Punxsutawney Spirit, 1890-06-18

              It the Next Holiday on the Program! floberl M<'iTis. One Price Clothiers, !#*-% . Ol'R DEBT TO IIOBB18. m \ If Mtia Strwt, Hotal PtnMli BnUdiac, IHZ8UTAWNEY a mm narrow, ivduxa. a&xitxoxg, vda*oo, nn axb olbauuld C0VHTB8. PTTNX8ITTAWNTCY, PA., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1890. UBLY. SHTLHim f»»t heart brrkcn by raisfortnn*, brought upon him by his over-sanguine and truating nature, and by the misconduct of hi* partner. TROUBLE ABOUT TITLES *•*!* GLORDUSFQURT »L. XVIII. /J\ $rst The Holland Load Conimnj aad their *«■<• Churl** C. Claakill, Ja<>K« A (new, Robert Morris and the Ejfmoola.orth & Wilson their Headquarters. tes Everybody to Come to Punxsutawney on the Fourth and make our Store By the charter of 1861, Charles II. granted to William Penn and his heirs, forever, nearly all the territory with in the present limits of Pennsylvania and a part of the land that is now the State of Delaware, on the fealty of the annual payment of two beaver skins. This territory, however, did not extend to Lake Erie, on the north, nor was the southern boundary between it and Maryland clearly deliued until the survey of Ma*on and Dixon, iu 1707, fixed the line. The three original counties, viz; Philndelphia, Chester and Bucks, were of such vast size that their subdivisions became early necessary and the other Eastern counties were from time to time erected from them. Some of the Swedes who had, in 1663, bought land from the Indians, settled on what is now the southern wards of the city of Philadelphia. Penn purchased their title to these lands, and the Swedes became valuable factors in the development of Eastern Pennsylvania. By tli« famous treaty made by Penn in 1082, itU the Susquehanna ttibes, under the wi'luepreadii g c.ui tieoHat Shaoka- Uiasuj beach on the Delaware, and subsequent, treaties, inc.iniig in all 19 tribes, Li in ur.le r.o land* in tiie Eastern counties oi Pennsylvania w as settled forever. Charles C. Gaikcll. the Allegheny mountains as well as a few incidents in the career of the faithful Quaker agent, who dealt justly and leniently with them and from whose hands came deeds for over 1,500,000 acres of land. It may be interesting to our readers to recall just how titles to the lands inPetiu sylvania came -jgT" "s down to us from / jpT" the foundation of w the C o m mon? wealth and to know something \ °f the plan of set/'H&M Element, and the 'fia'm character of the W./ jr - '' people who open■■*■/'/ ed up fonr of the counties west of A contributor to the Pittsburgh Dispatch recently furnished to that paper an entertaining historical sketch relating to the earlj settlements in Jefterson and adjacent connties which, as we think it will be highly appreciated by our readers, we here reproduce:r t JUSTICE AGXEW'S OPINION. The venerable ex Chief Justice Agnew, the sole survivor of the great land title lawyers of "Western Pennsyliiania, in bis book entitled, "Settlement and land titles case ending in suicide), his burden mast have been bard to bear. This aotentitled "An aot for the sale of vacant lands within this commonwealth," provided for the sale of all remaining unappropriated lands lying north of the Ohio and west of the Allegheny river and Conewangooreek,except such as had been or should thereafter be appropriated to public nse—to persons who would cultivate, improve and settle npon the same for the pi ice of £7 10s for every 100 acres. ever realized the undeserved hardship and distress it occasioned (in more than one What a grand opportunity for hardy families! Bat alas somebody blundered! If that somebody who framed the act of April 3,1792, with its baneful ninth section, After all persons entitled to donations had drawn or been drawn for, a large tract of land remained, whioh, added to the unsold depreciation lands, left the title to several million of acres still vested in the State. As all other titles whatsoever had been previously extinguished, the State was now prepared to give a olean title to all comers. The Ueneral Assembly had reserved two traots 3,000 acres eaoh; one at the month of the Allegheny river, where the city of Allegheny now stands, and one at the mouth of Beaver creek, where the town of Beaver stands, for publio nses, the rest of both tracts they declared open, for sale and settlement. A LOT OF LAND LEFT. Taking all things into consideration, Pennsylvania liberally rewarded her sol* deirs of the Bevolntion. A list of the names entitled to draw was made out, and the lots numbered and the numbers thrown into the wheel. "When the prescribed time for drawing had expired, the Council directed the ofiiceru