Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1865-06-15
a NOZZLE EXAMPLE


Some ten or more years ago / was
employed to examine the title of q
parcel of land in Massachusetts In
making my Investigations, / found
that one of the prior grantors,
through whom my client derived his
title, had possessed, only an estate
for life, and could not, therefore
legally convey any greater estate
He had supposed, however, that ne
possessed an estate in fee, which is,
in law, large estate. Acting on this
supposition, he had attempted to con-
vey it as such to his grantee. This
transaction had occurred when the
value of the land was only q few a
hundred dollars. At the time of my
examination, however, a large man
.ufacturing town had been built up
around the land, and had greatly in
creased its value.
After discovering this fatal defect
i'm my clients title it became very
desirable to know in whom the legal
title to the land rested. After many
careful inquiries, 1 found that a
young man IN Peterboro, N H., was
the legal owner. His father had,
many years previously, sold and con
veyed it as an estate in fee, and had
received fair price for it as such;
but in in point Of law he could con-
vey only such estate as he legally pos
sessed, and that was one which ter
minated with his own life, and at his
decease the land became by opera
ton of law, the property of this
young man, then living in Peterboro.
l also lascertained that the young
man did not know of these circum-
stances, and consequently was igno-
rant that he was the legal owner of
the land.
After consultation with my client,
] went to Peterboro to do the best
for him that / could. Isoon became
acquainted with the young man, aud
after carefully observing him and re.
fecting on all the circumstances of
the case, 1 felt convinced that could |
best promote the interests of my
client by unfolding the whole matter
to the young man and leaving it for |
him to act as he should think proper.
I accordingly stated the whole case
to him. "Well," said he, '.what do
you want me to do?" / replied that
Mr. t., my client, would like a quit
claim deed Of the land from him.
Have you such deed made out for
me to sign?" he asked. "Yes," 1
answered, and produced it. He read
it carefully through, then said, "Let
us 60 over to Mr. -, Justice of
the Peace" We did so. There he
executed the deed, acknowledged it
before the justice, and delivered it
to me- SNOW" said he, "tell me
what the present value of the land Is
L would not make this inquiry before
l signed the deed lest l should be
hindered from doing what was right;
but now I should like TO know the
value OF the property / have parted
with" l told him that it was esti-
mated at from fourteen thousand to
twenty thousand dollars. He said
he hoped it would have made no
difference with him in signing the
deed, whatever the value of the land
might have been, but that he did not
wish to inquire until he had placed
himself beyond the reach of the tenn I
tation, for he wanted TO do what was
right.
That young man who thus, from {
pure principle of right, relinquished 4
property, which was his own by law,
Of the value of from fourteen thou
sand dollars, to twenty thousand dol
lars. to a perfect stranger, was Rev.
Samuel Abbot Smith, late of West 8
cambridge. The fragrance of no. t
Die deed perfumes his name. q
"only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in the dust" !