The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-10-09
EMlGRANTS TAKEN IN.
Many Foolish People Fleeced by bogus
Land Agents.
TSnncol

MANY HOOiNh eOPto ny bDSue
Land Agents.
Especial Correspondence
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. t3.-I was walk
ing along Second street in Seattle few
days ago when was accosted by an
elderly looking countryman, who in
quired where he would find certain
bank did not know, but directed him
to bank just opposite where we stood,
and advised him that he could there get
the desired information. While we were
talking woman came up to join us,
who, it transpired, was the daughter of
the old man, and the two had just ar
rived from Iowa for the purpose of locat-
ing on government land.
The woman carri,.l in her hand
crumpled check OH the bank for which
they had inquired held out my hand
for the check, and she gave it to me
without d word. 1t was properly filled
out and indorsed, and called for con-
siderable sum of money. 1t probably
represented the savings of years of pa
tient toll, and the people were no doubt
inspired with visions of wealth to be
easily acquired through judicious in
yestment in western lands. | handed
the check back, with the suggestion that
it be folded and put out of sight of the
many people who would be attracted by
the public display Of such paper in the
hands Of strangers, OF ''tenderfeet," as
all new corners are called.
The streets of these western cities are
constantly patrolled by rascals in search
Of Just such settlers" and the papers
hereabouts have almost daily recitals of
| ignorant folks being fleeced by bogus
land locators, who lie in wait for their
gullible victims. These people had no
means of knowing who | was, and yet
| they handed me their check to read with
| out question as to the safety of such a
transaction | could but reflect how
easy it would have been for one of the
army of confidence men in this country
to have volunteered to show them to the
bank, and either have steered Them into
some bogus bank, den of partners in
the trade of robbery, or else nave taken
them to the bank, assisted them in cash
ing their paper and then towed them
into some side street, taken their money
on one pretext OF another, and left them
penniless. 1t seems to be a waste of ink
to print the oft recurring instances OF
the kind. Some farmers either do not
read the papers, OF if they read them APP
pear not to profit by the exposures OF
the methods employed to trap the I'M
wary.
What wonder that so many fall into
the hands of sharks and are devoured;
Even the very doors of the banks and
government land Offices in the new
states and territories are surrounded anc
shadowed by men whose only object is
TO deceive and rob the unwary immi
grant, and such have not the slightest
difficulty in marking their prey among
the untraveled and unsuspecting coun
trymen who seek homes in this far west
A common method of these gentry is tt
conduct the home seeker to the most at
tractive locality, and represent it a.
government land open to presumption
and collect an exorbitant fee for services
rendered, when as matter OF fact thu
land pointed out is the private property
of some early settler, and not even in thu
market at any price.
The government should establish b!
law board to be known as the "fool
killers" and every intending emigrant
to any part of the west should be sub
iect to preliminary examination be
fore this board. and all who are fount
to be incapable of passing a satisfactory
test as TO their liability to fall easy pre-.
to the species of human jackal whicl
feeds chiefly upon suckers should b
quietly electrocuted, and their none,
, held in trust for their children or othe
legal heirs. This measure would sool
rid the frontier cities and settlements o
dangerous and pestiferous elemen
, which now fattens upon the class refer
, red to. w. q. BENTON.