of the Land Office to draw for any soldiers entitled who had not yet appeared, and to ticket the lots so drawn, and to reserve them, subject to the demand of such soldiers, their widows or heira. The Depredation lands were offered for sale at the London Coffee House in Philadelphia, but brought such low prices that the sale was stopped. PAY FOR THE SOLDIERS. The lands for the redemption of this ourrency were called the "Depreciation Lands." Those immediately north of them were called the "Donation Lands," and were devoted to tho donation of land promised to the officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania line and State navy during the last years of the war. The amounts were graded according to rank. A Major General was to receive four 500 acre lots and a private one 200-acre lot. The land donated was to be free from tax during the life or ownership by the soldier.The treaties already made did not inelude the Northwestern traot, or "Erie Triangle," as it was called, which had never vested in the Penus, but was claimed by both New York and Massachusetts, and oeded by them to the United States Government The Supreme Council of Pennsylvania! in 1*78, bought it from the Government for 75 cents per acre that the State might get the benefit of a harbor on Lake Erie. They bought the Indian title also. To redeem her pro.uise to- pay the officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania line and of (lie State navy for their services in tbe Revolution in ourrency equal to specie, the State set apart certain traots of land for redeeming the depreciated Conti nental currency. In January, 1877, the scale of the ourrenoy as oompared to silver and gold was 3 to 1; it rose steadily, and four years later stood 75 to 1. THE ERIE TRIANGLE. eommon wealth." By a anbseqnent treaty at Fort Staawiz, in 1784, between the Commissioners of Pennsylvania and the Six Nations, the title of those tribes was purchased to the remainder of the land in the State, exoept, that west of the Allegheny river. j which William Penn haa oonferred on this thesis (was ft far braver feat than that of "< >1- Put"), ho makes brief reference to a curt air Colouel Egmont ami his wife who appeared in upper Jelferson in the earliest days. There is no date to the slip, but the Egmont* mu*t hnve arrived about 1818. This is their story a« ccarly as it can be recalled. 11 feet from tip to tip, which Adam Long -hot yesterday," and an account of David Fortiethwait's entrance into a den of wolves back of his place the/all before, which, he pays in ;>;ir a- Tke sober, plodding pioneers were non tn< then waked up by the appearance in their midst of people about whom th°rc was the nterest of mystery or the charm of romance, < is a slip in Mr. Gaskell's notebook, interlarvi>*l between the mention of "a panther measuring "against John or Jacob came 21," and said Jacob or John would have to work like a Trojar to pay for it. So the "wildcat" district wan cleared and settled. working and thrifty in their several ways, denying themselves every indulgence, and never resting till the farm was paid for to the last dollar. Then some would buy a second farm* found in all new countries. Among the foreign element, especially as farmers, the Scotch-Irish and Germans, with large families, 'vere tUo most valuable emigrants. They wore hard- £The young surveyor entered upon his district by a bridle path blazed on the trees of the est, and he remained the trusted agent o? :ke Hollanders for a quarter of a century. Amour the people with whom he had to deal thera v;ne uthe species of infinite variety," that is to be lies, and donated 100 acres of land to ever a~*i>a; settler upon their tracts. After the death s£ Paul Burti in 181G, the company appointed Jofcst Jacob Vanderkamp, a wealthy Hollander reeldent in Philapelphia, his successor, and ho con - tinued the B&me liberal policy that had bc*n observed from the first. Mr. Huidekoper remained in charge at the North and Vanderkamp gave power of attorney to Charles C. Gaskcll, a young Quaker surveyor and conveyancer, also of Philadelphia, to sell all of Normandy embraced in the counties of Armstrong-, Indiana, Jefferson and Clearfield as well a* some that extended into Venango and Erie. ing agent. They also granted letters of attorney to David Lawson to sell for them. They opened roads, built mills and bridges, forward*? Agricultural implements and provisions, advanced money for the transportation of farai- They appointed l'aul Burti, of Philadelphia their attorney in fact, and Harm Jan Huidekoper, resident in Meadville, their superlntenl- BARLY OFP1CBRS OK TUI COMPANY. thrown open for sale