Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-01-10
The STORY OF A FARM
A Valuable Piece Of Marshall Coun.
ty Land Has an Interesting
History.
Title Was for Long Time in Doubt,
and Pennsylvania Heirs Thought
1t Worthless.
Scramble to Get Possession Reveals
Interesting Facts-sold For
a65 Per Acre.

VOO ! "a aGkOs
The filing of a warranty deed by the
heirs of George w. Meek, deceased, to
G.. g. Dunlap, wealthy and heavy
land owner residing in the south part
of the county, settles, so far as one
party is concerned, suit brought for
the present term of the district court
by Mr.. Dunlap, to compel the Meek
heirs to produce deed to the property
garding the disposal of the land.
The property in question is 100 acres
in Jefferson township and directly
south of this city on Center street The
land has been owned since 1852 by the
Meeks. at that time the elder Meek,
George w, being alive. His heirs are
William r. Meek. David G. Meek and
Wife and +. Gray Meek ami wife. The
home of the family is in Center county.
pennsylvania, near Bellefontaine.
| David Meek is the editor of a news
Paper al that place. IL seems from
| what can be learned that the Meeks
| had paid little attention TO the prop
erty, thinking it to be too far rou,
West to be of value, and if of any
/ value that it vas certainly plastered
with or sold for county taxes.
Along about 1856 the Milwaukee road
crossed that portion of Marshall coun-
ty and a part of the land was secured
for the right of way. At that time Ma.
than Worley. now deceased. had power
of attorney-rrented the land, kept up
| the Improvements, derived the reve-
nues and paid the taxes. 1t seems that
4 the real owners could not be found, II
\ they We're ever known. After Mr.. Wor-
/ ley's death his widow, through her
son-in law and agent, DR.. H. l.. cietz
Kept up the improvements, rented the
land. collected the rentals and paid the
/ taxes.
a few months ago Brennecke &
/ Head ascertained in some manner who
4 the real owners of the property We're
! and Mr. Head made trip to Bellefon-
4 tame 10 see il the land was for sale. He
/ told the heirs where it Was located.
what it was worth and how much he
4 would give them for it-S4,0oo David
Meek concluded the matter was worth
looking up and came to this city TO in
i vestigate. After his arrival another
4 real estate firm engaged MS attention
] and pressed a claim for Mr.. Dunlap,
\ who wished to purchase the land. Mr..
i Meek Was offered si.l00 by the agent OF
\ Mr. Dunlap. Prior To this. however,
i Mr.. Head had bargained for the land
4 and had, it is claimed, secured the
promise of deed. Which was TO be sent
to this city In care of the Marshalltown
State Bank After MIR. Meeks arriva
some sort of contract WAS made out
and filed at ii a. IN. With the county re-
corder. The deed. which was slow In
coming from Pennsylvania, arrived tor
late for priority in fling, and at
Io'clocl<, when it was brought TO the re-
4 scoreer's Office. the contract for the sale
to Mr.. Dunlap was already on file.
With this as the situation MIR. Dun
lap Immediately brought suit 10 compe
Mr.. Meek TO produce a deed 10 the
property and live up to his contract
which was on file. Mr.. Head insisted
that he should be given the option
a considering the fact that he made tlls
: "Trip to Pennsylvania, calling the atten:
ton Of the heirs to the property. which
| put them in way of selling it. other
wise they would have still been ignor-
ant of Its value The contract, already
signed and filed, put another light OF
the proposition as far as Mr.. Meek wa!
! concerned, and to settle the DUNLAP
suit he decided the property to him fo
i s4.l0o-a little over s6i per acre.
f Whether the case is settled for al
time or not is a question YET TO be de
terminet. Brennecke & Head had al
: ready bargained to sell it to other par
{ ties for $4,000 and all that the sale re
. quired on their part was to furnish
r clear title to the land. AS the matte
, now stands it is not within their prov
ince to sell it. 1t is not improbable tina
another suit Will be commenced agains
the Meek heirs on the part of Bren
neelke & Head for damages sustaine,
in the action on the part of Davi
Meek
Several little things have bee
!. brought to light in the rummage anon
the papers One is the collection o
: damages from the milwaukee,, whic
were paid by the railroad compan
4 shortly after 1t crossed the land. Tina
sum has never been turne
| over but Is supposed to b
| in the hands of a forme
sheriff 1t is thought that perhaps tn
Meek heirs will try to recover over an
II above the amount invested in keepin
up of improvements and taxes from tn
revenue derived from the land durin
the past several years If that prove
to be the case there will probably b
litigation galore.
BODY ARRIVED THIS EVENING
Remains of Engineer t. IL. Lon
Reach City--Funcrai Thursday .
2 O'Clock.
The remains of the late T. r.. Lon,
of Oskaloosa, the Iowa Central eng
neer who lost his life Monday evenin
in a wreck on the Newton branch, al
rived in the city from Oskaloosa at 81,
o'clock that evening, accompanied b
Mr. and Mrs. II. L. Long, of this cit,
parents of the deceased; Mrs. Lon
y the wife, and her three small sons. az
= companied also by her father NJ
Harry Hall. of Waterloo; Mr.. and Mr.
. jesse Long, brother and sister-in-la
Of the deceased, and also number
IL friends of the deceased's family.
nd The remains We're taken at once
ID the home of Mr.. and Mrs. II. l.. Lon