Why would the previous owner do this?

I have seen some lincoln lockers in jeeps, expecially ones that get trailered to the off-road park.. they do have a tendency to chew things up though... tires, axles, etc... I did it in my Willys wagon to the original rear end... I had extra carriers and 10-spline axles which were rare... after breaking an axle, I removed it....

IT WAS CHEAP... not really a good idea... but cheap!