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ESTRAY AFFIDAVIT.

This day personally appeared before me, a justice of the peace in and for the county of Mills and State of Iowa, Lucas Tarpning of said county and state aforesaid and being after having been first duly sworn by me, deposeth and saith, that on the twenty-third day of October, 1854, there came an estray horse to his house in Rawles township and county aforesaid, which he took up, and he further saith that the marks or brands have not been altered by him or any other person to his knowledge, either before or after the same was taken up.

LUCAS TARPNING. [SEAL.]

Sworn and subscribed to before me the undersigned justice of the peace, this the 31st day of October, 1854.

WILLIAM KESTERSON,
Justice of the peace.

On the reverse to this document appear the following:

We the apprasors, who was duly sworn to apprise an estray horse taken up by Lucus Tarpning, living in Rawles township, Mills county, Iowa. the said horse is a black when shed off, is fifteen and a half hands high, supposed to be six years old last spring, which, with both hind feet white half way to the back, and his right fore foot white to the paster joint, a star in his forehead with a tip on the nose and a white spot on the left side of his rump, and on his left leg at the upper part of hamstring, and also a white spot in his right flank, with a few white hairs on his back, supposed to have been done by a saddle; also his ankles are larger and has the appearance of being interfeared with his feet; appraised to ninety dollars.

Given under our hands and seals, this, the thirty-first day of October, A. D. 1854

[SEAL.]

GEORGE W. TRAITH,
HIRAM KIETH,

U. O. BURRELL EGGLESTON.)

Appraisors.

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript of the appraisment, this the 31st day of October, 1854.

SCALP BOUNTY CERTIFICATE.

WILLIAM KESTERSON,
Justice of the peace.

STATE OF Iowa,

MILLS COUNTY. S

SS.

This day personally appeared Adam Campbell and made oath before Zachariah Buckingham, a justice of the peace for Lyons township, in Mills county, State of Iowa, and produced the scelp of a wild cat, and also the scelp of a woolf that he cild, the wild cat and woolf in the bounds of Mills county, and in the limatation of ten days he is entitled to one dollar and fifty sents for each scelp out of the county treserry.

Givin under my hand this the twenty-eighth day of November, 1859.

FIRST RECORDED WILL.

ZACHARIAH BUCKINGHAM,
Justice of the peace.

Last will and testament of Nels. S. Nelson, deceased, of Mills county, State of Iowa. I, Nels S. Nelson, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, and being desirous of settling my worldly affairs while I have strength and capacity to do so, do make and publish this, my last will and testament; that is to say, first, I hereby make and appoint my

beloved wife, Ingen Nelson, my sole executrix and administratrix, to pay all my funeral expenses and just debts as soon after decease as practicable out of the first moneys that shall come into her hands from any portion of my estate, real or personal; second, I give, devise, and bequeath unto my wife as aforesaid, all my real estate situated in the county of Mills, and State of Iowa, to-wit: The east half (1⁄2) of the northwest quarter (14) of sec tion number twenty-one (21), in township number seventy-three (73), north of range fortythree (43) west, containing eighty acres, and also the west 1⁄2 of the northwest quarter (4) of section number twenty-three (23), in township seventy-three (73), north of range forty. three (43) west, containing eighty acres; and also the northwest quarter (4) of the northwest quarter (4) of section number twenty-two (22), in township seventy-three (73), north of range forty-three west, containing forty acres; and also the east half (1⁄2) and the south. west quarter of the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter (4) of section number twenty-two (22), in township seventy-three (73), north of range forty-three west, containing one hundred and twenty acres. Second, I give, devise and bequeath to my wife Ingen, as aforesaid, all the household furniture in my dwelling house, and also the dwelling house; also all my personal property, consisting of four head of horses, seven head of cattle, six head of sheep, and twelve hogs. Third, it is my intention and wish that the above grants, gifts and bequests to my wife, Ingen Nelson, shall be and remain as above written; that she, my wife, as aforesaid, shall have full control of all my estate, both real and personal, to have and to hold the same to her, her heirs and assigns forever, upon the following conditions: That is to say that she remain a widow and does not again contract matrimony, and in case she, my wife, Ingen, as aforesaid, should again contract matrimony, then the foregoing bequests to her are to be changed and altered as follows, to-wit: At the time of, or in the event of such marriage of my wife, as aforesaid, it is my wish and command that my remaining estate, both real and personal, be duly and fairly appraised by two or more disinterested persons selected for the purpose, and after such appraisement shall have been fully and fairly made by the parties as aforesaid, the whole amount to be equally divided into two parts, one-half, or moiety thereof to be duly paid over by my wife, Ingen, as aforesaid, either in land or money, at her option, unto my brother, Lass Nelson, and in case of his death, to his children, for their benefit forever, the remaining half, or moiety of my estate to be retained by my wife, Ingen, as aforesaid, to have and to hold and to do with according to her pleasure.

