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After Them:—Yesterday Oapt, J. J. Russell, Dr. Lovejoy, and Wm. Allinson, Esq , of Jefferson, were in the city, consulting with prominent attorneys on the matter regarding the possession of the swamp lands of Greene county, now in possession .of the American Emigrant Company. We understand that it is the Intention to institutesuit against the Company, on the grounds of “fraud and corruption” used to'secure the lands.Office of Am. Emigrant Co.,De8 Moines, Feb. 8,1871.B. F, Robinson, Jefferson, Greene Co,3Dear SirThe above item of information I cut from yesterday’s Reg-TrKcfchor It Trao—roU'in^oowoJ hjrthe editor, or put there at the instance of the parties there named, is of no importance to me. But there are some facts that ought to be known to thetax payers of Greene, before cney permit any more of this nonsense about fraud.Nearly ten years ago the American Emigrant Company purchased of about twenty counties their claim on the Government, for swamp lands.These claims were considered a dead«dog, for they had so been ruled Upon by the Government. We took them at our own risk, and paid to each.county so much for them, good or bad. After years of expense we succeeded in getting an allowance of a portion of the Indemnity claim; upon others we never received a dollar either in money or land. Greene county was one of the latter. Now then, here is the whole matter in a nufc-shell, about which so much dust has been thrown into the eyes of the people. Of the vacant Jands which had been patented to the county prior to our purchase, there was less than two thousand acres left, and these were not worth, at the date of our purchase, and could not have been sold, the entire lot, for fifty cents an acre, (or a thousand dollars all told). This fact any old settler of Greene county knows. For these odds and ends of her swamp lands Greene county has got out of us some fifteen thousand dollars. Let it be kept in mind that of the entire judgment claim, we have never yet received an acre of land or a dollar in money. In view of these facts, and in view of the still further fact, that we took this claim subject to ail liens upon it, and that we have paid out upon these liens, to various individuals (since we paid the county), more than the lands are worth, it would seem that there has been quite enough of this bosh about the American Emigrant Company swindling Greene county out of her swamp lands. But the most singular part of these proceedings, and what makes it partake very much of the ludicrous, is the fact that the new Board of Supervisors have made a trip to Des Moines to consult attorneys with a view to do something for the relief of Greene county. Had they paid me a visit I would have renewed a proposition which I authorized you to make the Co. several years ago, viz : If the county would return us all they had got out of us, (which, I suppose, the. lawyers told them they would have to do in any event,) why then the company would pay the county double what they could prove the two thousand acres of land which we received to be worth. Now, then, if the tax-payers of your county will permit themselves to be humbugged into a litigation through the malice or willful stupidity of one of its citizens, (a man who has rendered himself conspicuously notorious in this matter,) why, I suppose they will come into court with a tender of our money back; and I have no doubt but what the company will be then very glad torecei ve i t.You are at liberty to publish this in your paper, if you think best; in fact, I think it is due the citizens of yourcounty to learn the facts.Yours very truly,J. C. S A VERY.1 rPha IIg
Newspaper Details
Jefferson Era
Jefferson, Iowa, US
Fri, Mar 10, 1871
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Don B.
USA 03 Mar 2023
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