THE FARM LAND 41 



Occasionally the original squatter would gather together a 

 group of his friends and pay a visit to the "jumper." He would 

 take along a Justice of the Peace armed with a document for the 

 "jumper" to sign. This document declared that the "jumper" 

 had willingly turned over to the squatter the land he (the 

 "jumper") had just purchased. "It was not unusual for the 

 members of this committee to carry guns and ropes and to in' 

 dulge in remarks calculated to stimulate the claim jumper in 

 his tendency toward a speedy and amicable settlement. Very 

 rarely did he resist vigorously, but once in a while it required 

 heroic measures to overbalance his greed. The story is told of 

 one 'jumper'' who resisted, and addressed the committee in 

 irreverent terms, daring them to do him physical injury, and 

 threatening to bring the strong arm of the law violently down 

 upon their heads. The committee exhausted their verbal argu' 

 ments in vain; then, putting a rope around the waist of the 

 culprit, led him to a pond, cut a hole in the ice, and immersed 

 him. He was soon drawn out, but, being still in a combative 

 and profane frame of mind, was treated to another ducking, 

 and on his second coming out was unable to continue his side 

 of the debate; so the negative was declared closed, and, after 

 returning to the house, the dripping defender of that side set 

 his signature to the papers and with uplifted right hand swore 

 that it was his Voluntary act and deed/ The squatter usually 

 agreed to refund the money advanced by the 'jumper" but cus' 

 torn allowed him to take his time to it and no interest was 

 paid." 33 



FREE LAND 



In 1862, during some of the most trying days of the Civil 

 War, Congress took time to pass three laws which they 

 thought would put agriculture on a firm foundation. The first 

 of these three, which were immediately signed by President 



33 Ibid., p. 207. 



