The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-22


different parts settled up. As my suspi-
cions were aroused 1 asked the fellow
with the great number OF deeds to let me
look at the deeds. He did and ! found
that the deed was transferring the land by
sections Now this land has never been
cut UP into sections. but is always sold by
grant titles. / then told the fellows that
something was wrong and that they had
better come on and go to jamestown, the
county seat of Fentress county with me
10 look Up the records of this land they
were buying. At first they said no, for,
they explained to me, the company had
an Office of records OF their own at an
other town and required them TO record
their deeds there. paying three and four
dollars for the recording. This was an
other proof that they were getting swim
died and I persuaded them to go to
jamestown. There was a German agent
OF the company with them but he left
when We started TO Jamestown When
we arrived at the county seat we found
that the land which these fellows had
been paying out their money for was
owned by residents who had held it for
years. They had simply been swindled
ard then realized it. They were of an in
teliigent class. but got caught by the
swindler.
One OF them was a young Dane. He
and I walked for twenty-five miles to-
gether. II happened this way. When We
all got of at Rugby road, the stage driver
announced that he could only take three
OF us. / suggested TO the Dane that We
walk it as We were the youngest We
did and WI beat the stage coach to our
destinations, the first Of which was the
town of Rugby, where we put up all
night and the second was jamestown. The
roads were so bad that we could travel
on foot faster than the stage could make
its way.
Rugby is seven miles from railroad
and a very interesting place. 1t surprises
you when you go into il. There. great
fine church looms up before you as also
another fine structure. IL was an Epis-
copaI church-they call il the church of
England. The town has a history. An
Englishman started a colony there and
put up lot OF fine buildings. The church
was one Of these. The hotel was a mag
nificent structure but it is in ashes now.
The library is still standing and il is a
beautiful building. Inside are thousands
of books. hardly ever touched. The man
who takes care Of the place shows the
visitors through and the big library is
simply something 10 look al I asked
What had happened TO the colony and the
only explanation given was that the peo-
Pie suddenly took a notion to leave and
pulled out.
jamestown IS, another town with a
history. but it is entirely different from
Rugby. In the first place the townspeople
claim that jamestown was the birthplace
OF Mark Twain and they also declare that
Davy Crockett was born within its limits.
II gives one a good idea OF the southerner.
He is away behind the times. He is slow
and seems 10 have no push. It looks like
the country would never be developed if
il were not for northern enterprise. There
is not a good road leading out of James
town. The streams have no bridges over
them. When we got to the hotel l asked
the clerk where the county court house
was. Why he said. there il is right
across the way l looked across and said,
DO you mean that building with all the
windows smashed in?' That was the
court house, all right and l made my way
over to II.
Here l met the only typical Tennes-
seean We saw. He was the kind you read
about. The register of deeds was out. but
this Tennesseean was deputy. He looked
like he had just be6.1 making soap. He was
greasy all over and his clothes hat that
uncomfortable looking looseness. His
hair and face were unkempt. His beard
was the kind that spreads all over the
face and curls up very close TO the roots.
The land which 1 went 10 look after
is some distance from jamestown 1t
turned out better than what ! expected.
There is lots of coal. as l had been in
formed. but the surprise to me was the
amount of timber on IT. 1t is a wilderness
of oak and pine. The oak is fine The
trees grow straight up and don't branch
out for some distance up the trunk Al
ready there are saw mills going in the
neighborhood and so you see the timber
must be worth a good deal. Our 500 acres
is Just a mile by a mile and quarter.
Not a soul lives on II and it is only
question OF time and the coal becomes
more scarce when this land will be worth
a great deal OF money.
The coal Is in veins anywhere from
thirty to thirty-six feet in diameter. There
is a coal company mining there now and
the same vein has been worked for q
number OF years but seems 10 have no
end This mine was the only place where
/ saw any colored people. Here the
coiored and white men worked side by
side.
There is another odd thing" continued
Mr. Jones. pulling coin from his pocket.
which was about the size OF a dime but
OF nickel metal with two holes punched
through il with between the holes
Instead of using the United States
money. the coal company pays in this
kind OF money, which Is good at the COM
pany's store"
You say the land IS not agricultural
How do the people. live. Mr. Jones?
oh. they till the soil in q way. They
have a COW or two and pig. and man
age 70 I've some way"
What became Of the Chicago men that
were buncoed2"
I met them or my way home They
were going back 20 Chicago 20 try again
They were all residents OF the suburbs
and one was a farmer None OF - ever
knew what became OF The German"
Shorty Warm Slave.
The father Of DR.. Shuts had thirty