Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-10-29

western nRomance-Land In Search
8 of an Owner" Wrestling Joe."
Portland (Oregon) correspondence of the Sac
Framento Union. October III
They have romantic land case at
Portland, one that involves about a
Quarter Of a million dollars worth Of
real estate, and the romance consists OF
the efforts made 10 hunt up the heirs by
Spectators who honestly covet the inher-
itance. Twenty years ago | remember.
quiet, staid Individual who had land
claim, adjoining Portland on the south.
1t consisted of some bottom land subject
to overflow, strip or bench of upland,
and back further the heavy fir forest
covered rough rising ground. This Fin
ice Caruthers and his mother had a mile
square Of. land there, six hundred and
forty acres. He used his opportunities
to moderate advantage, and he and his
mother both lived and died there, leav-
ing, the land TO become immensely
valuable as the only field for the city
to spread in that direction II was
charged that he was~ an illegitimate
sonnand the State claimed the land for
an escheat, as they made no will, the
mother dying first. Then it came out
that there was marriage, and it proved
an unhappy one. The wife had taken
her son, and resuming her maiden name,
they went westward and cared for, them
selves. This happened early in the cen.
tury. and after while they found their
way to Oregon, and made them home
on the rough hillsides along the river
above Portland. Living quietly, ant
being plain folks of no cultivation
though Of fair intelligence and good rep
utation they made no stir while alive
save that the fact of her maiden name
being adopted by both gave rise to the
surmise and rumor that his birth wal
not sanctioned by wedlock. 1t remained
for their deaths to make their names ia
nous. The joint property became hi
by the death of his mother, and on his
death the question Of whose II was to be
became more interesting each year al
the spread of the city and the great in
crease in value Of property made the
Caruthers estate the subject OF gene
raj speculation. .-...,.-...,,,s,s
Al first the State claimed 1t as al
escheat for want of legal heirs. Then i
was discovered that relations on tn
mothers side we're alive, and some en-
terprising persons undertook to seeur'
all the titles. Which process involved
much time and money The attorney o
one of these parties visited seventeen
States. and traced every clue that coult
lbe discovered, and the titles were thu
secured, as was thought, so that thes'
gentlemen looked on the original Caruth
ers section of donation, and the impor
liant and valuable property outside OF II
acquired by the frugal Caruthers, q
their own valuable perguisltes. In
claim of the State was abandoned, an
1.-The matter Of hunting up heirs and pul
chasing their titles was prosecuted wit
] a most commendable aEsiduity. "a
The husband of Elizabeth CarutherS
and the father of her son, Finios, seelp
10 have been frontiersman named 10
Thomas. who possessed frontier vice
and virtues so mixed that matrimonia
felicity was not easily achieved. Whel
the separation took place, Joe Thomas
known on the frontier and in the iRgiai
country as Wrestling Joe, either iron
natural inclination or overpowerln
rrief is said TO have abandoned tn
6aunts of civilization and rushed int
the Arkansas country, and for twent
wears was lost TO sight among the Indian
and scarce heard Of. He was reporte
dead. and it seems that his family SUI
1 nosed him to be so when they came I
Dragon. At or near Oregon City ther
I've two old men who knew G
| The marriage and who seem 7
| have had some clue to the hii
tory of Wrestling Joe" 70 Ind ou
what had become of him, they wrote
multitude Of letters to all the old froT
tiersmen renowned through the last ma
century and the result is said TO be tth!s
the old wrestler has been discovered
the form of miserable ragged old pes
gar in the city~of st. Louis, who. Tor IN
Consideration Of $4,000 cash in hand. ha
decided all his interest in the CarutheI
estate to the enterprising prospeetol
whe have resurrected him from his rag
4 and made his old age trifle more homo
able. He is said 70 be ninety-one yeal
OF age, and has now probably arrived.
Portland, for the purpose Of aiding h
friends to make good the title be hi
given them to the rich domains Of h
son. The story is romantic and quite
interesting to the parties who ha,,
bought up the scattering titles as TO u
public. We shall have some quarrelir
In the courts before It is decided.