The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-10-19
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Daring Scheme Of Farmers to
Steal 5000 Acres of Land.


A plot of Iowa farmers to steal 5000 acres oi
Nebraska land by changing the course of the
stream was revealed few days ago when the
courts stopped the work. An injunction was
secured and the property owners who were
about to be despoiled went in search of the
vnieves.
The farmers planned to change the 300J
acres from the Nebraska side by digging
big trenches and directing the river into
aew channel. IT the discovery had not
come score Of lives might have been lost
when the food-gates were opened. ;,
Although the plotters have been at work
since last June, they conducted their opera,
tions so secretly none suspected tnelr real
design. Emboldened by success. they be-
came reckless and attempted to rush the
work through. =,
The Nebraska landowners discovered
what was going on and at once took sum-
mary proceedings to check operatlonS. AT
). so in the afternoon Sheriff Whitney, OF
Sarpy County, served the restraining order
issued by Judge Scott that put stop to the ae
work, and now two great ditches-one 4Oo
feet long and the other 15O feet long, seven
feet deep and five feet wide, with great
mounds of freshly turned earth along either
.ide-are the silent witnesses of the big
Steai.
The Missouri River describes wind al
most a complete circle at Bellevue, few
niles south of Omaha. Only narrow neck
ST land joins the land within the wind and
The rest of the State.
The farmers ditched across this neck,
snowing that when the river rushed through
4 would destroy all trace of their work and
~
IF accretion.
The contractor digging tue ditch says
Adner, Wright and jenkins are the names
of the men who hired him to do the work.
The excitement is great in South Omaha and
Bellevue.
The property involved is worth over sl25 :
300. and should the perpetrators OF the plot
appear in the neighborhood they would be
roughly handled.
The Nebraska authorities are going to de-
mand Of Iowa that the land-grabbers be
severely punished.
Condition of the Public Debt.
The statement of rhe condition Of the pub
lie debt and Treasury on September 80 shows
q decrease during the month In the debt
Of $70s, 255.50, and an increase OF cash
decrease of debt OF ss451, ,s29.l6 The
total interest bearing debt is 1855, 5,O3l, ::
i7O: debt ON which interest has ceased
since maturity, $3.50. l45 20; debt bearing
no interest, s97S. 976 S4S 81; total debt, s966,
518 1854. .13. The cash balance in the Treas.
ury, exclusive OF the 500, 100000 gold re-
serve, was s3l, S9691S.34. Of this amount
FIG. 2T5, ,S3s. .6l was on deposit in National
banks 20 the credit of disburslng officers and
On general account. Coin in the Treasury
consisted of S240, ,605, 90S50 gold, agalnsS
which certificates amounting to $l46, 55o.So
had been issued, and S454, 725, 1881 silver,
with 1929, 469, 304 certificates Outstanding
against it. ,,-,
ments shows that the cholera quarantine
did not affect customs receipts as 1t was
feared if would. The total receipts for the
month were s3l, ,S41, ,27s 66, against $2S, 0ol,-
247.25 in September, 1891, anu the increase
was almost entirely from the Custom House.
Last month the customs due footed up
ST., ,2O9, ,947. .Ss; in September, 1891, they were
Sl4. 100, ,94O.3O. Expenditures last month
were SIS, ,9l7, 79s. "a, against s23 934 ,oOl. 10
year ago. Pensions were chargeable with
the greater part of the increase. being Sl2, =
654 387.13. In September, 1891, the pay
ments on that account were S8,6S2, $3.50.
Suffering damDurS.
A late cablegram from Hamburg, Ger
many saws: There have been ninety-eight
fresh cases of cholera, thirty-one deaths and
159 burials. In the hospitals s72 persons are
under treatme MT. In Alt>na there have
been nine fresh cases and five deaths. The
Hamburg Council has asked for permission
to borrow 81, 800, 900 to be used in tearing
down condemned buildings and erecting
others in their places. ,....
Although the theatres are full and the va
riety shows and beer saloons have rarely
done heavier business the suffering IN the
city is extreme. In Hammerbrook nine per-
sons died of typhoid fever, induced by in
sufficient nourishment. Seven OF them
were in the families OF clerks who
have been dismissed on account OF the
lull in trade. The speedy revival OF
business has not come us was expected. q.
Many shops open daily. yet no general re
sumpt,ou Of trade has been effected. In the
Spitaler, Stein, and Neiden streets no bust
ness at all is done. In the whole city 9OOO
clerks are without employment. In the
shipping district similar state o, distress
prevails. Infant mortality is increasing:
The physicians fear that the scarcity OF food
and clothes among the unemployed will re-
suit in q series of minor epidemics through
out the winter.