Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-16


 .'I'q,a oos7. noo for Q fresh pddl of acatter.n
 .eTake a seat. MT. Morrison. This gentleman is looking over these town ships and will have finished in a few moments"
 Morrison's eye suddenly became un- easy.
 '1 am somewhat busy this morning. 7 he objected, with a shade of command in his voice.
 If this gentleman'- suggested the clerk delicately.
 T am sorry put in Thorpe, with breyity. My time, too, IS valuable"
 Morrison looked at him sharply.
 My deal is a big one" he snapped. s.I can probably arrange with this gen. tleman to let him have his farm"
 II claim precedence replied Thorpe calmly
 Well" said Morrison, swift as light, ssI'll tell you, Smithers. I'll leave my list of descriptions and a check with you. Give me receipt and mark my lands off after you've finished with this gentleman"
 Now, government and state lands are the property of the man who pays for them. Although the clerks receipt might not give Morrison a valid, claim, nevertheless it would afford basis for a lawsuit. Thorpe saw the trap and interposed.
 Hold on,' he interrupted. II claim precedence. You can give no receipt for any land in these townships until after my business is transacted. l have reason to believe that this gentle man and myself are both after the same descriptions. "What!'' shouted Morrison, assuming surprise
 "You will have to wait your turn. 1 Mr. Morrison said the clerk, virtuous before so many witnesses. | The business man was in white rage of excitement.
 q insist on my application being filed 1 at oncer' he cried, waving his check .I have the money right here to. pay 1 for every acre of it, and if I know the law the first man to pay takes the | land"
 He slapped the check down on the l rail and hit it number of times with l the flat of his hand. Thorpe turned I and faced him with a steely look in his l level eyes.
 1 MT. Morrison he said, you are l quite right. The first man who pays 1 gets the land, but have won the. first chance to pay. You will kindly step l one side until finish my business with l MT: Smithers here.'' M
 T suppose you have the amount ac- 1 tually with you said the clerk quite respectfully, ..because.if youshave not 1 Mir Morrison's claim will take prece- | dence."
 1T would hardly have any business l in land office if did not know that, z l replied Thorpe, and began his dicta- l ton of the description as calmly as though his inside pocket contained the | required amount in bank bills. l Thorpe's hopes had sunk to zero. l After all, looking at the matter dis l passionately, why should he expect | Carpenter to trust him, stranger, I with so large sum? It had been madness. Only the blind confidence of the fighting man led him farther into the struggle.
 Thorpe's descriptions were contained in the battered little notebook he had l carried with him in the woods. For each piece of land first there came the | township described by latitude and east and west range. After this ge- neric description followed another fig ure representing the section of that | particular district. So 49-17 W-S l meant section s of the township on range 49 north, IT west. If Thorpe wished to purchase the whole section | that description would suffice. On the other hand, if he wished to buy only one forty he described it's position sl | the quarter section. Thus SW-NW l 49-17-S meant the southwest forty of | the northwest quarter of section s in the township already described.
 The clerk marked across each square of his map as Thorpe read them the date and the purchasers name.
 In his notebook Thorpe had of course entered the briefest description possi. ble. Now, indicating to the clerk, he conceived the idea of specifying each subdivision. This gained some time. 1 Instead of saying simple, Northwest corner of section g, he made of it four separate descriptions, IS asfollows: North, west quarter Of northwest quarter;