Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-11-09
A FLOATING FARM.
ChautauQua Lake the Scene Of q
Queer Legal Contest
h Ground Near the Lake Believed 70
Re . Crust Formed Upon the
SarfAco OF = Large Body
of Water.

A CURIOUS leRal cOmpDcat1Ou IS exc10~
ing the interest of residents about Chau-
tauqua lake. On the night of August
"a a sever storm visited the country
around the lake, and the next morning
q dozen islands were seen where there
had been an unbroken lake surface be-
fore. These islands, on one of which
large trees were growing, proved to be
great masses of earth broken from the
mainland by the storm and driven down
the lake by the high wind. The largest
contained about an acre and q half and
had been broken from the farm of Mrs.
James Stone. It had.been carried four
miles down the lake and lodged in Bur
tic bay near the lake front, owned by
Charles Clifford. AS that gentleman
was not pleased with the unsightly adj
dition to his property, he sold it to
Charles Wicks, a real estate dealer, for
five dollars, on the promise of the latter
to make extensive improvements upon
it. At the same time Charles Niedhart,
another real estate man, went to Mrs.
Stone and purchased the property from
her, pay ing five dollars. Both Wicks
and Niedhart received quit-claim deeds.
Now both purchasers claim the prop
SAby3 0o Nv SOuL Will NC CIllCu upon
to decide between them, says the Og-
densburg IN. " Journal.
The legal fraternity began to discuss
the case, and some puzzling questions
arise. Thus, is the property real or
personal? If personal. being movable,
was it the property of the original own
er after it had been lodged in the high
way? If real estate, it is properly an
accretion of the land against which it
lodged, or, having found anchorage in
the public highway, does it revert to
the state? 1t is argued that, being
movable, Mr.. Wicl1s' title will not hold,
as he has no right to drive piles in the
highway to hold it, while another storm
might carry it further down and against
another mans property, Or a passing
steamer might hitch and pull it away,
thus making it the property of any per-
son along the lake front.
The belief begins TO prevail that in
ChauGauqua valley was once a large
body Of water, over a portion of which
a crust of land has been formed, and
that the farming lands around it are
but n o distance above surface. On
Marvin park an undulating motion of
the ground is disccrnible when a horse
passes over it, and when the annual fair
is held upon it many timid persons re-
fuse to remain because of the distinct
ness OF the strange vibration. Also in
exhaustible artesian wells are reached
at from fifty to one hundred feet below
the surface. The city of jamestown is
supplied with water from these wells,
which were drilled about four miles to
the east, and some of which flow five
hundred thousand gallons a day.
The phenomenon is a remarkable one
and is likely to engage the attention of
the scientists who assemble annually at
C~hautauqua. Naturally the n of
farms along the lake will feel some un-
easiness when the next big storm comes.
10 nave the lake dotted all over with lit
tie island farms would mar its symme.
try and yet undoubtedly add to its pic.
turesqueness.