Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-27

LAND APPRAISED FOR IOWA
i Was Only Settled Recently That the
Missouri River Island Belonged to
This State and April II is the Last
Day for Filing Bids-Warm Legal
Fight Anticipated.
pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Mones. March 27.--April liz is
the last day for fling bids for land on
Brassfield Island in the Mishouri river
in Woodbury. county. A big warm le-
gal fight is expected Immediately af-
terward. The bids are received at the
field Island has quite history. In
the early days squatters settled upon
the island. 1t was covered with thick
brush which they cleared away
was not settled till more recently that
the land belonged to Iowa and not un-
til the thirteth general assembly was
anything done about 1T. Ihe state
never rot any pay for the land. Ac-
cording 70 the act the land was APP
praised and a day set for filing blds.
The present occupants of the five or
six farms on the land were given first
chance One Mr.. Oehlerking filed BIDS
for 533 acres of the 700 or more. He
included all the best land. The other
settlers allowed the ninety days to
elapse in which they could have filed
as original settlers and their bids been
given first choice Now they will have
to bid more than Oehlerking or lose
their farms. Oehlerking was one of
the original squatters and holds about
200 acres. iva tracts have already
been sold The occupants We're privi-
legged to take the land at the apprais-
ed value and two did so. Many of the
present OWNERS occupy the land on
deeds given to them by the original;
squatters but the deed are valueless
as they are not based on any patent
from the state or federal government.
1t is rumored that some of the people
propose to make Oehlerking pay all
they possibly can but don't expect to
buy, just to spite him for bidding on
the land they have occupied for many
years.
The island is situated near the east
bank of the Missouri river in town
ship SO, range as, Of Woodbury. coun-
ty. about two miles west Of Sergeant
Bluff. During a great part of the year
the river does not flow between the
isfand and the Iowa side of the river.
Consequently the occupants have no
difficulty in getting communication
with the main land. But when the
river is high they have a great deal
Of trouble and can often make the
trip only in boats. The appraised val
ues of the land on an average is about
$11 an acre. Some of it is worth as
much as $25. Some OF it is nothing
but sand bars and is worth nothing.
The good land is very fertile, however.
Now that the statis of the land is fixed
and it will come under taxation, the
occupants will doubtless insist on hav-
ing bridge to the main land.
Hon. c.. H Van Houten OF Lenox,
who is reported to have bought TO-
900 acres Of land up in Canada, was
formerly representative in the gener-
al assembly from Taylor county. For
proceeding Wesley Greene in that Of
flee. Following this he was secretary
of agriculture, preceding John c..
Simpson. One of his peculiarities led
him to have the telephones taken out
Of the office of the secretary of agri-
culture as he did not wish to be both
cred with answering them and thought
them useless. He was a patriot of the
early day and gave less attention to
matters of dress than any state Off
Gals Of the present time. Since re-
tirement from public office he has spent
great deal of time in ALASKA and is
thoroughly posted on the country about
Alaska and in northwestern Canada.
Ass
The state banking business is a very
sensitive affair. Not one-half of the
troubles of the bankers of Iowa are
ever allowed to get into the public
prints and defalcations running into
good figures that would make scare
head stories in most any newspaper
are sometimes never known. The own
ers of the bank stock will rush to Des
Moines pell nell and tell their troubles
to Auditor B. F. Carroll and after
learning what to do to make their
bank solvent will do it and the affairs
will go on as tho nothing had happen
ed. Not long since as proof of the
sensativeness of financial institutions,
local paper published a story about
an old old suit that had been in the
courts for years. The report of the
receiver of the Home Savings and
Trust Company was made and the re-
porter got it Home Savings Bank"
The Home Savings Bank is a substan-
tial East DeS Moines institution, but
lot of people went rushing to the
bank for their money and it would
have taken but little more to have
created a run on the bank The mis-
take was easily explained and it was
easily shown what was intended in the
story. Insurance companies are near
ly as sensitive but are not touched so
quickly.
There are three prisoners in the
state pententiaries who are awaiting
the death sentence. They are Louis
Busse of Bremen county, Joseph G.
Smith of Monroe county. and Charles
Rocker Of Lyon county. Rockers