River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-05-07

cUunL OF Tue itluadi VI Tue W. EUOI
Commissioners To render any further
aid to the leper family in his town,
and characterizes the notice given on
that account as ian enigmatical COM
munication from the Co. Poor Com s -
etc, / would, to help solve the enigma,
say, that after consulting the District
Attorney we came to the conclusion
that the aid SO far furnished said
family by the commissioners, was SIM
ply an act of charity, and not because
the family and the patient were pau
pers, it being a fact that Mr.. Nelson,
the head of the leper family, was the
owner at the time of forty acres of
land as well as other property, besides
800 in cash, or more, without being
in debt. lt being another fact, that at
the time the Poor Commissioners, to-
gether with DIR. Z. Ballard OF River
Falls, visited this family, which was
in Dec. 1889, Mrs. Nelson was found
terrible sufferer not only in body,
but also in mind, which had been her
condition for at least year previous.
Notwithstanding her condition both
physically and mentally, however, we
learned that on Nov. 5, 1889. (before
we had anything to do with the case,
she and her husband had sold by war
ranty deed for 500 the Sc of SW sec.
4-27-l5, timber forty, to one II. II.
Garden of Spring Lake. as it seems
very cheap. From reports l have
learned that the officer who acknowl-
edged the deed thought the parties
acted strange; Mrs. Nelson, who does
not understand English, was led UP
and assisted in the signing of the pa
per, Whether she had been appraised
of its contents or not, suppose cuts
no figure in her case. Subsequently
we learned that the Nelson's had sold
their homestead forty also. being the
NE of SW of sec. 4-27-l5, to Garden
for $l35, but not until tue deed ap-
peared of record which it did remarka-
bly, soon afterwards. This deed was
dated Oct. 80, 1890. Now, according
to the best information we could get
without consulting your correspond
ent, Mr.. Nelson could not legally
transfer his homestead, to say nothing
about his wife's interest in the other
forty of the land, when she was in
demented condition of mind, besides
being physically afflicted with the
most loathsome and dreadful of all
diseases, -leprosy.
So much by way of explanation of
what the notice said about fraudulent
sale of land
Now as to being "remiss in duty"
1t seems that Sec. 1905 Il. 5. 1878 quite
plainly defines the duty AS well as au-
thority of the Supervisors of the town
in case where husband is about to
abscond from his wife, which accord.
Ah5 w ASpOi O1 9IpAlbpOia SSO w IhO
statement of your correspondent-now
seems to be the trouble with Mr.. Mel.
son. The power and duty above men-
toned, the Co. Commissioners had as
much as the Town Supervisors while
the county system for taking care of
the poor lasted, but which, unfOrtu-
nately for US, was changed back to the
township system, and as we suppose,
the authority mentioned after that
also changed, making us tres passers
really while in the act of administer
ing charity, while the Supervisors of
tibet own, clothed with legal authority
and duty, remained inactive.
But your correspondent says that if
we knew of any fraudulent sale" why
did we not investigate the matter!"
Why! Bless your soul, we have been
investigating and listenig to more re.
ports, reports to the effect that we
were not doing our duty in the case,
evidently started by some smart Alec,
living in the vicinity of the afflicted
fami y. and until We began to learn
of the effects of this outside talk, from
the hired girl at Nelson's, in various
ways, but mostly at the expense of
the county treasury, we concluded
that when there was talk about duty.
that did not rest with us, no matter
what your correspondent says about
managing the business for two
years" If in his great wisdom he
knows, without passing laws himself,
where the Poor Commissioners have
been Teuliss in their duty, why has he
not been gentlemanly enough to cali
our attention to the same and await
the result before he insinuatingly
filings his wit and sarcasm into the
newspapers! Why does he not visit
personally his afflicted neighbor and
not rely on reports only as to condition
and acts, etc.! Is he not little renliSs
il his duty as neighbor, or has he
nonel
Lastly permit me to say, it seems
to me, even from reading your cor
respondents version of the notice,
that any living being capable of read
ing, and possessed with brains the size
of mustard seed, can comprehend,
that notice is given of the fact "that
no further aid from the county would
be extended 10 the family in question,
and not of the fact that said family
had 'means of their own" which is
only mentioned a. one reason why the
aid is 81 continued; and as your cor
perhaps. is only a servant
of the Town Board Of Spring Lake the
Interpretation of the notice does not
fall upon him. lam willing be keep
his construction of It for himself h,,. I,
/ want the good people of Spring Lake
to know what the facts IN the matter
are, ana will willingly submit to their
judgment when founded on such facts. |
could say great deal more con.
corning the painstaking of some fell
low, to have this case made public, up
to which time Mr.. Nelson had strug.
oiled along without aDy Outsida helm