Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1906 — IS IT A FRAUD? [ARTICLE]

IS IT A FRAUD?

Rensselaer People Bought Canadian Lands, AND NOW SCHEME IS QUESTIONED. Alleged That Alberta Land Deals of Brookston nan Are a Swindle.— Whole Township Sold Here. For some time past a Canadian colonization scheme has been worked in different parts of Indiana by U. B. Kellogg, of Brookston, who alleged, we understand, that his company, the Northwestern Land and Immigration Co., of St. Paul, Minn., was representing the Canadian government in disposing of lauds in Alberta, Canada. The scheme—if such it is—was to dispose of full sections of a full township, and one township was sold to Rensselaer people, one or two at Lafayette, Tipton, Bloomington, Ft. Wayne and elsewhere. Each buyer was to put up 150 for “railroad fare,” which reserved to him one section of this “valuable agricultural land” and (here, at least) the purchasers were to go up to see the land about June 5. *They were each to \>&y $1,50 per day for the Pullman sleeper and their board, we understand, but there was to be no railroad fare, that coming out of the SSO advanced. After seeing the land —which is some 70 miles from a railroad, but “a railroad has been surveyed,” it is alleged —they were to pay $l5O more, if satisfied with their investment. If not satisfied nothing more was to be paid and the contract would be canceled. If they were satisfied they paid no more for five years, we believe, and no interest was to be charged. "After five years they had the option of paying the Canadian government $3.50 per acre for the land, cash, or let it run three years more at 5 per cent, interest. The scheme “looked good,” and and a “township” was sold here, Kellogg and Charlie Murray making the contracts, but all contracts are signed by Kellogg, it is stated, and the SSO advance payments were made to him. Now comes a report from Bloomington, Ind., in Wednesday’s Indianapolis News, stating that 35 of the parties there who had bought sections of land of Kellogg and held contracts and receipts for their SSO, came in Tuesday with their grips packed to make the trip to see the land. It was then found that no order had been received for transportation, nor were any Pullmans in waiting for them. The local real estate firm who had canvassed the with Kellogg stated that they had heard nothing from the latter for a week, and had been unable to locate him. The article stated that the poople there now looked upon the whole matter as a swindle, and a warm bunch of “landowners” returned to their homes after denouncing The*f)emocrat is informed by a St. Paul gentleman and by local people who have tried to find out something of the company Kellogg represents that they could not be located in St. Paul, and so far as known had no office there. Thursday’s Indianapolis Star contained an alleged interview with Kellogg’s wife at Brookston, stating that her husband had left St. Paul Tuesday for Winnipeg where the real headquarters of the company is said to be, and that he would return home in a few days; that the trouble at Bloomington arose over these parties wanting to go to Alberta on May 15, instead of June 5, and that her husband had been unable to secure transportation for the earlier date, and had so notified the local agents in Bloomington; that everything would be alright and no one would lose a dollar. Some 36 sections, or oue township, of this land was sold here, the purchasers so tar as we have been able to learn being: J. H. 8. Ellis, Ray Wood, Dr. Miller, Katie Shields, Peter May, Abe Hardy, J. Brenner, Lou Harmon, Bert Goff, Geo. Strickfaden, 4. E. Spitler, Al Peters and family (three sections). Charley Murray, who worked

with Kellogg here, left for Oklahoma Tuesday, therefore no explanation has been had from him. * WELCOME RAIN YESTERDAY. CrA- nice rain came yesterday morning and is not over as we go to press, relieving the drouth of several weeks which had made conditions quite serious. Oats and grass have been affected greatly for want of rain and here in town the grass on ’the lawns was curling up and turning brown, while the ground in many places was cracked open, like we frequently see it in August and September.AXfiflterday’s rain was of great valuAto growing crops of all kinds, and gardens and berries. The drouth was quite general throughout this section of the country, it appears.