The Washington herald., 1909-01-10

Z own, and IN order 10 gain some insight
( into the series of Night Rider outrages
I that have been perpetrated in the coUn-
( Try round about il IS absolutely necessary
20 look AT some points in the amazingly
complicated mass of litigation Of WHICH
! II has been the subject.
The lake came into existence as the re-
suit Of series Of earthquakes which be
gan in December. ISL and continued
until June. 1872. Some authorities say
that the earthquakes merely heayed up
] great ridge Of land across the path Of
the Reelfoot River. which runs into the
I Mississippi, and that this dam caused
I the water to back up and broaden out
I and form a lake But the favorite ac-
/ count in the neighborhood is 10 the ef-
/ feet that the ground sank, springs were
/ opened up. neighbOring creeks diverted
I from their course. and the overlooking
waters Of the Mississippi rushed in dur
! ing the food season Of the spring OF 1872
/ Il is said that for an hour and a half the
waters OF the Mississippi flowed uphill
while filing I'd the depression caused by
the earthquakes. Both accounts likely
have this much 81 truth IA them: thar
the entire CONFORMATION Of the ground
B was changed by the earthquakes. Big
I Lake west OF the Mississippi. IN Arkan-
/ sas. Is said 10 have been formed in the
same way at the same time.
| ReeIfoot Lake Is sixteen or eighteen
miles long. very irregular in shape. ana
covers from $500 70 43.0o0 acres OF land
/ Il varies IN width from q mile in some
place 20 four or FIVE miles IN others
Z tt Is named for an Indian chief. so ira
| dltloH says. who lOafed about that region
/ before the lake came into existence. This
/ aborigine habitually reeled as he walked,
not through addiction to strong drink.
I One Of his feet had been famed IN an
other sort Of trap than that and vixen
/ old ReelfoOt finally lurched his way into
I the happy hunting ground the white set
/ tiers called the new lake for him
The majority Of the fishers and farm
/ ers who live near the lake claim that Il
I is not susceptible OF exclusive owner
snip The West Tennessee Land Com
pany. % which the murdered man be-
/ I0nged. was formed in October, 1S57 and
I is the first claimant. individual or coTpo-
rate, 10 sole ownership and control,
{ whose title has ever been confirmed BY
l the courts IN the year I7S4 q part OF
\ the land now covered by water. together
| with a considerable tract not so covered.
was granted 10 one George DOheTty by
I the State OF North Carolina When Ten
/ nessee- which had been g part Of North
| Carolina became a separate states the
i new Commonwealth made cOnsiderab bic
/ grants in the same section 10 other par
! ties This was in 1927. These original
/ grants were subsequently acquired by
I Mr. ". ". Wilson. Of ObiOn. about thir-
/ ty-five years ago
At the time OF the original grants the
region vas a wilderness. inhabited only
f. by vagrant bands OF Indians and 0cca-
/ sionsl hunters. No undisputably accu-
] rate survey Of the region covered By the
| original grants seems 20 have been made
prior 10 the formation Of the lake; and
| prior to the formation Of the lake no one
seems 10 have settled with the intention
1 Of permanent residence.
Land was not valuable IN the days
I when Reelfoot came into existence. Tim
I Der belonged to any one who wanted 10
cut IL The hunters and fishers who took
/ up their abode OF the banks OF the newly
} created lake regarded IL as public prop
Z eTty. as one regards a rivs-- Whether or
not they knew the land az the bottom Of
7 the lake belonged by right 20 any one
/ else. they never gave the question OF Its
ownership a second thought As time
went on and the settlers and their chill
! dren remained unmolested in their hunt
ing and fishing occupations the idea
never occurred 10 them that any one
would ever claim exclusive ownership Of
the lake itself.
/ The country settled Up. pioneer care
/ lessness with regard 70 titles began TO
disappear as land and timber became
more valuable. but the people in that
vicinity Of the lake were little touched
! by the changes: they remained back
/ wOOdsmen in their mode Of life and men
tai habits, most Of them are so to-day.
retaining all the picturesque faults and
virtues Of a pioneer people In spite OF
the original grants covering what Is now
the lake bottom, and made before there
was any lake there. i IS easy TO see how
this careless backwOods character should
t conceive the idea that the lake could
never be owned BY a private party or q
corporation. since the people who used Il
were UndistUrbed in their use for dec
AIDES. and such an idea taking root in
such soil wakes very strong and IS sure
10 be 7assiOnately defended. And, in
deed, II was not until comparatively re-
cent times that any very serious preten-
si0ns 70 exclusive ownership and con-
troll OF the lake itself were put forward
Such claims were made by Mr. W NJ
/ Wilson, a citizen OF Obion County. who.
as already noted, had acquired the origi-
nal Tennessee grants. Wilson eujOined
Mr. J c. BUrdick, a fish dealer. fisher
man. and employer Of fishermen. with a
market at Union City and fishing faciIi-
| ties on the lake, from fishing in the lake
M Burdick finally compromised the liti-
CATION which grew out OF this injunction
and agreed TO pay tribute 70 Wilson for
the right 20 FISH for profit.
Lake Goes Into Court.
Wilson sold the original Tennessee
grants in his possession 10 James c.
Harris. a wealthy citizen OF TiptonviHe.
who already owned large tracts border
ing on both shores Of Reelfoot. Harris.
now claiming exclusive ownership as VIII
son had done. proposed TO cut q canal
/ from The southern end Of the lake 10 the
Mississippi River. across Lake County,
Z drain the inundated district, and open up
{ the rich bottom lands for farming pur-
poses and to get possession Of the sunk
en- timber. The canal was actually be-
gun, and up 10 the day OF Mr. Harris
death its completion was the dream OF
his life
The fishermen and hunters. and the
farmers IN the hills behind, who are &C
casional fishers and hunters. resisted
The fishermen saw their occupation gone
If the lake was drained; the farmers
farther inland. many Of whom held their
land by right Of occupation, saw that
the validity Of the titles Of the land
upon which they lived was more or less
involved along with the titles to the land
at the bottom Of the lake; Il Harris had
4 such exclusive control NJ tho IA l-e that he
could do what he pleased with It then It
followed that he must also own the rest
Of the land. not inundated. covered by
the same original grants. They made
common cause against Mr. Harris in the
courts Burdick enjoined Harris from
draining the lake This was IN 1899.
] q long and cnrnnIicated series nf suits