by the act of 1702 TUit territory they named "Kotluaudy." They organized the company knowu as the Holland Land Company, and it was from this fompwy that the titles to most of the land In the nortt. • western counties of the State were derived. immense bodies of land in New York and P« rj*- sylvania, a large j art of that teirltory 'vas Congress paid the Amsterdam loan after pence was declared, and the Hollanders decided to invest, the money so paid in the United States. They bought through Robert Morris and others thi'ir l>ehalf. Greenloaf. bo had leisure, behind the bars of a debtor'* prison, to reflect ui>on the ingratitiuto of republics. Surely Congress and the American people still owid him a mighty debt,though they had cancelled the last of his notes issued In linen In his possession win of exquisite fineness, and had the letter "ri" suriuuiuled !>j the imperial crown embroidered 011 eack piece. Intercepted and put on board the Belleopho* nntil he landed in New York, and as he had not received liis pay and the Emperor was theu his way to fct. Helena, he determined to make the goods supply his temporary necessities. He waited in Mew York until his wife arrived trom lioideaux. He sold some things beforeli* left the city, and with the rest heaud his wife came into the woods. With the iitfle mow?? he had he engaged, from the agent, a small partly improved farm up the Mahoning cr$ek* but knew nothing of labor. Some of the table Egmont said, with the expectation of joining his chief in the United States, he, with the help of soine soldiers, got out of the van attached to the carriage, such boxes of plate. linen, etc,, as could be hastily seized, anJ barely escaping capture, made his way to the coast and got on a schooner bound for America. lie did not know the Emperor had beer Colonel Egmont had charge of Napoleon'* traveling chariot and baggage van at Waterloo. When the battle was lost and the flight was on the Emperor expressed the hope that be might find passage on an American ship. This day promises to be one of the 'greatest days in the history of Punxsutawney. Never in |tne past history of the town have the business men and j (citizens taken such an active part, and it is bound to bo a Success. Every American citizen should celebrate this day because it is the day upon which the Declaration of Independence was signed and this Government declared a free people. And now that we have prospered, and are to-day she greatest nation on earth, who is there that is enjoying jthe blessings of this glorious Republic, who cant find time to celebrate one day. If you should need a fine suit or a 8ne pair of pants, a suit for your boys, or a good hat or pair of shoes, you will find our store headquarters. For price, style, quality and fit we have positively no rivals. Our business is giowing every day. Never before have we had such a wonderful trade. Every day iike Saturday. Our store was crowded, packed and jambed with customers to such an extent last Saturday that it was impossible for us to wait upon them all, many going away after waiting an hour without being waited upon. It is certainly a satisfaction for us to be able to truthfully make the above statement. Many advertise more than truth. To describe the magnitude of our stock would be one of the impossibilities, so we will not attempt it. In men's suits we show every thing in the market, Worsteds, Scheviots, Cassimers, in Cutaway, Sack and Prince Alberts. • Boys' and Children's suits of all grades and prices. A child's good short pants suit $1. Boys' short pants, 25c. Furnishing goods of every descript'on. Men's balbriggan, gauze, and fancy stripped underwear, all grades and prices. Men's and boys' summer flannel shirts in endless variety. Neckwear—more styles than any other store in town. White glirts, best in the market, night shirts, unlaundried shirts, osiery, gloves. Hats, hats ! All the late styles in light tnd dark stiff, Dunlap, Yeoman, Knox and Miller shapes, Jtraw hats for everybody, Crush, Fur and Wocl Hats. Boots and Shoes—a complete stock of men's and bovs' shoes ■it lowest prices. The best plow shoes, dovble sole, $1.25. Blouse Waists for ladies, girls, and boys. Something nice for ladies. Trunks, Trunks ! A car • load just received. If jyou need a trunk we can save you 25 per cent and give you * boss trunk. Satchols, valises, rubber coats, oil coats, umbrellas, silk, mohair and alpaca. melpenninck, lent him large sums of money for the use of Congress, to subsist and pay the troops; and It may be added, with It* repayment largely dependent upon the result of the war. Icndrick Vellenhoven and Riitgert Jan Scnim Robert Morris to