Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-02-27

chat said Steele we'll knew that the said
buildings and improvements were In
and upon said one-half Of said section at
the time he built and made them ; and
that he then and there deliberately took
his chances upon acquiring title to said
land, knowing thattt was then and there
q school section. That said one-half Of
said section is very valuable, and lies in
close proximity to the town Of Steele, In
Of said Steele in seeking to acquire title
20 the same is to plat the same into town
lots as an addition or additions to tho
town Of Steele. Wherefore the makers of
this statement allege that { suffer said
Steele to acquire title to said land would
be allowing him to take advantage ofhis
own wrong, and would manifestly de-
fraud the future school fund of said Kid
der county of large sum. And they pray
tention to this statement, and their sev-
eral affidavits hereinunder given.
Dated, April 6, 1884.
JOHN VAN DEusEN.
JOHN HOLMES.
TERRITORY OF DAKOTA, as
County Of Barnes, So
John Holmes, being duly sworn on
oath, deposes and says that he has read the
above and foregoing statement, and that
tho allegations set forth are true. Afi-
ant further says that he and said Van
Densen, in or about the year one thou
sand eight hundred and seventy eight
tle78) were in company with said Steele,
when he (the said Steele was choosing q
location in Kidder county; that the said
Steele then and there chose section sew
enteen (l7) in said township and range.
which said section was then and there
pointed out to him by %aflant, and that
said Steele afterwards, in pursuance of
his said choice, purchased said section
seventeen (l7) Of and from the Northern
Pacific Railroad company. The afiant
a then and there a land examiner for
the Northern Pacific Railroad company,
and was then and there q practical sur
veyor, and knew the corners and boun-
daries ofsaid section; that the boundaries
between said section sixteen (16) and sec.
ton seventeen (17) were then and there
clearly apparent; that the country there
was and fslevel, and said boundary lines
were then and there clearly marked and
defined by mounds and stakes, set by
the United States deputy surveyors, ac-
cordinR to the laws regulating the sur
vey of public lands; which mounds and
stakes were then and there plainly visi-
chosen and purchased said section seven
teen (l7) to-wit In the summer Of 1873,
afiant was in the same locality and no.
ticed that said Steele was breaking land,
and that he had slightly crossed the line
with said breaking into section sixteen
(l6); that the said Steele had not yet
erected any buildings; that afiant then
and there called the attention Of said
Steele to the fact that he had broken.
across the line; that said Steele then and
there replied: "That makes no differ
anoo ~ ora off mt fn rthnN novoth MT
JOHN HOLMES.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this
9th day Of April, 1884.
Notary Public, Barnes County, Dakota.
TERRITORY OF DAKOTA, GO
County OF Barnes,
John Van Deusen, being duly sworn
on oath, deposes and says that he has
read the above and foregoing affidavit of
John Holmes, and that the matters and
averments therein set forth are rue to
atlantis own knowledge. Af1ant fur
Their says that he resides in said Kidder
county, and is well acquainted with said
Steele. and has seen and conversed with
him frequently ever since said Steele To-
Gated in said county; and that said Steele
never pretended to af1ant that he (the
said Steele) had built on and improved
said section sixteen (l6) by mistake, but
m the contrary has always admitted that
he knew the boundaries of said section
~sixteen'(le) from the very first.
JOHN VAN DEUsEN.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 9th day Of April, 1884:
Notary Public, Barnes County. Dakota.
T5rs ss,;a =, OF s, D;AK91A, SIS,
Arthur A Rri,ndnro hoino q raf m oath
duly sworn, Opposes and says that for
moro than four years past he has been q
resident Of Kidder county, Dakota Ter
ritorv ; that he is we'll acquainted with
Wilbur +. Steele, of said Kidder county ;
that he has frequently conversed with
said Steele on the subject of his (Steele's)
occupancy Of a certain section Of school
land, described as section l6, township
l39 north, range 70 west, the same being
that in or about the month of June, 1881,
said Steele told him (deponent) that he
(Steele) had located upon and improved
said school section described above, we'll
knowing that 1t was school land, and that
his reason for s., doing was that said To-
cation and Improvement would give him
prior right of purchase when said land
should be put upon he market for sale.
ARTHUR A. BRUNDAGE.
0uDScrlpeu anu SWOTn 10 D1IOFo nl6
this sixth day Of February, 1886.
[sEAL.l w. E. WRIGHT,
Notary Public, Burleigh County, Oak.
The foregoing afidavits are still on file
in Washington, and the attention Of the
lands committee have been recalled to
them. 1t was upon the strength ofthese
sfidavits that the late John B. Ray.
mond positively refused to push Steele.
claim before congress. When Delegate
Clifford reads them he will find there i.
but one course for him to pursue, and
that is to Withdraw the bill no has intro
dnced in behalf of Steele.
SPARKS, THE DESTROYER.
Dakota wa once New France in 176a
it became the properly ofSpain ; IN 1901
the property Of France again ; in 1866
1.-The property Of the United States Then
it was included in the district of Louisl.