The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-10-23
THE PENNSYLVANIA LAND CASE
Fifteen Square Miles of the Anthracite
Coal Region in Dispute Heirs of
Governor Geary Interested.

/
controversy in the anthracite coal region
is condensed from the Puttsvilc Stan
ddrd:
The matter has heen the subject of con
siderable controversy, and several suits OF
| ejectmcDt have been entered, 10 the ad
| joining county of Carbon, against the
Philadelphia aud Reading Coal and Iron
| Company, to dispossess them of the land
| and number of suits of the same charac
ter are about to be begun in the Com M on
Pleas Court of this county against the
same parties.
For several years past there have been
rumors of a title to these lands, dating
back to the early history of our national
existence. When General Gcary was
Governor of the State he gave consider
able attention to the merits of this claim.
and after his term of office expired, de
voted himself assiduously to ascertaining
what, if any, rights the New York par.
ties had to the land. For some time be-
fore his death Preparations had been made
to place the management of this tract Of
land in the hands OF Governor Geary,
gone to New York for the purpose of con
summating the matter While there he
met the parties interested in the land
and entered into a contract with them by
which Inc Was to pay them So 500 for one
tenth interest in the claim. s 500 of
which he Paid in cash, giving his obiga
tion for 81 900. \ coal and iron com
fn h. IL
who claimed the land, of which Governor
Geary was to be the President; and to
the developing of the lands aud contest.
ing the claims thereto he was to give his
entire and exclusive attention. On the
morning after his return, he died sudend-
ly at the breakfast table.
The Hon Francis Jordan Secretary
Of State, who was made administrator of
the estate Of Governor Geary. found
among his assets this interest in the land
He discovered its great value, aud the
question of the title he found to be as
follows =
The lands were patented to several par
ties then residing in Schuylkill county,
New York and Philadelphia. and the
money was pail by Robert Morris. Secre-
Iary of the Treasury under General Wash
Ingtun. In those early times when com
raraiively nothing of the great wealth of
this region had been developed and was
by no means comprehended, little atten-
tion was paid to these lands. and they
were allowed to remain untouched until
latter day, when another patent was
taken out 10y another party, and laid up
on the same lands covered by this original
patent which Is now on the lands, and up
on which the claim of this party is based
During the time that the land remained
undeveloped and worthless, it was sold
under the tax title laws of the State, in
tracts. and was bought by several parties,
The brief made of the original title AYERS
that the claim of the Philadelphia and
Reading Coal and Iron Company to title
TO these lands is based upon the secon,k
patent laid years alter the first patent. and
therefore Of no value and that the Phil
adelpha and Reading Coal and Iron Com
pany. 20 sustain its title, has purchased
these tag titles. with view to strengthen
their ri ht to the properly and that these
tax titles aud The claim under the second
patent are the on.y right or show of title
that the Philadelphia and Reading Coal
aul Iron Z, ,n'pa"y has to the property.
These liuds cover an area of fully fif
teen square miles and are situated in the
counties Of Carbon and Schuylkill-mo
" in the county Of Carbon-and embrace
in their extent the mos: available and
valuable coal lauds in the State of Penn
sylrania The tax title claim to some
portions Of this property has been decided
by Judge Rockafellow. Of "a cilcuit ad
joining this, to be wholly worthless, and
the case has been carried to the Supreme
Court, by the parties to the controversy
Should the Supreme Court decide that the
tax title is worthless, then the basis of
the title of the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron Company, according to the
statement of the parties interested in the
original claim. would lie upon the patent
granted to these other parties years after
the original patent had been granted to
Robert Morris aud the parties claiming
under his title.
The parties composing the Company
fighting for the possession OF these lands
are men of vast means, and they are 10
cined to fight the battle in the courts to
the bitter end Naturally enough the
Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
Company, now holding possession, will
meet them with the same spirit of deter
minafion