Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-27
Iowa Offers Islands In Its
Border Rivers to the Pros
pective Hermit Settler
SOME OF THEM ARE DESIRABLE
Desirable Property to be Knocked
Down to the Highest Bidder for Cash
First Applicant to Have First
Chance If His Bid is the Highest.

kolOuA ollS, bCG. OIIC aColl ih5
to buy an island in either the Mississ-
ippi or Missouri rivers where these
chance. Persons wishing to become
Robinson Crusoes are gradually learn
ing that the late Iowa legislature pass
ed a law giving the land department
of the secretary of states office the
power to sell islands, the proceeds, af-
ter deducting the expenses of survey
ing and appraising, going to the state.
Henry Oehlerking of Sergeant
Bluff, is the first Woodbury. county
resident to apply for an island. Some
weeks ago he filed his application for
400 Of the 756 acres in Brassfield ISL
and, two miles west of the town. Mar
tin Holmvig, county surveyor of
Woodbury., surveyed the land and
John JAMESON, clerk of the state land
office, arrived from Des Moines and
appointed John Tone, A. Hollenbeck
and Abram Harder, all of Sergeant
Bluff, to appraise it. They returned
a report finding a valuation of from
81 to sci an acre for the island, an
average of s11.25 an acre.
How to Secure Land.
Mr.. Jameson explained the process
of securing an island. An application
must first be filed with the secretary
Of state, STIMULATING the NUMBER of
acres the applicant desires to purchase.
With this he sends so cents an acre to
pay the expense of surveying and APP
praising. Then the surveyor is APP
pointed and makes a report to the land
office, after which the applicant de-
posits the amount reported by the
appraisers.
But it doesn't necessarily follow
that the applicant will secure the
| land" continued Mr.. Jaamieson, "for
ninety days are allowed in which other
| persons may bid for the tract. The
original applicant gets the land, of
course, if he outbids others. In case he
is outbid the money he advanced is re-
| turned"
Brassfield island has been awarded
to the state by the supreme court. The
decision was recently filed in the case
of Holman against Hodges, both Ser
geant Bluff residents. Holman owns a
farm adjoining the island and claimed
it as accretion land, the river having
left the east side of the island, except
at high water times. The court de-
cided that Mr.. Holman could claim
the land as accretion only up to the
middle Of the east channel. Hodges
was squatter. Both Holman and
Hodges were declared out of the
deal and the island turned over to the
state.
Controls Island and Sandbars.
applications for 1000 acres Of is
lands and abandoned river beds have
been filed with the secretary. Most of
them are from residents of Montana,
Harrison and Pottawattamie counties,
continued Mr.. Jameson. 1.-THE law
gives us control over islands sand
bars and abandoned river beds of
navigable streams. No doubt there
| will be good deal of controversy over
the question of accretion land, but the
courts have decided that the person
| owning property adjoining the river
claim land only up to the middle Of the
| abandoned chanel"
| Just now an interesting fight Is on
| in court over what is known as the
"cut-off" near Council Bluffs Charles
Hanan has applied for 1000 acres OF
the island but persons owning property
along the stream have claimed it as
accretion land. The decision has not
been rendered.
The cutoff near Council Bluffs is
| similar to the one above Sioux Point
| where the Turgeon family and Mrs. S.
S. Adams of Sioux City are contest
ants. The river formerly swept around
to the north, forming a sort of PENN
sula of land. The Missouri finally cut
thru. making an island Of the tract and
apparently transferring the land to
Iowa. whereas, 1t formerly was consid-
cred Nebraska territory. The courts
several years ago, Mr.. Jameson says
decided the tract belonged to Iowa.