Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1836-09-07

The Great Carer Claim.-It is well
known that q claim exists TO an immense
tract of country, partly within the limits of
the United States, situated mostly on the up.
per waters of the Mississippi.-The foun-
dation ofthe claim is this: In the year I766
and l767, Jonathan Carver q native of Con-
necticut, a man of enterprise, and ola spec
ulative disposition undertook to explore the
vast unknown territory then recently acquir-
ed by the English from the French, by the
conquest of Canada. He spent a year or
two in examining the country around the
upper branches ofthe Mississippi, Lake Su-
perior, &C., and in becoming acquainted
with the manners and customs of the saw
age inhabitants. He had hoped to discov-
er and establish q line of communication
between Hudson's bay and the Pacific O.
cean, and thus open a safer and shorter
route for the English trade TO China and
the East India Settlements. He was obi
gcd to return however,, without eflecting his
object. During his stay he purchased of
the Indian chiefs residing near the Falls of
st. Anthony, on the Mississippi, a tract of
land, the boundary line of which common
ced at the falls of st. Anthony, and went
down to Lake Pepin; thence five days.
journey West to another specified limit;
thence six days. journey North to another
specified limit, and thence back to the start.
ing point. A days. journey was under
stood to mean about twenty miles.-Aher
obtaining this grant from the Indians it is
said that Carver went to England and OBJ
tanned a confirmation from the English gov.
eminent. The tract so easily obtained by
Carver is large enough for an independent
state, comprising as it does, thousands of
square miles of fertile territory, watered by
noble streams. 1t lies neal the greatest mi
ming district in the world, and is supposed
to contain inexhaustable mineral treasures.
Notwithstanding the possession of this vast
estate, with an area larger than that of ma
ny European kingdoms, Carver died in
1850, in a state Of the utmost destitution.
He left a wife and six or seven children in
this country.
Some of his descendants reside in Deer
field and Montague, in the state of Massa-
chusetts. Deeds of portions of this tract
have been repeatedly given, during the last
fifty years, by heirs in Deerfield and else
where, and a number of townships on the
tract have lately been settled by persons
claiming under these deees. The utmost
confidence is felt by many in the validity of
the title and at any rate the prize is suffi-
GENTLY splendid to be well worth a contest.
The Greenfield Mercury, from which We
CLEAN most of these particulars, states that
some excitement exists in some parts of the
country and elsewhere, in respect to this
great land claim, which the recent rapid
settlement of the West has brought into no.
tee and experimentation Times.
Since the foregoing came under notice,
the following statements have been put into
our hand by a distant heir, now a resident
of this town who has shown us a deed of a
large tract of the above described land,
which deed was given by Rufus Carver, ell
dest son of Capt. Jonathan Carver.
He states that the above described tract
of land was decided or granted to Jonathan
Carver by two Indian Chiefs, O~ttahtongoom-
lisheeah ofthe Naudowessy tribe, and Hon.
ahpawjatin Of the Chippewa tribe; and that
in 1924 the de scendents of these Chiefs ac-
knowledged the title be in the heirs of Jon.
athan Carver, which acknowledgement was
made before VIM. p. Van Ness, Judge o.
the District Court of the State of New
York, and a copy of which is in the ar
chivcs of Congress, in the War Depart
ment.-Vermont Telegraph.