Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-10-24

Spui ltouS .WtIu out 4 knew mem 10
withhold information which
cheerfuty volrrov eered TO others. I..ss1
SPECTATORS aid not hesitate TO ac-
quaint the settlers With the fact that
the United States owned the lanas and
whoever purchased them would have
the right TO possession
Settlers Protect Each Other.
This aroused much uneasiness and
disturbed the peace and quiet of the
settlers. The children, though grown
UP, witnessed the contention, even if
they did not share in the apprehen-
sion. Their work and love for the
claim and cabin was precious to them.
In the summer of 1888 a plan was set
ftiloat by the settlers whereby it was
understood that those occupying the
| LANDS should not bid against one an
other ut the sales, nor suffer bidding
! by unknown persons. | have tried to
discover written evidence of these I'M
darstandings, but fear none has been
preserved. Aaron W. Harlan, who
| entered part of section 81 of what
| was afterward Van Buren, township,
in which the town of KeosauQuais Sit
uated, and who is Vet living. says:
THE first meeting Of the settlers
! for the purpose was at the house of
Uriah Biggs, on his claim near Pitts
burg (northeast quarter of section 14l:
| Lemuel G.. Jackson whose claim was
l.
secretary. For that township there
was a court of three persons appoint
ed to settle any differences among the
settlers, and James Knox was appoint-
ed bidder for the township. Among
| other things done there was a reSolu
/ ton offered by me Which Biggs amend
1 ed TO read:
""Resolved, That our government is
| by the people, OF the people and for
| the people, and that We are the people"
/ f""rhere We're two or three contested
/ claims, but our court settled them. and
| when the first sales for the township
| occurred in November. 1888, at Bur-
1 lington, we had more fear than difficult
| ty. Our proceedings We're the first in
i the state of this character, and many
\ from other localities came and exam
| ined them. The people of West Point
township, Lee county, adopted them
| without change. They We're copied in
many other places, and think the
| system was followed generally
throughout the territory prior to the
| sales
Bidding in the Home Land.
when the time came for the sales
there was some dread that the plan
| would fail. Though the differences
among the settlers seemed gone, those
/ with the spectators We're ahead.
! When father left home to go to Bur-
/ linston. about the first Of November,
! 1898 mother and sthe whole family
| were worried. 1 shall not forget his
| start. He went on horseback in COM
/ pany with other settlers. and there
was no apparent reason for fear, Yet
all did fear. To feed his horse he took
| n BAG of shelled oats-there was no
i thrashed oats in those days. In the
oats he put 5000 borrowed from Thos.
! Devin at so per cent interest. | do
not think my father put anything else
/ in the bag. though of this | am not
sure. for it is recorded in history that
1 the settlers at that first sale had wea-
| pons available.
1T will be remembered that when
the settlements We're begun. the ter
] ritory east of the Black Hawk pur-
chase had been laid out in congression-
al townships-in 1885, 1887 and 1888,
by William Burt, inventor of the SOL
ar compass. The west line of the pur-
chase ran from a point on the Missouri
/ line in q northeasterly direction, just
/ touching the northwest corner of
/ Jackson township. Van Buren, county,
| and intersecting the line of Cedar
county where the Cedar river enters,
1.-The settler who blazed or stalSed his
Icain, or built a cabin or claim pen
knew that when the country should
/ be sectioni2ed the claim and even the
4 cabin might be cut in pieces; but that
some SPECTATOR without the feeling of
love for home. or of anything but gain
might step in and dispossess him,
was thing he could not compre-
4 bend.
Act Of Congress Read.
$50, when the sales began, and Cen.
! Yer Plauck Van Antwerp and John G..
! breckenridge. then a STRIPPING but af-
/ terward vice president of the United
States, stepped out and read the act
of congress and proclamation author
L. tall
that portion was announced Where q
| penalty was attached to any net pre-
venting open, free and honest compe-
tition in the auction OF the lands, q ST
4 lent smile on the settlers faces spoke
their contempt.
"a settlers feelings may be mag
\ incd by fathers account of his own
4 experience Parcels We're put up on
4 which no settler lived, and bidding was
| free and open. Next q settlers claim
/ would be put up and the dollar and q
| quarter bid. and any effort Oh the part
of the crief was met With silence from
! The crowd. At last township 50, range
4 10, was reached. The surveys had
shown our claim to be the northwest
4 quarter of this section. the lines sin
gularly falling within a few rods OF
| fathers original blazes. The quarter
was offered Knox. the bidder. shouted
one twenty-fve.' Father said he felt
sure someone else Wolld DlQ allu liat
/ the suspense of it would overcome him.
4 At last, sold to James Dutlield said
Knox. Father felt like fastening at
once to pay for the land and starting
home, but the settlers interests We're
d common interest, and honor bound
him to await The end. The trip home
was a short one to him. The welcome
he received when we saw him coming
down the trail with success showing
in his dark countenance was the best
/ ever helped to give him. The chill
dren even felt the joy of possession
supported by title. Our claim and
cabin were now indeed our own.
At the End of Day.
Il tried to describe morning at the
cabin. I wish could describe an eve-
| ming. Age makes one think of eve
ming There all about the unfenced
looryard, lay huge dry logs, dragged
, there for the winter fires, unused wneE
the summer came. On these we chill
lren played. Within the wide door
. yard, these great logs We're dragged
by ole julie to be rolled as backstiifs
! On the fire, sat father and mother The
SUMS red streaks shot up from the
deadening beyond the field. Tho
planning for tomorrow done, mother
calls the little ones and with her they