Winter et al. v. United States.
With this conclusion every act of the parties accords; while no one fact has been or can be adduced to militate against this presumption; let us see.
The grant was made June 27, 1797. By it the commandant was required to set apart to each family the lands granted; and they were to establish themselves on the lands so granted and set apart for them respectively within one year: these facts are incontestably proven. Winter procured in Kentucky arid brought to Arkansas a hewn stone of large size, two feet long,—there was no other such at or near the post,—removed to and settled at the post. The stone was set up conspicuously in the prairie immediately after. Winter claimed the land to the extent of the grant northwardly, claimed the stone as his south-east corner. All the facts were notorious at the post in 1798, and thenceforward; no one then controverted his rights as claimed.
But it has been said in argument that the stone may have been planted without the authority or direction of the commandant. For what purpose? Can a rational man suppose that Winter would have procured, transported, and planted it, without any object? or that he would have planted it with the design of making title to lands not granted to him? or that the commandant would have suffered him to establish himself on the land, of which he publicly claimed this was a corner monument, and quietly occupy it for seven years under such claim, and to exercise all the acts of ownership over it? Such a supposition is directly opposed to the ordinary conduct of men, to the usages of the Spanish authorities, to the express orders to the commandant, and utterly irreconcilable with the acts and conduct of the parties, and the legal presumptions based on them.
Nor could any of the parties at that period have anticipated a change of government, or acted in reference to such event; nor can it be presumed that Winter, by such conduct, could have expected to make title to or hold the lands claimed by means other than those warranted by the laws, usages, and customs then prevailing in said district; so that no possible motive
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