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

The settlers were now powerloss in
the hands of the corporation, which
played with them much as q cat does
with % mouse before CraunChing its
bones for the final act of swallowing.
Their FIRST act after having completed
the road through the Slough and formed
connection with a road leading to San
Francisco was to place the price of
freight so high as to consume the entire
profit of all labor upon the irrigated
lands, thus seeking TO prevent the set
tiers from obtaining further means with
which TO continue the contest and trans
form them into the serfs of tho COM
pany
The outside world during all this
tine remained in almost absolute ig-
norance of the desperate attempt being
made upon the rights of portion of our
citizens The greater part of the press
of the Pacific coast wore the muzzle of
| the corporations, and only the most
meager reports of these matters were
sent out through the Associated Press,
and such as were sent were tinged with
| the COlOring furnished by the cOnspira-
| tors.
The first year after the completion of
the main irrigating ditch the settlers
! had set apart the eleventh day of May
as a day of general rejoicing and
| thanksgiving for the harvest which fol-
! lowed the coming of the waters, and
| through all their troubles they had
regularly observed it, their festivities
usually taking the form of a picnic,
which was attended by everybody, re-
| gardless of age or sex, and it was this
eleventh day of May, 1880, that the
corporate COnspiratOTs fixed upon for
the cOnsummation of their scheme for
! possessing themselves of the homes of
these people.
In order to secure fit tools for this
purpose. the company had made pre-
tended sales of the homes of portion
of the settlers to men of known dcs-
perate character, among others to a
noted desperate and crack-shot; and
it was these men whom the United
States Marshal was ordered to take
upon his raid of eviction The Mar
shall left San Francisco before day and
arrived at Hanford, the station nearest
the Slough lands, at seven o'clock in
the morning Here he was met by the
gang of desperadoes armed to the teeth,
and all started together in wagons.
The leader of the gang carried two
/. bulldog revOlvers and knife in his
belt, and had a repeating rifle and q
doubled barroled fowling piece in the
wagon in which he rode, and all bristlec
with deadly weapons, principally re
volvers and knives.
J As was anticipated by the Marshal
they arrived at the first house in the
Slough settlement after its occupant
2 had left for the picnic Without coro
{ mony the door Of this peaceful dwelling
81 was broken down and everything i'm j
, pitched into the highway. This done
- they placed three No 10 cartridge
- upon the doorstep as an indication o
r the fate which awaited the homes
settler and his family if they dared re
I place their household goods and re
/ sumed the occupancy of their home
q They then started in the direction 0
70 the next settlers claim, intending T.
e proceed in the same manner with eacl
e of the twenty-five houses against who's
J. owners the Marshal had writs of eject
}, ment. But they were not destined T.
$ proceed so far. Unknown TO them tn
d gang had been seen to leave Hanfor
n by one who, sWmising the nature c
e their erTand, fastened to notify tn
If settlers of what was about to be al
tempted. Mounting a horse he rod
s with all speed and, approaching tn
o picnic grounds, came first upon sever.
e parties who had driven a little wa
If back from the immediate scene of fes
d tivities i'm order to find a suitable plaC
G for leaving their teams and wagons.
Il Among them were Erastus Hemming
o way and his neighbor, Mr.. johnson
It To these men he communicated wh5
IS he had observed, and his belief regarc
If ng the intention of the Marshal and III
e gang of desperate characters. A
r listened eagerly to the infOrmatiO
Is brought by their friend, and then hel
W a hurried consultation among then
l- selves.
d Erastus, johnson and one of th
81 others were armed with q single n
p volver of small caliber each The re-
y were without weapons of any kline
3 They did not like to return to the picnt
x grounds and frighten the women an
e children with an announcement of whit
IS they believed was taking place; neithC
Q did they propose that their home
y should be ravished and they make u
D. effort to defend them.
" 1t was finally agreed that Hemmnl
/. way, johnson and those who were wit
D. them should hurry across country to
10 point in the road about a mile ava,
" over which the Marshal and his crow
n must pass, while the friend who ha
brought the information should quiet
rs notify others and leave them to folio
/, or wait for a report from those wi
10 were in advance, as they thought bes
+ Huuying across the fields, this lit
20 body OF men came out into the road /
n which the gang were proceeding, iu
b. in advance of the Marshal and b
as party, as they approached the cOttag
t. of the second victim marked upon the
e. list for eviction
ot Seeing them, the Marshal halted az
~ got down from the wagon in which
" was riding. The others did the sam
10 Approaching to within a few feet of ii
D, Marshal, Erastus demanded TO know
IL # were true that they had come to evi
I'd the settlers, and was told that tn
l. had.
Of "You win not be allowed to do so
s., replied Hemmingway; 1--WE redeeml
III these lands from the desert and ga
re them all the value they possess. Thu
e. belong to us and we intend to no
SIS them.
It The Marshal replied chat che was d
ny ing only what the law and the court I
r. quired OK him, but that rather than u
W force he WOuld abandon thp attpmDt