raise money to carry on the war, Morris sent his agent to Amsterdam. The reputation of Morris for Integrity, and financial address, backed by a large fortune, gave him almost unlimited oredit. His paper was already out for enormous sums, but notwithstanding'this, si* wealthy men of Amsterdam, by name Wilhelm Willink, Nicholas Van Kapborst, Fieter Stadnitski, Christian Von Eeghen, ended chiefly upon the personal exertions of struggling Americans during the Revolution, and that Holland was tho first European power to acknowledge their independence. At that critical period of the struggle, when American credit was exhausted, and when Congress de- Ue Dutch, a feeling of hearty sympathy for the debt of gratitude that tew arc aware of. It will he remembered that thero was among To the liberal minded men who composed this company the citizens of the United Statos owe any. case to the Supreme Court of the United States. The decision of that court eBtab based these lands from the Holland Com- lished their title, Chief Justice Marshall delivering the opinion. This decision gave undisputed title to all who afterward pur- aoonimendation the oompany carried the bench of the Circuit Court of Pennsylvania could not agree as to the interpretation of the ninth section, and by their In the madamus oase the Judges on the ship and loss. They brought a few actions in ejectment. cases, and that in a number of instances, where emigrant# had taken up their lands, believing the title of the company dead' their agents bought from such settlers the adverse title rather than cause them hard- rere rarely in the oourts in individual and patented. It may be mentioned here, to the honor of the oompany, that they rants, which the Indian war had prevented them from having previously surveyed ssue patents for a number of their war- nearly forty years to straighten out some of the titles acquired under i t. The most famous cases that arose from this bungling legislation were two in which the Holland Company were plaintiff's. They were the test case of Huidekopers, lessee vs. Douglass and commonwealth vs. Tenohe Cose. The case was the application of the Holland Company, made after Wayne's treaty of peaoe with the Indians, for a writ of mandamus compelling the Secretary of the Land Office to section which was so variously construed by bench, bar and litigant that it took It is remarkable that tho Legislature did not early amend this abominable ninth FORTY YEARS OF LITIGATION. fore mentioned, set judges, lawyers and warrantees by the ears. forced to the wall. Surveys were made on some of the Holland Company's warrants which would have conveyed undisputed title to all of them had not the ambiguous language of the ninth seotion, be- At the same period the Holland Com- pany took out large numbers of warrants. This company was the only one that was not, trom the litigation arising out of the act of 1792, combined with other oauses, the great Philadelphia banker, the Hon Robert Morris, was President. People's Population Company, also for the North American Land Company, of whioh from taking out warrants for vast tracts of these lands. Soon after the act went into effect John Nioholson, Controller nf the State, took out many warrants for the acoeas to the Land Offioe in Philadelphia not however, deter Eastern individual capitalists and corporations that had easy and, in some cases barred settlement altogether. These discouraging conditions under which the aetual settlers held did cursions and constant alarms interrupted nous residence. But frequent Indian ir gone directly upon the land, and have established their claim by entry and oontin Had there been no Indian war waging at this period there would have been few conflicting titles among the actual set tilers, for they would, in most instances, have THE CONFLICTS OF TITLE. One mode was by Lm<l Ofllee warrant for not more than 400 ne:« s m<l allowance, the grantee paying tha pnrohase money and feea into the State Treasury, to be followed by aotnal settlement and improvement. The other mode was by actual settlement and improvement in the first place made upon a traot not exceeding 400 acres and allowance by any person desiring to settle, improve and reside npou-tlie same. I whioh placed Land Office rights and settlement claims in direct hostility to each other, and led to a oontes* in the courts and on the lands which lasted until long after the writer came to the >>»r " Ex-Chirf Just ire Dnnirl A; HHil and Popular One Price Ctetbier «ORTH & WILSON, [Succe«tor to North & Morris.] PEKN'A * And Co rue the Legislative ooDwienoe the ram of £190,( 00 tm voted to t be heirs, not In ityment for