Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 192, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1915 — DEEDED LAND TO LORD IN HEAVEN [ARTICLE]

DEEDED LAND TO LORD IN HEAVEN

ODDEST CONVEYANCE KNOWN FOUND IN MISSOURI RECORDS. RELIEVED FROM PAYING TAXES 120 Acres of Land Transferred to Celestial Father and Son 65 Years Ago. Macon, Mo.—ln an old record at Huntsville, this state, is perhaps the oddest land conveyance ever made In Missouri. It Is a deed from Johnson Wright and his wife, Eliza Jane Wright, to God. Somebody published a copy of the deed in a local newspaper the other day and a great many people commented upon the devoutness of the old couple giving their land to the Lord. M. C. Tracy of Macon used to live at Huntsville. He states that when the tax collector cabled upon Mr. Wright the latter told the official that the land had been deeded to the Lord, as would duly appear upon the records, and that he was thus relieved from the obligation to pay taxes. The collector went back to the county seat and found the deed recorded just as Mr. Wright said it was. Then the sheriff took the account for taxes and went out to Mr. Wright’s farm. He proceeded to levy on some horses in the barn, according to Mr. Tracy. "What are you doing with those horses?” asked the old gentleman. "Taking them to pay that tax bill,” replied the sheriff. "I don’t owe any taxes —this land is deeded to the Lord.” "But the horses ain’t,” said the sheriff. The sheriff started out on the road with the horses, and the old gentleman followed him and told the officer he guessed he would settle the Lord’s bill for taxes. Here is the way the curious old document reads: "This Indenture made and entered into this sixth day of June, A. D., 1850, between Johnson Wright and Eliza Jane, his wife, of the county of Randolph and the state of Missouri of the first part, and the government, the chief administrator, king of righteousness, the son, the fountain of life, to the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, mediator of the new convenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel, because he died for us —being in the county of Randolph, and state of Missouri, towit: The following tract of land —the southwest qr. of the N. W. qr., also the north half of the southwest quarter of section twenty-eight, township fifty-six, range fifteen, containing one hundred and twenty acres of land, to have and to hold and Its appurtenances thereunto, and everything wherein there Is breath of life. The first party, their heirs and assigns, do warrant and defend the title of said land, unto the second party, which is the Sun of Life, free and clear from all other claims by or through us or any other persons. "In testimony whereunto, we, Johnson Wright and Eliza Wright, have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year above written. "JOHNSON WRIGHT. (Seal.) "ELIZA WRIGHT.” (Seal.) RIVAL OF BURBANK. Expects to Soon Put a Soft-Chewing, Maple-Flavored Gum on Market Benzolna, Mich. —Hen Stratton, the Luther Burbank of Benzie County, Is conducting a series of Interesting experiments with his chewing gum tree. Last fall lightning struck three trees in Hen’s woods, and when he looked over the damage he had an idea. One of his young maples was split in two, the big spruce next to it was splintered, and the slippery elm a few feet away was hewed from top to bottom. Hen pulled the three trees together, bound them tight for twenty feet and let them grow that way. He thinks tha sap of the sugar maple will flow through the spruce gum and turn out the finest kind of mapleflavored gum. He added the slippery elm to make It softer chewing. Egg In Contribution Plate. Fremont, Neb. When Rev. J. George Betzle, pastor of the First Baptist church, entered the church on a mission he was surprised to see a hen flutter out from under the pulpit. In his chase after the startled biddy Mr. Betzle found an egg in the contribution plate. The hen entered the church through an open window and evidently wanted to contribute her mite to the cause by laying an egg.