The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-22
4 FLOATING FARM.
Chautauqua Lake the Scene or
Queer Legal Contest
The Ground Near the Lake Believed 10
BE Crust Formed Upon the
Surface OF n Large Body
of Water.

A curious legal complication is exclt-
ING the interest Of residents about Chau-
+aunua lake On the night Of August
% a severe storm visited the country
around the lake and the next morning
- dozen islands were seen where there
has '~aen an unbrOken lake surface be-
fore. These islands, on one Of which
large trees were growing, proved TO be
treat 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 half and
had been broken from the farm OF Mrs
James Stone. 1t 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 1t TO
Charles Wicl<s. a real estate dealer, Tor
five dollars. on the promise Of the latter
to make extensive improvements upon
il. At the same time Charles Nledhart,
another real estate man, went TO Mrs.
Stone and purchased the property from
her. paving five dollars. Both Weeks
and Niedhart received quit-clalm deeds
Now both purchasers claim the prop
ertv. and the courts will be called upon
to decide between them, says the Og-
densburg N. " 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 1t
lodged or, having found anchorage IN
the public highway, does it revert to
the state? 1t is argued that, being
movable. Mr.. Wicks' 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 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 II
Chautauqua valley was once large
body of water, over a portion of Whlcl
q crust Of land has been formed, anC
that the farming lands around it art
brt a short distance above surface. Oh
Marvin PARK an unuuldlluS lHoIlOI "
the ground is discernible when hors
passes over it, and when the annual fal
is held upon it many timid persons re
fuse to remain because Of the distinct
ness Of the strange vibration. Also II
exhaustiblc artesian wells are reache
at from fifty to one hundred feet belOV
the surface The city of jamestown
supplied with water from these wells
which were drilled about four miles t
the east. and some Of which flow fv
hundred thousand gallons a day.
The phenomenon is remarkable on
and is likely to engage the attention G
the scientists who assemble annually q
Chautauqua. Naturally the owners {
farms along the lake will feel some VI
easines3 when the next big storm come:
To have the lake dotted all over with Ii
tie island farms would mar its synm'
try and yet undoubtedly add to its pi'
tnreSOu1neSS.