The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-06-23


Here we went. oxen. cows mules, horses. coaches.
carriages blue jeans corduroys; tatters silks.
satina tall hats. poverty. riches: criminals
gaping from Justice couples neeins from the law;
politicians looking for places In which win fame
and fortune; Adventures their way everywhere
Abolitioniss going tho Border War nnoc look.
ing outfits carrying fugitive slaves: and
OF all. homeseeksrs hunting country''-a nation
on wheels. an empire In the commotion and panEs Of
birth
There were many very many, interesting In
cidents that went TO make up the history OF
these pioneer days In Iowa that are covered by
MIR. Quick In "vandemarks Folly" but one of the
most Interesting II that dealing with the treat
ment OF "claim-jumpers" The local newspaper.
In an effort to secure advantage for its polit-
icai clique had In those early days referred to
Sow" Vandemark as man with criminal
record" and In later days In refutlng the state
ment he tells the story OF the "claim-j jumpers"
follows. In part:
The story grew out OF my Joining the Settlers
club In 1856. The rage for land speculation
sweeping over Iowa like prairie fire. getting
things ready for the great panic OF 1857 that
have read OF since. but OF which l never heard
until long after IL over. All knew was
that there a great fever for buying and sell.
Ing land and laying out and booming townsites
tho sites. not the towns-~and that afterward
times were very hard The spectators had
bought up a good part OF Monterey county by the
end OF 1885, and had run the price up us high as
three dollars aud half
This made II hard for who came In ex.
pectng to get Il for dollar and a quarter, and
IA number of settlers In the township. they did
all over the state went On their land relying ON
the right 10 buy II when they could get the money
what was called the presumption right. could
see the houses OF William Trickey. Ebenexer Jun.
kins and Ahsalom Frost from my house; and I
knew that Peter and Amos Bemisdarfer and
Flavus Bohn. punsards from PENNSYLVANIA. had
located farther south. All these settlers were
located south of Hell slew. which was coming
to be known now. aud afterward put down
ON tho map. as "vandemarks Folly Marsh"
And there came into the county aud state
class OF called "eatm.jumpers" who pushed
In tho claims of the FIRST corners. aad stood
ready TO buy their new homes right out from
under them. II was pretty hard on US who had
pushed ahead Of tho railways. and soaked In the
rain and froEen Ia the billiards.. and lived on
rnoldy bacon and hued corn. TO lose our chance
Go SGT title to the lands We had broken up and
built on.
My land was paid for such ms II was; but when
the people who. like me, had trailcd out across
the prarics with the last years rush. came and
asked INC to Join the settlers club to run these
intruders OF. II appeared TO the that it was only
tnan's part tn nae TO stand to IL and take hold
and do.
did not look forward TO all the dolngs OF the
Settlers club, but Joined 1t. and have never
been ashamed cf H. even when Dick McGtl wa,
slangwhanging me about what did. | never
knew aud don't know now, just what the law
WAS. but thought then. asd think now. that III.
settlers club had the right ~ II. thought SO IN,
night We went to run the claim. Jumper Of
Absalom Frost's land. within a week " my join
ing
IL was over on Section Twenty seven. that IN,
ciaim-jumper had built hut about where IN
schoohouse Is. with stable In one end a
Il. and den In which TO live In the other IL
was young man, with no dependents. and w
felt no compunctions OF conscience that darl
night when two wagon-loads OF us one OF whtc
came from the direction OF Monterey Center
drove quietly up and knocked at the door
Who's therei' he said, with a CULVER In hi
voice