Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-12
CHAPTER xxIv.-Covr1NuEp.
ny Q. C. POST.

surroundings, for though never content
TO De separate from each other, even
for day, our young friends enjoyed
having their acqualntances drop in on
them. and often visited among their
neighhors, spending the evening or
Sunday afternoon.
They heard regularly from Lucy's
parents, and quite frequently from Jen-
ME and her husband, who were still in
chicago and doing well At least En-
sign had steady employment, and they
were comfortable and happy.
Mr.. and Mrs. Parsons had now fully
decided to sell their home on. the mount
ain at the first opportunity, and move
to the Slough; their out-of-the-way To-
cation alone operating against the ready
sale of the place.
Meantime Erastus and Lucy worked
The size of orchard and vineyard was
increased by the planting of other trees
and vines. Rose bushes were set out at
the corners of the porch and beneath
the windows, and evergreens and
Towering shrubs in the front yard
The main irrigating ditch having
been completed the year before, the
work of carrying the water wherever
needed, BY means of small side bitches,
was comparatively easy and rapid, so
that some pretty broad fields of grain
and grass were beginning to stretch
away on every side of their cottage.
But now cane q terrible rumor.
1t was told doubtingly at first, as
something that could hardly be posi-
ble-that railroad company laid CLAIM
to the lands about the Slough. and
would compel payment of their present
market value, all improvements includ-
ed, or evict the homeSteaders from pos
session.
The settlers generally laughed at the
tale, as being started by some one for
the purpose of giving them a fright.
Whatr' they said, 1.-the railroad
company claim our lands! Why, the
land was absolutely valueless. thought
not to be worth paying taxes on, unit
we irrigated it and built houses and put
out orchards and vineyards.
Besides, the land grant by Congress
was made to a company whose charter
fixed the line of their road more than a
hundred miles away. on the other side
of range of mountains; and even this
grant the company has forfeited long
ago. the time in which the road was to
be built in order to obtain the land hav-
ing expired two years since, and the
road is not built yet
1t seemed absurd for anybody to talk
about S ia lroad company having a
claim to their lands, when they had re-
deemed them from the desert, and were
almost ready to prove up on them
under the Homestead aud Pre- emption
laws.
Yet there were those who were les.
easily d;sarmed of fear.
They knew that in Iowa q railroad
company had disposs essed settlers who
had actually proved up and received
deeds to their homes from the Govern
ment.
There were those among them, too,
who had suffered from the overflow OF
hydraulic mines, others from the Suscol
Ranch. and vet others who had suffered
from encroachments of corporal ons in
other States and other portions of this
State, and these were prepared to be-
heve that nothing was too preposterous
for the railroad company to claim, if its
officers thought there was the remotest
chance of enforcing it, either by fair
means or foul.
When Erastus Hemingway heard
the rumor his heart sunk. for be had
seen too much of the heartlessness and
greed of corporations not to fear the
worst, and he at once took steps to as
certain the truth.
He wrote to the headquarters of the
company, repeating what he had heard
and asking if there was any truth in the
NE,t n
to have any claim to the land in the vi
entity of the Slough.
In reply he received letter aud also
. circular.
The letter was signed bv the Presi-
dent of the railroad company. and was
to the effect that the company hoped to
be allowed the original grant of lands
made BY Congress in aid of the road,
but the boundaries of the grant had not
been determined, and probably would
not be for some time
Meanwhile, the letter went on to say.
the settlers could be assured that in nc
case should they be the losers. as, if il
should eventually be determined that
the land which they occupied was
within the limits of the grant to the
road. the company pledged Itself to
ment of the Government price. and at
tention was called to the accompanying
circular. copies of which. the letter
said. were being issued and distributed
all over the State for the purpose Of
inducing people to take up land at the
Slough. This circular also contained q
pledge that if found to be within the
grant of Congress to the road. the com
L. to hc
ever had improved it, immediately on
payment OF the Government price.
This letter. taken in connection with
the circulars, which were scattered
freely among the settlers. if it did moi
remove all feeling of fear from the
minds of Erastus and a few others, did
serve to allay the general alarm, which
was before on the increase, and improve
ments went on as usual
The circulars of the company sent to
other portions of the State had the de-
sired effect aud very soon other fami.
lies began 70 come in in considerable
numbers, all taking up claims and re.
lying upon the printed pledges of the
company that in no case should the land
cost more than the price asked by Gov.
eminent for wild lands.
So time sped on.
And now those who came first to the
Slough began to reap abundantly OF the
fruit of their labor and perseverance.
The work of turning veritable desert
into 5 garden had been accomplished.
II had been done, too, without capital,
and by men who were forced to support
themselves and their families while the
transformation was being made.
Orchards aud vineyards were loaded
with fruit Olives and apples, peaches,