Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-08
BEAT NEBRASKA FARMERS
Sixty Men from Vicinity Of Auburn
Hit for Big Amount.
OUT OVER HUNDRED THOUSAND
Utah Irrigation Company sued ne-
cause Promised water Goes Not
MateriaIiSe and Crops Burh
Up Under sun.

SALT LAKE CITY. Utah. Aug. 7.-(Spe-
oial Telegram )-Sixty farmers from Au-
burn Neb., have just become aware that
they are victims OF land deal in which
they are losers Of $4,000 cash, as the result
Of lax methods OF the Utah state Land
board.
The farmers, under the direction Of Nit
chell S. McIninch, an attorney Of Auburn,
have filed suit against the oasis Land and
Irrigation company OF Ut IN for that amount
and have appealed to the government for
recourse. The government in turn has
ordered an inventory OF the oasis company
from the Utah State Land board.
In 1908 the oasis company applied to the
state Of Utah for right TO open tract of
land in Willard county Utah, under the
Carey act. The right was granted by the
government under It's usual terms and a
&C ntract was signed between the state and
the oasis company. Nebraska farmers
came to the state and settled upon the land,
taking acreage on the payment plan. and
planted crops, depending upon the water
promised by the oasis company for irrlga-
ton. The water failed to be placed on the
ground in 1909 and the farmers all lost their
entire crops in the bllstering sun.
The same conditions existed this year
Seeing that the oasis company had failed
to comply with the conditions Of its con-
tract, the farmers applied to the state land
board only to learn that the company had
furnished no bonds to protect the farmers
The government requires the state to re-
quire the company securing the Carey
land to put up a bond Of sufficient size to
protect the entrymen.
Settlers Not Protected.
The government also requires the land
company to give the state all the money
taken in from entrymen during the first ten
years, including the first ten paymets on
all ground. The Utah board did not require
either the bonds or the payments and as
result the farmers have no protection
from the company falling down on its con-
tract as it has done. The Nesr, Ills ali
made their first and second pay. ATS and
the money It is said has been misappro-
priated. The farmers therefore viii lose
not only the payments amounting 10 a
good sized fortune, but have also lost what
they expended in improvements and crops
1t is said that the farmers intend to
bring suit against the state to recover the
money which should have been collected
from the company In bonds by payments
for the farmers protection. They have al
ready brought suit for $ll.OOO against the
Oasis company but It is thought that the
concern has no funds.
The suit has been filed in behah OF the
farmers by Charles o. Connell, Albert
Watts Loren Taylor and J. j. Clark, all OF
Auburn, Neb, In behalf Of themselves and
others similarly situated. The government
Investigation has been ordered and the To-
cal land office agents expect some sensa-
tional developments about the state land
board and its methods. The farmers have
laid up their tools to await the outcome.
1t is probable under the ruling Of the
government that all will lose not only the
money expended, but also the land upon
which they have filed. The reason for the
failure Of the land board to act in good
faith in thecmatter Is more than people here
can account for. 8r.Vc' .'1,Ht~s