their lands, bat "In Jjratefal remembrnnoe of the benefit* gheny river*, do that from the granting of the charter in 1881 until the Fourth of Jnly 1776, all title* to the land in Pennsylvania were derived directly from Penn oc his heirs. Dariog the war of the Revolution,(1779), the divesting act whs passed which declared the title* of tha Peuns to have become vested in the commonwealth In consequence of the adherence of that family to the orown. A clause in the act however, saved all title* granted by the Penn* prior to the Declaration of Indelendenoe.etween the Sueqnehanna and the Alle- Bnt it early became evident that the manor tystem was repugnant to the growing spirit of disfavor towards class privleges in tne colony, and they were never erected, in a magisterial sense, at least. By the treaty of 1868 at Fort Stanwix (now Rome, N. Y.), between the Penn* and the Six nations, the Indian title had been extinguished to an Immense body of land Although no mauors had been erected in Eogland since the reign of Edward III, in 1300, the Surveyor General, nnder the Penus, surveyed for them 44 manors, in Eastern, Middle and Western Pennsylva. nia, containing from 3,000 to 4,000 acres each. THE MANOR SYSTEM NOT A SUCCESS. Reared nnder monarchical institutions, and s'ill believing in the prerogatives of the landed class Penn had careful surveys made of the territory in his grant, reserving the most valuable tracts for the erection of manors after that remnant of feudal custom in England, each manor to be the seat of a Court Baron or magistracy. Penn's charter expressly granted him this power. THE WILDE11NESS OF THE WE8T. But beyond the broad Susquehanna, and the jjreat muuutuin chain that formed the weal ecu barrier of these thriving settlements, there was an almost unbroken wilderness. It was not the purpose of the proprietor, benign Quaker though he was, to sunder and sell indiscriminately, the royal gift as it was graciously called, although gift it was not, but a conveyance in satisfaction of a crown debt of £16,600 to Admiral Sir William Penn, father of our William Penn. had seen better days. An old lady, whose daughter still has several napkins, said thai the out lines of the N. and crown were plainly visible after several washings. Egmout, ar well as his wife, seemed always anxious an4 on the alert. Their cali.n was kept carefully closed, and the contents of several ches'e were neve* displayed; buttliouse of sev; nl richly chased gold dr.1.king cups, in the der of hospitality to some neighbors mix r»-<5 been kind to them, led to the bt-VieT V)h». cliest* eoliftlbed valuab e pvaic "Wskinglng 1r» Napoleon. > 'lo the wflmiil and aeiwttlv« French woman the wil/lnrss and Isolation -a* their retreat became lnsupp> rtubie s'Iib pined for bunny France tiiat the jrfuce rt suddenly uiaposed of, and with few Imive .afc* lugs the Kgluonts left Jetlersou anu were u« v«* heard of 114 ire. Until «t4# there w«a 110 bank nesrer t; a* I iitsburg. more Jhan eighty mile* fti in tl» ag 'i «y. Ml-. (>a»ketlV uMricl »** lttl a®- Including toar wiitili aiiti paits 6. r-'nWt» «. thai puirhKaeia 01 lii-it* r.y:otf t~rm 'the iigeney eouUl4<*t rtiuivwo ttf i** H' ni*iw pa/tne-iiH i»n li*« Ir t 1 wa«u.fct(e annual w icail oeiii* «ilW "O i> linger the "ereink J*"*'' H". t»" r-b"' ' " 1*6 *< 80MK OF THE FJinnies SOLI*. After Madam Kginont had carefully picket out the embroidery he sold part o( it to &"iue appreciative housewives near the agency,wlie of Northwestern Pennsylvania" says: "To under*tfcod theeviU of this legislation and the vice Whicii led ti 'lie greatest IHga tion Mid uncertainty <>f title wbioh ev.-r rained the prasprrity of m new country, and set, it back many years, U piay be stated in this pUce that the Assembly committed the sia of enacting a dnplefc and adverse eytUm of acquit ing title destinednever to compli te or ocaitpy. It*e«<i ► to ba largotten that but lor the putiioflMii aws commanding Ittlaenoe of tins man L'oiuiiik* could aot hav« li.ud oat iLs expmliikm itgmi a Cornwall!*, aatl Uiat it was ui»>a Bote* tor which Hobjit Morrl* was ii.divldualiy liable, f1,100,000 w.is raised to git e this tlniahUg blow t' lb« war. Ant jet in hi* old ago, aitb lii, honor in thetause of Amnricun Independent e, his story is the moat pathetle. Few remomb.'r him except as one of t» "signers," the roan wh" sent a thousand barrels or floor to VVa hington'*, starring army, and tho projector of "Morri Folly," ttlat palatial feaidenee which he w«- Great-hearted a imple-hearted Robert Mor ris! Of all uieiv signed the Declaration that pledged their lives, fortunes and sacre i w*» '* r* 1 ■*. ■v" « "* " • ' - k X •' r NO 4