The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-10-28

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should be respected, and they could not
see how any one could dispute the fact
of their being such. Indeed it was only
by asserting that their rights were Sc
cured by that clause Of the resolution
that enough members of the House and
Senate who were not absolute tools or
partners of the Couspirators were in
duced to vote for the resolution TO Sc
cure its passage.
Besides this, the railroad company,
when It's ofic rs first decided TO make
an effort to seize upon the land in the
vicinity of the Slough, had issued cir
Culars urging people to come and take
ND land there, promising them that as
soon as the company received patents
for the land from the Government it
would deed to the settlers, upon pay
meut of the price of wild land; or at
two and a half dollars per acre for bar
ren plains, such as most of the land at
the Slough was; and that in no case
would price exceeding ten dollars per
acre be charged, even for timbered
land
A large portion of the settlers now at
the Slough had come in compliance
with this invitation and agreement on
the part of the railroad company, and
they still relied upon the promise of the
company, or thought the courts would
compel it to comply with the promise
set forth in its Circulars promise
which became binding contract when
the settlers, acting upon it, came upon
the land and began to improve it.
The officers of the company had,
however no intention of complying
with the promise, and their success in
bribing Congress led them to feel that
there was nothing to be feared from
the courts. They demanded the full
value of all lands, including improve
ments, and claimed that the words
"actual settlers in the resolution of
Congress referred to such as Govern
meut had granted patents to before the
passage of the act making the grant of
lands to the company; which was be-
fore the first settler came to the Slough,
and was of lands along the line pro
posed in their charter, distant one hun
dred and fifty miles and on the other
side of a range of mountains.
During all this time the settlers had
held frequent meetings and endeavOred
in every legal manner known to then
to defend their rights. Erastus Hem
mingway was always in attendance
upon these meetings, and although he
said but little, what he did say was al
ways to the point, clear ard fOrcibls
and he came 10 be regarded by all a,
one whose Judgment was of value, anC
who was ever prompt with his portion
of the money found necessary to bl
raised from time to time in defense o
their homes.
AT last, and after repeated meotng
and much discussion, it was decided {,
make an offer to compromise with the
company as the cheapest way out o
the difficulty, and a letter was addressed
to its chief officer, stating that Will,
they did not recognize either the lega
or equitable claim of the company t.
their lands, yet for the sake of being a
peace they would all pay the price
which those who came by invitation o
the company had been promised tn
land at; or the price which a disinter
ested committee would say the land
without the improvements were nov
worth; or the price at which the com
pany was now offering to sell raw LAM
of similar quality. This would cOmpe
those who took homestead and pre-
emptiOu claims before the cOmpan
made any pretense of being entitled B
the land-while it still prOfessed TO b
intending to build its road and take Oh
lands upon the line laid down In il
charter-to pay from two and half Il
ten dollars per acre for what the
should have had ior nothing as home
steaIGrs, or on payment OF one dOlla
and a quarter per acre to the Govern
ment in case they claimed Gs pre-
emptors. But all were weary of tn
long contest and preferred peace at an
price short of bankruptcy, rather thai
a continuation of their troubles
In reply to this offer of the settler
the President of the company responded
saying that they were willing to d
what should appear right, and request
ing the settlers to select a Committe
from among themselves to come to Sa
Francisco to confer with the represents
tives of the company. This letter wa
read at q regular meeting of the Sci
tiers League, and q committee immt
diataly selected and authorized to aC
for the whole. Among those chose
for this duty were Erastus Hemingwa
and his neighbor Mr. Johnson TN
committee proceeded to San Francisco
put up at a hotel and notified the raj
road officials of their presence an
readiness TO confer Instead Of proceed
ing to the conference, however, one
the officials went before the authorities
swOre out warrants and had them q
arrested and conveyed to Jail, wheI
they were locked up and force Z to n
main until morning, and the bushes
men of the city were notified that
was the will of the railroad compan
that no one should go bail for the a
rested men, and that the compan
would ruin the business of any one wh
dared to do So
After lying in jail all night they wei
taken before the court aud dismisse
without a hearing and in spite of the
protest and demands 10 be given an OF
portunity to explain to the court II
circumstances of their arrest and S
were forced to return to their home
and their waiting neighbors and repo
that no mercy was to be expected fro
hose who had conspired to redu,
them to serfdom upon their own land
Still these men retained possession
their homes, and though they ha
ceased making Improvements wei
able to obtain subsistence thereirom.
Time passed, and the railroad con
pany obtained from the Governmel
patents for the amounted land specific