, 1922-06-15

fphgs ny iltIDtIl Quifh, uueuuIttly
GEb describes the scenes of that time. He
says OF that tremendous trek:
Here we went. oxen. cows. mules. horses. coaches
carriages. blue jeans. corduroys: rags. tatters, silks,
satins' caps. tall hats. poverty. riches; criminals es-
Gaping from justice; couples fleeing from the law;
gold-seeNers bearing southwest to the Overland Trail;
pos'ieuans 'ookins Tor places in which TO win fame
ana fortune Adventures on their way to everywhere.
Ahohtonists going to the Border War: innocent-look-
ing outfits carrying fugitive slaves: and. most numer-
Gus Of all. homeseekers hunting country"-a nation
on wheels. an empire in the commotion and pangs 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
Mr., Quick in "Vnndemnrks Folly" but one of the
most interesting is that dealing with the treat.
nicnt Of claim Jumpers" The local newspaper.
In an effort to secure an advantage for Its pollt-
zeal clique had in those early days referred to
Cow" Vandemark as a man with a "crimInal
record and in later days In refuting the stute-
ment he tells the story of the Claim Jumpers" as
follows. IN part
The story grew out of my joining the Settlers
club In 1886. The rage for land speculation was
sweeping over Iowa like IA prairie fire. getting
things ready for the great panic OF 1857 that
L have read Of since, but Of which | never heard
until long after 1t was over. All knew was
that there was "A great fever for buying aud sell.
Ing land and laying out and booming town-sItes
the sites. not the towns-and that afterward
times were very hard. The spectators had
bought up II good part of Monterrey county by the
end of 1856, and had run the price up as high as
three dollars and a half an acre.
This made II hard for men who came I'm ex.
pecting to get II for Il dollar and a uuarter and
IA number of settlers In the township. MS they ,Id
all over the state. went on their land relying ON
the right TO buy 1t when they could get the money
what was called the %-empt right. could
see the houses Of William Trickey. Ehenezer Inn
kina and Absaiom Frost from my house: and
knew that Peter and Amos Bemisdnrfer and
Flavius Bohn. Dunkards from Pennsylvania. had
located further south. All these settlers were
located south OF Hell Slew. which was coming
TO he known now, and was nfterward put down
on the map. MS "vandemarks Folly Mnrsh."
Aud now there came Into the county and state
n class Of men called "clnim-Julnpers ." who pushed
In on the claims OF the first corners. and stood
ready to buy their new homes right out from
under them. II was pretty hard on us who had
pushed ON ahead Of the railways. and soaked in the
RAIN aud frozen In the billiards., and lived on
moldy bacon and hulled corn. to lose our chance
to get title to the lands we had broken up and
butt on.
Ay land was paid for. such rs it was; but when
the people who. like me, had trailed out across
the prniries with the last years rush. came and
asked me 20 join the Settlers club To run these
lntruders on, 1t appeared to me that II was only
r mas part In me to stand to IL and take hold
Uhd do.
| did not look forward to all the dolngs Of the
Settlers club. but l Joined Il, and | have never
been ashamed OF II. even when Dick McGiH was
slaugwlnnging me about what we did. never
Knew. aud | don't know now. just what the Inv
was. but | thought then. and | think now, that the
settlers club had the right OF II. | thought so the
nlght We went over 10 run the clalm-jumper on
Absalom Frost's land. w.thin a week OF my jolu.
Ing.
IL was over on Section Twenty-seven, that the
claim-lumper had built a hut about where the
hchoolhouse now Is, with a stable In one end OF
H. SnG a den In which to live In the other. lie
WIS u young man. with no dependents, aud we
ielt no compunctions OF conscience, that dark
night, when two wngon-londs OF us, one of which
came from the direction Of Monterey Center.
drove quietly up and knocked at the door.
Who's tiereT' he said, with u CULVER in his
voice.