The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1899-06-07
WORK OF The APPRAISERS
ChdrleStOWn Land Owners Get
Good Pay for the Right
of-May.
Averages Nearly 500 Per Acre
A Merry Railroad War
South of Here.

The appraisers appointed by
Judge Buckham to appraise the
lands condemned by the Minnesota
& Iowa division of the Chicago &
| Northwestern railroad for right-of-
way from Sanborn northwest to Sec
ton Is, Vesta. met in Lamberton on
Wednesday of last week, George L..
Evans having previously secured
permission from the interior depart
ment to serve on the commission,
and hence having recalled his resig-
nation from the appraising commits
sion. The appraisers took the usual
oath. There were present Attorney
Somerville of Somerville & Olsen,
for the property owners, Attorneys
Abbott and Clague for the North
western, and ]. A. Sedgwick, right
of-way agent of the Northwestern
Immediately after taking the oath of
office the appraisers were furnished
with carriage and drove into
Charlestown, and personally went
over the land condemned, and list
ened to the statements of the owners,
after which they returned to Lam
berton to fix the valuations. This
work occupied the remainder of
| Wednesday, all of Thursday and a
portion of Friday, the report having
| been filed with the clerk of court
Friday afternoon.
Before the commissioners went on
to the ground the right-of- way men
announced that they had settled
with John Weber by buying a 32
acre tract of him, this tract includ-
ing an entire corner of his land and
the strip wanted for right-of-way.
The reason for so extensive a pur-
chase is that the piece abuts on the
Northwestern right-of- way, just out
Of Sanborn, and the company con-
cluded that they would have to put
in a Y at that point, SO that cars
could be transferred from the main
line to the Vesta extension. The
company paid Mr. Weber $50 an
acre for the entire tract. making a
total of 81, ,76O paid for the same.
The commissioners finally agreed
on awarding Paul Timm $1.117. so
for the strip through his land, max
ing an acreage of 2O.3O, the price
paid being about $50 per acre. The
railroad company offered Mr.. Timm
$500 for the strip, which he refused.
The commissioners awarded John
Stechmen 81 ,O37 go for 1854 acres
and Frank Wichman received 1925
for seven acres, a little over $50 per
acre. The railroad company claimed
its willingness to pay Mr. Wich-
man this amount before the ap-
praisers were appointed.
The company has decided to stand
by the report of the appraisers, and
it is PROBABLE that the property
owners mentioned above will do
likewise. Those not interested claim
that it was very fair adjudiction.
At the conclusion of the work of
the commissioners Agent Sedgwick
paid them their per diem and mile
age and all expenses, allowing them
three days for their per diem.
~
That the Northwestern and Mil
waukee roads are having an inter-
esting fight can be seen from the
following from the Window Re-
| porter, which will also furnish in
formation for those interested, why
work is not pushed on the Vesta-
anborn-Burt extension.
"It now looks as though Cotton wood
county would have railroads to burn
before snow flies. Last week we said
that the G. 4 n. w. had sent corps of
engineers out from Butterfield to sur
yey a line westward toward Slayton.
This proved to- be true, aud before the
week was out it had men on the ground
buying right-of-way, and on Monday
morning grading. was begun along the
line in this county. On Sunday VIM
ston Brothers were reported to have
been at d. NJ Fairhairn,s fcr d;rnor