The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-04-24
SHORT TERM OF COURT.
Four Cases Were Disposed of and Only
Two Tried.

Two Tried.
Canton, S. D., April 1.-THE regular
April term Of the district court for this
county adjourned after q session OF
less than four days. 1t was the short
est term of the district court ever held
IN the history Of the county. Only four
cases were disposed of, and but two Of
these came up for trial. 1t is a note
worthy fact that litigation of every de-
,scription in his county has been con-
stantly decreasing for the last ten
years and is now at it's lowest ebb. 1t
n decrease much more If any en-
ployment remains for lawyers and
court officials. One of the cases re-
Gently settled out Of court is one that
has numbered the docket for q period
Of nearly ten years. It is known as the
Moen will case and involved the owner
ship of a highly valuable quarter sec
ton of land in Norway township, which
was taken up as a homestead in the
early '7Os by one John X. Moen, who
came to this county from Norway. He
died after a residence of a few years on
the land, n subsequently the title
passed to John j. Moen, a brother of
the deceased, who established the claim
as being the only heir and next of kin
to his brother, John K. About a year
after John ]. Moen had obtained title
70 his brothers fine quarter section Of
land there came owe from NORWAY a
young woman by the name of Johanna
Bertena Johnsdatter Meen, who claimed
to be the illegitfmate daughter of John
<. Moen, and there being no other chill
dren, h was the only real next of kin
10 her rather n the only true heir to
his estate. The young Woman's case
was taken into court, where she estab-
hshed her relationship to the deceased
Moen, but was bitterly contested from
year to year, until about a year ago,
when a verdict was rendered in favcc Of
the original claimant, John J. Moen.
The case was carried to the supreme
court, however, and that body reversed
the decision Of the lower court, holding
that the plaintiff, Johanna Moen, was
entitled to the land in dispute, And
now, to avoid further litigation, all the
parties to the case have recently come
-ogether n perfected a
settlement, whereby Johanna Bertena
Johnsdatter Moen, who Is now Mrs.
Andrew Tvedt, becomes the u~ndisputed
owner to the land on which her father
filed a homestead entry in 1874. AS the
land is now worth $50 an acre, the
amount of the claim adjusted by the
settlement just made involved an
amount of nearly $4,000.
-
Grass Has a Good Start.
Belle Fourche, S. D., April 14.-Re-
ports from stockmen at the annual
meeting of the Northwestern associa-
ton are that the cattle are getting in
good condition. In most instances pre-
vious reports Of losses have been over
estimated, n the cattle men will not
suffer as.it was believed a month ago
they would. The snow is all gone in
the range country, the young grass is
getting a good start. The heavy SHOWS
of March were much needed on the
range, as the water was running low
and cattle were beginning to suffer for
drink.
Governor Appoints Game Wardens.
Pierre, 8. D.. April l3.-Governor Her,
ried has appointed the following game
wardens:
Aurora, z. p Andrews, Piankinton:
Beadle, +. w. BentN, Huron; Brookings,
v. I. Mccoy, Bookings; Campbell, E.FB.
jackson, Mound City; Charles Mix g. NJ.
Lokken, Lake Andes; Clark, Allen j..
Phelph, Bradley, w. B. Dodson. Mitchell;
Day, John r.. Taylor, Webster; Deuel. FL
II. Herrick, Gary; Faulk. Carroll A. shep-
ard. Faulkton: Gregory, Fred Schemmer,
Bonesteei; HaIrlin. James Erickson. Bry.
ant; Hutchinson. John McLain, Tripp.
Jerauld, James T. Ferguson, Wessfngfnn
Springs; Kingsbury, G. NJ. GazeIey. Ar
lingeon; Lake, Charles A. Angle. Madi-
son; McCoek. Vim. Barnhart, Salem: Nc
Pherson. NJ. II. Richards. Eureka: Miner.
II. H. Gorham, Villas; Minnehaha. John
W. Hutchinson. Sioux Falls: Pennington,
Hanson, Hurley; Union, J. r. HaiIidaW
Jefferson. Walworth9 VIM II nas