In witness whereof I, Nels S. Nelson, the testator, have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty-eight. NELS S. NELSON. [SEAL.]

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above named Nels S. Nelson, as his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto in the presence of the said testator and in the presence of each other.

CHARLES GOVE,
T. F. E. SAAR,
WM. KEMPTON.

STATE OF IOWA,
MILLS COUNTY. Š

SS.

In the county court of Mills county, setting as a court of probate. Be it remembered that on the fifth day of July, A. D., 1858, William Kempton and Charles Gove, two of the subscribing witnesses to the within and forgoing will, personally came before the said court, and being duly sworn, deposed and stated that they saw the within and foregoing named testator, Nels S. Nelson, sign the within and foreging instrument of writing, which he published as his last will and testament, and that the said testator was at the time of so doing of sound mind and over the age of twenty-one years, and that they attested the same at the request and in the presence of said testators, which proof was deemed by said

court sufficient to establish said will, which was then allowed and ordered to be certified and recorded.

In testimony whereof, I, William Snuffin, clerk of the district court, and ex-officio clerk of the county court, and register of probate of said county, have signed my name and affixed the seal of said court, this 6th day of July, A. D., 1858.

WILLIAM SNUFFIN, Clerk.

While business of this nature was being transacted, there was also marrying and giving in marriage. The earliest marriage in the county is not, of course, recorded in the proper document, having occurred before its organization. The earliest recorded marriages are the following:

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Jason Haws, of the aforesaid county, of the lawful age, and Sarah Hillman, intend marriage according to law; this is therefore to authorize any legal person to solemnize the aforesaid nuptials and make due return in twenty days from the date of said marriage. In witness whereof, I set my hand and affix the seal of my office, this sixth day of September, A. D., 1851.

WILLIAM SMITH,
County Judge.

On the bottom of this license appears the following return:

This is to certify that I did on the seventh day of September, 1851, join in marriage the above named persons at Coonville, as witness my hand.

J. W. COOLIDGE,

Minister of the Gospel.

STATE OF IOWA,
MILLS COUNTY.

SS.

D. T. Bowen, of the aforesaid county, of lawful age, and Mary Sillsby, of lawful age, intend marriage according to law. This is therefore to authorize any legal person to solemnize the aforesaid nuptials, and make due return according to law, from the date of said marriage. In witness whereof, I set my hand and affix my seal of said office, this eighth day of December, 1851.

[SEAL.]

On the reverse is the return as follows:

WILLIAM SMITH,

County Judge.

This may certify that I solemnized the marriage of D. T. Bowen and Mary Sillsbury, this 16th day of December, 1851.

Other early recorded marriages are those of:

WILLIAM SMITH,

County Judge.

Jacob J. Crocket and Elmira A. Anson, January 12, 1852; Joseph W.

Coolidge, minister of the gospel, officiating.

Henry Fairbanks and Rhoda Ann Davis, February 12, 1852; Joseph W. Coolidge, clergyman, officiating.

Lewis Whitney and Ann J. Benedict, February 12, 1852; J. W. Coolidge, clergyman, officiating.

