the east.
wisconsin City" came in time to be q
well cultivated piece of farm land.
LAND SHARKS.
In many places settlements were kept
back, and the rough, hard lot Of tho pio-
neers made harder still by the operations
Of land epeculators, known by the expires.
6lVc name OF 'lanu SHARKS
Wherever desirable locations could be
found, and where settlers were rapidly
coming in, there vas to be found the land
speculator, who. like the shark, snatched
at everything within his reach. These
spectators wero men having money to
invest, and thoy would buy up all tho
best locations, and then ask In advance
on them above government prices. II this
advance was not too exorbitant no was
ap. to find a ready sale, as those looking
for homes were usually willing to pay o
good price rather than go farther back
from settlements. When the homestead
law was passed, giving actual settlers one
hundred and sixty acres of land, it was a
hard blow on the land sharks. A great
impetus was given to emigration, and all
parts of the country were settled rapidly.
Men would then pass by spectators
land. and go much further back to obtain
homes for which they were neither
obliged to pay purchase money or taxes
for five years. Many pieces of land were
left vacant for years, the owners mean
while paying taxes until it was fairly
SeseDii dDs hiNA NhO WVIO klh'A u
either sell at a discount, or to allow their
lands to be sold for n~on-payment of taxes.
Previous to this, however, many would
be spectators came to grief. To such an
extent was the business carried, and 80
rapidly was money made by capitalists.
that they grew to be confident Of gain,
and were not cautious in their movements.
The looking out and reporting of desira-
bic locations, by men well acquainted
with the country. grew to be quite q pay
ing business. This was called selling
numbers. In other words it was the Civ
ing Of descriptions, such as this: The
northeast quarter Of the southeast quar-.
ter Of section thirty-nine, range seven,
east, and so on. The capitalist would pay
. certain sum for the possession Of these
numbers, would deposit his money at the
land Office and experience no further
trouble with the matter until called upon
by a purchaser.
For a time this business was conducted
in such q manner as to be profitable TO
the capitalist, but after a time aver the
sellers Of numbers became demoralized,
and finding that descriptions of worthless
land would bring as good a price as any
other, were not too particular in their Sc
l~ections. In eastern markets. where men
were not well acquainted with the bust
ness, but were accustomed to dealing
with agents, the seller Of descriptions
would appear, dispose of his numbers
readily and depart, well pleased with his
good luck, and not very much conscience
stricken at getting the better Of a shark"
Unstable land, bought in this way, would
remain on the purchasers hands an in
definite length Of time until he was glad
to get rid Of it in any way.
Only a year or two ago I met with q
rich Philadelphia, who had come west to
look up some land of which he was the
owner, and to see if he could not dispose
OF the same. Said he, II have owned
that land and paid taxes on it for twenty
years" He was a little disappointed
backgrounds still, with but little pros
pect of becoming salable.
He was tired of the matter, and so gave
the land as a present to two favorite
nieces, whose husbands reluctantly con-
sented to settle on it, provided the giver
would build houses for them, be at the
expense of breaking, etc. All of which
he did, in obedience to n p~hilanthropic
impulse.
RELIGIOUS MATTERS.
Even in the first settlement Of the
country, religious matters were not Who'll
ly forgotten. 1t has before been men,
toned how the Catholic missions, pre-
coded, by many years, other immigration.
AS settlements began to increase, and
Professionals, az devout as the Catholics,
made themselves homes here, they must,
of necessity, have gatherings here and
there to keep alivo the fires Of devotion.
These were usually presided over by
travelling preachers, rough frontiersmen,
who could turn a hand to anything, be it
hunting savage beasts, OF savage Indians,
and who could stand up before q congre-
ration, in shirt sleeves and buckskin