St. Landry democrat., 1886-01-23

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means Or foul.
When Erastus Hemingway heard
the rumor his heart sunk. for he had
seen too much of the heart]essness ana
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
statement that the company protessed
to have any claim to the land in the Vi
entity of the Slough.
In reply he received letter aud also
q circular.
The letter was signed by 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 bs assured that in no
case should they be the losers, as, II 1t
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
transfer it to the occupants on pay
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
pledge that if found to be within the
grant of Congress to the road, the com
Dany would transfer the land to Who
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 not
| remove all feeling of fear from the
minds of Erastus and 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 tamil
| lies began to 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 a veritable desert
into a garden had been accomplished.
Tt had been done, too, without capital.
| and bv men who were forced to support
themselves and their families while the
transformation was being made.
Orchards and vineyards were loaded
with fruit Olives and apples, peaches,
plums, apricots, pears, pine-apples, lem
ons, pomeoranates, nectarlnes-aIl the
semi-tropical fruits, and some which
grow nowhere else outside Of the tropics
themselves, were to be found in full
bearing upon the irrigated lands of the
settlers at Mussel Slough.
Green fields grew broader and green
er. Little focks and herds OF cattle
and sheep were to be seen feeding on
the rich vegetation which came with
the water that overspread the land
from the system of irrigating bitches;
and as the result of all this, new and
pretty cottages were taking the place OF
the wretched huts in which nearly all
had been forced to live during the first
wears of their residence; and it was in
the midst of this prosperity, when want
had been banished by years OF patient,
perseverng toll, and they were rejoic-
ing over troubles past, and the thought
that for the rest of their days they
could take life easy, that the stroke
came which turned all their joy into
mourning, and changed the current Of
their blood from the peaceful flow OF
quiet, happy hearts to a seethlng flood
in hearts made hot with fear and
hatred.
This was no rumor from an unknown
| source that reached their ears, aWaking
/ doubt in some and ridicule in others.
Tt was not the faint murmuring OF q
distant storm that might never reach
them. but the sudden rush of the whirl'
wind: the flash of the lightning, the
falling of the thunderbolt from sunny
skv. Il came as a notice from the rail.
road company to each settler, inform
ing him that he was trespasser on the
lands of the company. and must lmme
diately vacate unless he was prepared
to paw the value of the lands occupied
by him. which had been carefully ap'
praised, SO the notice read, by com
petent judges, whose estimate of the
value OF each quarter-section accom-
panied the notice.
This appraisement ranged from tel
to thirty-five dollars per acre; that o
, Erastus Hemingway being thirty dol
lars per acre, or a total of four Thousand
eight hundred dollars, which he wa
asked to pay to the railroad compan.,
for the land he had redeemed from tn