Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 264, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1915 — OLIVER EXPLAINS OVER TELEPHONE [ARTICLE]

OLIVER EXPLAINS OVER TELEPHONE

r«ll<» From Chicago to State That He TtmA Been Misrepresented In Land Transaction. The Republican on what we regarded excellent authority stated in a recent issue that Ed Oliver had traded land near Newland to Miss Carrie C. Gensert for the tract of land she had contracted to buy on the installment plan from John A. Dunlap and *V. J. Crisler and which resulted in their indictment in Chicago on the ground of a confidence game. The Republican was probably mistaken in part and we gladly give the statement of Mr. Oliver, wh> called us Friday afternoon over long-distance from Chicago. Mr. Oliver stated that some time after the sale of the 10-acre tract to Miss Gensert he met her and she complained to him that she did not get the land she wanted and said the land she had purchased had a sand subsoil and that she blamed Mr. Oliver because he had encouraged her to buy it. He states that at that time he had increased the price of his Newland land to' $325 per acre and was selling at that, price, but that he felt that he should do something to assist Miss Gensert and two other women who had also contracted for tracts in the Springer plat, and that he made them a proposition that for them he would reduce the price of his Newland land to S2OO per acre and give them credit on a 20-acre purchase with $1,500, the total amount the three had paid on the Springer purchases. This would reduce the price of the land to $125 per acre. They agreed to the plan and were sold the 20 acres. Mr. Oliver says that he in no sense took over the Springer ranch properties nor promised to secure the return of the notes given for the purchase of the tracts. From notes made during the telephone ccr.versation with Mr. Oliver we think the above fully covers his explanation. It is published without any knowledge of the facts, except as related to us by himself and by a former conversation with Mr. Dunlap, in the office of Attorney Parkinson, and in the presence of Messrs. Parkinson and

E. P. Honan. The Republican learns that Mr. Dunlap, whom we are convinced was an unwilling party to any deception, has in the most manful way satisfied Miss Gensert by returning to her the unpaid notes and the cash she had paid and released her altogether from the contract. If Mr. Dunlap made any mistake it was in being connected at all with the sale of the Springer tracts, although at the time he engaged in the business the Newland project looked so successful and there was a feeling of confidence that all of the muck land was to be worth S2OO an acre for trucking and oniongrowing purposes. M f iss Gensert, we understand, was a stenographer in a Chicago office. She had no idea of land values and was naturally influenced by the enthusiasm of the people who had crops at Newland and by the statements of the salesmen. She not only purchased but in her enthusiasm induced others to do so and then a bad year followed and there was almost a total wreck throughout the onion-growing section. Had it turned out otherwise and a big crop been raised and a good price been paid for it Miss Gensert and her friends might have realized every claim made by the agents. The Republican believes, however, that the methods of land selling at Newland and surrounding country have not been right. Many may disagree with us, but it is certain that a number of the purchasers will never realize a dollar from their investments. Land that was bought at prices ranging from S3O to S6O per acre was sold to them at S2OO and more per acre. The buyers in almost every instance were not acquainted with land values, many of them were ignorant on the subject of drainage, many of them had no idea of the c*fet of putting in and tending a crop of onions or knowledge of the storage cost and the delays that are occasioned in marketing. Many of the buyers were people who had struggled for years to lay up a competency and they have paid it all and given back mortgages for two or three times what the land had sold for previously. President Kurrie, of the Monon railroad, who is deeply interested in the development of the Gifford coun-

try because he induced the purchase of the railroad that traverses it, says that he feels confident the better way of settling it with substanial people and for permanent results would have been to sell it at a fair price and to men and women who would come on it and who had a chance if they could have purchased it at the right prices. The Republican has always regarded Ed Oliver as a wonderful man for Newland. He saw the possibilities of the section as a trucking center. , He experimented with onion raising and had some successful returns. If all had been fine in the way of good crops and big prices there would have been no complaint, but all will never be fine. The onion business is uncertain in two ways, the season and the price. A failure in either will make hard times for the grower on S2OO land. This year it was the weather, last year the price. On S6O or $75 land so much would not be expected. We trust that next year will prove a good one, but in the meantime there is nothing to justify the sale of any of the land at the big prices asked. Newland and the Springer ranch will do better if the buyers are satisfied when then learn that much of the land was held at SSO and less for many years before. Robert Blue and Elvyn Allman went to Lafayette today to witness the lowa-Purdue football game. T. F. Clarke returned to his home in Rattle Ground yesterday after a visit of several days with his siGter, Mrs. Robert Dowler and husband. T. M. Callahan went to Tipton today to visit with George T. Gifford, connected with the Gifford estate, who has been convned to his home with sickness. Mrs. Jennie Wishard returned today from a several weeks visit with her brother, Bruce Porter and family, near Mt. Vernon, S. Dak. While there she visited with friends at Mitchell for a short time. Mrs. Wishard says the corn in that part of the state was pretty badly frost-bit and would not amount to much, although they had a very good wheat and oats crop. She enjoyed her trip very much. On her way home she stopped for a week’s visit in Chicago with her son, Melville.