New Britain herald., 1925-12-26
Q PoinfS
 EEnough- Sometimes
CQUATERS have streaked q -, zig gag trail across the pages
 of American history.

Ine early Amorlcan wilderness was the scene of desperate struggles between adventuresoms settlers and land spectators.
 Bitter disputes over squatter soyereignty--the acquiring of land by occupation--otten turned into actual warfare.
 Public lands at one time became objects of speculation and were sold in large tracts to capitalists and spectators who lived long distance from the scene of their purchases.
 These tracts often were occupied by impoverished but gritty pioneers who came into the new country looking for . home.
 The settlers would clear c holding on this land and earn . living on M until, in time, the rightful owner with his government title would eoms to dispossess them.
 When these settlers. or squattsrs. had lived upon the land for as ions as 70 or 50 years. they would come to regard It as their own and would fight dispossession with guns. Many representatives of the law were killed or wounded by squatters whe attempted to cling to their propsrty in the face of legal opposition.
 Often. however. c squatter would recetvs fair price for his improve r1ents or his labor of clearing ana fencing. And with tho amount realized in this way hs would be able to make first payment on land for himself in some other locality. GENERALLY. 1t seems. the " squatter was . squattsr ia name only. Usually he was Ion the move," clearing new lands. losing them, moving on--blazing q path through the wilderness.
 They knew not where they were going. but they were always on their way. One ot them said: T was born In Culpeper county. Virginia, raised in North Carollns, got religion in Tennessee. married in Madison county. Kentucky. and now am settled in Missouri"
 The life of typical squatter is Illustrated by this story of one Arkansas pioneer:
 He was ono of the six sons of . tavern keeper of Buncombe county, North Carolina.
 His capital was likely" young nag, a dollar Dell" and a good "rihe.gun." He put his wife on the nag with some household flxings. principally quilts and "klverllds." and took the trail to tho west.
 Reaching the last cabin on the border of the Indian country, he "squatted." made q crop. and laid up supply of dried venison and bear bacon.
 When tho Indians grew threaten Ing in the spring. he returned to his old home. Becoming restless for more adventure. he set out again. reached the Tennessee River. sx. changed his horse for a canoe. and with his wife and belongings began the long voyage that took him to his destination. He did the steering while his wife alternately knitted and padded. Fish and game pro v!ded them with living along the route.
 They entered tho mouth of White River. took the "cut.ot-' to the Arkansas. made their way up that stream to point near the modern site of Little Rock. where they pitched a half.taced camp and rAs malned for the rest of their life.
 The wife kept her shuttle ana spinning wheel busy. and soon thetS table was supplied with all the foos suited to their needs-bacon, cab. hage, buttermilk and corn bread m abundance.
 WESTERN migration was halted w to a marked extent by the War of 1872.
 A new rush to the northwest and the region west of the Mississippi followed the close of hostilit!es, how. ever.
 Land at little cost served as the lure to draw people westward.
 It had been the original intent of Congress to realize upon the ceded western unoccupled lands" in order to pay the publio debt But indi. vidual states. having their own obligations to meet, adopted the same method of raising revenue. And in this way Uncle Sam, as . real estate dealer. found himself in competition with four or i've states.
 Squatters who received monsy for lands which they cleared were some times enterprising enough to Invest in iow,priced. n,ast,ted pork, and in farm products sufficient to load . small homemade fiatboat for . long drift voyage to New Orleans.
 By peddl!ng his cargo along the river and selling his fiatboat at the