The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-14
He IS A SQUATTER
Walter B. Davis Claims Title
to Maple Island.
CITY FILES COMPLAINT
Charges Him With PoIIuting
Arkansas River.

Walter 3. Davis IS IN trouble with tn
nity Of Wichita and the trouble which 4
not troubling Walter 3. Davis very mucl
but is trouble Of some troubuious mo
ment to the city Of Wichita is all abou
Maple Island located in the big Arkansa.
tiver near the Maple street bridge and al
the foot Of Lewis street.
Mr. Davis settled on this island three
years ago and claims title to it under
squatter sovereign law.
Now. he says that a grinding municipal
corporation is trying to GUST him from
hinder his own vine and fig tree and take
The land which he claims under the right
granted to every American citizen, from
his possession.
MI Davis says that the city Of Wichita
through several Of its officers has inti-
mated to him that this land consisting of
about four acres belongs to the city Of
Wichita and that he must vacate OF 20
straight up.
Davis claims that when he squatted on
Inc island that it was United States gov
eminent land and that it never has be-
longed TO city or never could belong to
he city under the existing government
laws and survey which located the Ar
kansas river as a nayigable government
stream with property right extending
Dnly TO each bank and not into the river
Itself
A complaint was made some time ago
that Davis was using the island as
dumping ground Tor refuse and manure
and on yesterday the city swore out a
complaint charging him with poIluting
The waters OF the stream" by casting
manure into the purling waters Of the
Arkansas.
An officer was sent to the island with an
order commanding Davis TO appear with
Ia the precincts Of the city police court
at 4 clock p. m. He did not appear in
person at The hour set by the authorities
but was represented by Colonel Dyer,
his attorney.
Colon al Dyer and City Attorney Helm
adjourned to the Office Of the chief Of
police and talked the matter over pro
and con ana then went down 10 Ben Nc
ton with the mayor and there the mat
ter rested last night. In the meantime
Walter b Davis was engaged on his ISL
and home last night building a picket
fence on the sides Of the ground which
he has filed up leading 10 the bridge. He
viii make a gate there on the made
ground and petition for an outlet onto
che bridge and says that he viii pray for
It and if his prayer is not granted will
always think that It ought TO have
been.
Walter 2. Davis IS the eldest son Of
Calvin Davis, sometimes known as sand
Hm Davis.
He is an inventor and a lyric poet and
earns his living by the sweat of his
brow he works at anything he can get
10 90 by the day and Is often employed
1t the Arkansas Valley Fence factory on
Water street. He worked for a long time
for Wilkie, the baker and also for Eek
ert and Scott. the old Santa Fe bakery
firm and drove the wagon for them. He
has patented several devices and hold
letters Of patent and copyrights on them.
One Of his last inventions OF note was the
wagon tongue support spring for which
a patent was granted January q. 1880, and
numbered Ae.S73.
He squatted on the Maple Island IN
lsss with the intention OF making it his |
home and getting a title TO the land under
the squatter sovereign 4aw and has re-
sided there ever since. People who have /
had occasion TO cross the Maple street 1
bridge have often wondered what the 1
heterogeneous mass Of things that are To- 1
Gated on the island were and the most Of 4
them had concluded that It was Just q 1
city dumping ground for refuse tin cans. /
old tin. broken boiler pipes and smoke /
stacks.
on the island, Davis has large coTec-
ton of every conceivable object under
The sun. Some of the truck he has
bought and the most of it has come into
his possession through a business he has
followed at odd times of cleaning UP
yards for people.
Many Of his employers would have piles
or stun that they wished hauled away
out ol their Yards and often among these
Plies would be articles which were OF no
value 70 their owners. but which could
he made use Of by Davis or SO he at least
thought And ali old rubbish he could
use in surfacing and building up ground 1
on his island home. on the island he has
three old dismantled street cars. and
one Of them uses for a house. In this
he has a stove and his bunk and every
conceivable inch OF spare space Gued up |
with books, charts. maps. pictures. draw
iags and copies OF original poetry and an
innumeva5le collection OF articles Of every
variety
Davis says that he is aware that his
Maple street bridge does not present
very neat appearance and IS much OF en-
eye sore TO him as II is TO any Of the
lickers. He says be does not think any
one can take the land away from him and
that an he asks Of the community is an
outlet onto the Maple street bridge.
lie expects 70 operate a small truck
farm OH lhe island next season and II he
IS enabled u carry cur the plans he has
IN view he Wiu beaUtfy the grounds and
make them present an appearance that
VIII be an object OF pride instead Of deri-
sion He has already laid out q fish pond
or small lake JUS below the bridge and
has planted various flowers and plants
and evergreen trees in different places
0n the island. He expects 20 erect e
couple of green houses ia time on the
ground near the bridge and an of the ola
Piles n tin cars. scrap and junk Viii be
used to surface and build up ground with.
where his street car residence stands
NJ Davis. win II be can. build him a
mouse and use the car Tor an observatory
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