Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-06-27


new WIN. seaIIy. aAe Irish Lnnd M.
ser. aeqatFed awe muudsed
Thoaaasa Acres 81 western
Eanas.
A correspondent as Little Britain On.
~ Of the New York World furnishes
that paper the account following Of the
doings Of an Irish American abssntse
landlord:
The publiaity recently given 70 the
rack-renting practices OF VIVA. Scullv,
the Irieh absentae landlord OF thou
sands Of acres e Western 1andl, has
attracted much attention here. Mr..
Charles Reynders, Of this place, re-
lated 70 q World correspondent today
some facts that throw an Important and
interesting light on Hcnlly's character
and the results Of The system be has
II apani long time with the scuIly
ksnants, OF renters, Is they are called,
in the summer Of 1882 said Mr.. Reyn-
dars. - IL vas il Logan eountA, Ill
nois,n he continued, athat EcnliF laid
the foundations Of his present fortune.
Immediately after The Mexican war be
began bayinR up soldiers' homestead
warrants. For these be paid extremely
little, aa be went 30 work very quietly
and systematically, buyine from men
Who either remained in the army OF re-
turned TO oocupations ia the large cities.
which indicated their indispoGition 20
become pioneer farmers IN what was
then o wild region Of country. II mofe
than one instance, ID IL aaid, be secured
q l60-acre tract for s. or SO. He has
never sold an aoEe Of ali the Land thus
acquired. On the contrary, Il has been
made ths means ef Wrin0inq from she
hard hands Of large psasant tenantry
BY any indireotion ali that their daily
toll might prodaee above q Wretohsa
Subsistence year in and year out. He Il
virtually % mnch master of about q
l thousand Of these human t0ileFs az thf
PharAohs we're Of the Egyptian slaves
whose lives were sacrificed IN building
the pyramids, and their condition I.
little better than that Of the wretohed
fellaheen Of today, who are compelled
TO labor INCREASINGLY through q miserable
existence to providsfoF the extraydRanc.
Of successive Khedi7es.
Seully's rents are adjusted aeoordiDe
10 tue quality OF the land, bat IN no cas-
are they low enough 70 leave the cult
vators more than enouQh 10 keep bod
and soul together. These are mostly
men with families, and without capital
who rent the land in the vain hope ol
being able 70 save enough 10 q few year
10 enable them 70 become purchasers 81
other land and establish comfortable
homes. Instead OF this. they usually
ind themselves worse Of az the end 81
i've or SIX years THAI they we're az thl
beginning, with their labor mortQaQed
to pay arrears OF rent. Besides thI
rental, the tenant is obliged 20 pay al
taxes and ether charges on the land
and 20 make his own improvements, nc
indemnity being allowed. In the citJ
OF Lincoln Scully has several agents q
watch and report on crop proapeota, 90
cure prompt payment Of rents and ael
20 the exact obs fvanee Of the ironclad
leases. His agents make much Of tbs
assertion that Soully's Feuts are reduced
when the crops fan. 1his. however, il
only partially true. For every such ~
anotion' tke tenant Is charged With TOE
deficiency and obliged % make il up il
the uext good season. The aatute land
lord does NOS try 20 extract blood from
q stone.
Having been bought up 10 small par,
cells here and there, Scnlly's lands otter
adioin farms swned By those Who live
on them, and the contrast 10 striking
A squastsF's ehaniy N Harlem u . PAL
aoe compared 70 tbs sqaalid hnts Of
the renters. On the oIner hand, she
dwellings u the owners Of adjoining
farms are, - rule, well bailt. tasteful
aud comfortable houses that indicate
the prosperous industry Of the American
farmer"
"From his lands IN Logan county
alone he derives al annual rental 81
nearly el50,000 The pitiable condition
Of the peopls under this oonditi0n Il
likely soon 20 result IN decided action.
While vas In tie neighboghood therl
vas no little talk OF bringing foraaFd &
measure IN the Legislature 20 forfeit the
lands 70 the State. paying Soully q fan
decentralization and allowing bis ten.
ante 10 become pFoprietors By a system
Of small payments extending over ten
l years. This 10 somewhat on the plan 81
Gladstone's land bill for Ireland, and
muoh trouble might be avoided By
adopting soma sash scheme before &
b 700 late"