John Lovell to Elizabeth Smith, March 12, 1852; Jonathan Kerns to Mary Watson, April 1, 1852; John F. Windham to Eliza Rogers, April 1, 1852; A. J. Napier to Milly J. Yuzenburg, April 14, 1852; Abbott Hows to Maria Cox, April 14, 1852; B. T. Homer to Patience Bentley, April 31, 1852; Elijah Allen to Eliza Ann Bickmore, May 3, 1852; and Alexander Kidd to Phidelia Bickmore, May 3, 1852.

In applying for marriage licenses it often became necessary to produce the written consent of the parents to the one or the other of the parties to the intended contract. These "written consents " were in many instances preserved, and present some very interesting reminders of the manner in which business of this nature was then conducted. The two following will, perhaps, best illustrate this feature. The first document bears no date whatever:

Mr. Judge Bennet sir plas let Wm. A. Folden have a maredge licens and oblige yours JAMES FOLDEN

The other one reads as follows;

APRIL 23, 1857.

Nelson Rucker our son was born January 29, 1837 witch will make him 21 next January as we under Stand that he wishes to git married we have nothing a gainst it therefor we give our Consent

AMBROSE RUCKER
RACAEL RUCKER
JOHN Н. Конв

COUNTY FINANCES.

The financial history of the county, unfortunately, bears no direct ratio of improvement as compared with its wonderful progress in other directions. Through a mistaken policy in its earlier days-some portions of which have been more than once repeated-the county has had a long and hard struggle to free itself from debt, a result not yet attained.

In the earliest report on the finances, the business covering so little ground, and the causes of the heavy drafts of later days not existing, but little effort was required to keep the books in a condition easily understood. In those days the office of treasurer resembled, in part, the New England office of itinerant collector. He not only had a business headquarters, but was obliged to call upon delinquent tax-payers in order to secure their assessment. The duties of the treasurer were therefore doubly onerous,

and his remuneration by no means adequate to the toil incurred. Few men sought office in those days; perhaps because the emoluments thereof were not sufficient to warrant any strenuous canvass. It was reserved for a later day and another generation to seek office for its spoils. Political contests, while excited so far as regards state or national issues, had nothing in common with them when matters of a local nature came up for suffrage. Personal vituperation and insidious attacks upon character were not then so prevalent as now. Persons were sought to fill offices, and should their duties appear onerous they were ready at once to resign. Salaries were small, and the temptation to use funds belonging to the public was stronger oftentimes than the determination to do right. Without instituting any invidious comparisons between the present county officials and those of an earlier day, it may be proper to note that the county treasury contributed more often to the funds of private individuals, than the

reverse.

It became necessary, in the course of a few years, to have the financial standing of the county investigated, and the records relating thereto were subjected to a most careful and painstaking examination. In 1858 a commission, consisting of Nathan Dean and H. J. Graham, was appointed by the county court, "to examine the accounts and finances of the county." They met at the court house in Glenwood, July 7th, 1858, and made a thorough examination of such accounts and records as were available. Their report dates back to 1852. The county treasurer was C. W. Tolles. He is charged with the tax list of 1852, amounting in the aggregate to $1,127.69, for which he gave his receipt. How much of that tax there was paid is not and never can be known. When he went out of office his deficiency amounted to $106.00. His successor was Azoe Richardson, who entered upon the duties of his office in August, 1853. He is charged with $1,517.51, against which there is a credit of $970.17, leaving a deficit of $547.34. The commission reported that they were "unable to hunt up papers and receipts to make the account reconcile." This exhibit follows a like line from 1852 until 1858, the time of making the examination. In none of the settlements do debts and credits agree. The committee reported August 14, 1858, and at the conclusion of the tables of the financial exhibit, they remark:

"We have failed in many instances even to satisfy ourselves, and have come to the conclusions here presented after a protracted investigation, showing a result, we believe, as correct as possible under the circumstances. Several causes have operated as impediments to our progress, and the protraction of our labors, and have contributed to the want of that complete success which we could have wished to have rewarded our labors. One thing is the great want of books which the county has suffered for, until a recent period, rendering it a very difficult task for the county officers to manage their affairs as they should do, and keep a clear statement of everything recorded correctly, trusting less to memory, which is very fallible and seldom to be trusted, rather than to the immediate entering of

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