The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-09-26
ICorrcspondence of the New York Sum |

Correspondence Of the New York sun
MAUCH CHUNK. Pa, Sept. There i
now pending in the State Courts of Penn.
sylyania one of the most important law.
suits ON record. II was instituted by Mr.,
q. III. Wheeler, a lawyer of this place. II
is for the recovery of 1000 acres of valua.
bile coal lands in Iuzerne county, Pa. said
10 be worth Sl0.0OO,0OO. The history OF
the proprietorslIip of the land is full of ro-
nance.
Some forty years ago there died in a hos
pital in Philadelphia a man named James
Turnbnll. lie had been n man of means.
and was one of the first 10 invest in land
in this region. when the discovery of an
thracite coal was tardily followed by mine
developments. He purchased the tract of
1000 acres in IuZcrne county. Bad spec
ulations subsequently led him into dis~ipa-
ton, and he died as stated, declaring that
he still had a title TO the coal-land in In-
Zerne, although Others claimed it by virtue
of tax purchase.
A DIVORCE.
4 short time before his death his
wife was divorced from him. and given
charge OF their only child. "A son. also
named James. lie lived with his mother
in Philadelphia about ten years after his
fathers death, then. at the age of sixteen.
went To sea.
In 1892 the divorced widow. being in
destitute circumstances. and believing that
her son, If liying-for She had not heard of
him for years-was the real owner OF the
coal lands in l.uzerne county. which her
late husband had neglected. came 10 Mauch
Chunk and called on Mr.. o. III. Wheeler.
He had formerly been a friend of her hus-
bands. the two having had years before
real estate transactions together. To him
she stated the ease of the ownership of
the land. and exhibited certain papers in
her possession tina once belonged to Turn
bull.
WheclereNaminedtl the papcrand searched
the record. The result convinced him
that young Turnbull had. through his
father, a perfect title To the property. lie
mt once set about 10 find. if possible, the
whereabouts of the wandering heir. Adj
vertisements were inserted in the Journals
of all countries. in all languages. Letters
were written To every point where il was
AT all probable that James might be. but
without avail. Not a word could be oh
tanned that gave any clue to his where
abOuts. The land meantime hal fallen i'm
to the hands of Asa Packer. the Pariees.
u other famous and powerful capitalists.
who still hold them.
III son HEARD
One day. in the fall of FISH. James Turn
bulls mother received a letter. posted in
the City of Mexico. 1t proved TO be from
her son. He was living in Mazatlan. on
the western coast of Mexico. and would in
all probability be home i'm another year.
Thus. after a ceaselesS effort of twenty
years, the lawyer and the mother were at
last rewarded with news OF the lost son.
Nh tA1.a.l.- .A..Ia.Al - .... -.
once To MaZatlan and bring James 10
America. This was done, and about a
year ago Turnbull landed in Philadelphia.
His career had been one of peril, hard
ship and adventure. The vessel he left
Philadelphia i'm was shipwreckcd. and he
and eight others of the crew were the only
ones saved. When the boat. which they
succeeded in launching. was picked mp
the Island of 81. Thomas. after float
ing nine days on thcN9ccan. Turnbull was
the only living occupant. lie was laid up
three months in II. Thomas before he re-
from the effects of The fearful vow
age after the wreck. and then embarked on
"A British trader. Subsequently he went
to Central America. lie worked on the
lsthmus of Panama until the stories of the
discovery of gold in California reached that
section. when with hundreds of others, he
hastencd to the spot.
lie was a Forty-nincr. and made several
fortunes. which in turn he lost at the gam
ing table. He tired of the reckless. law
less life of the mines in two wears. and
went To Mexico. and subsequently to
Texas, where he made money IN captur-
ing cattle tor Spectators in New York and
Philadelphia. The natives becoming too
he had to flee the plains. lie
started to return to Mexico. On the way
to Mazatlan he was
BLOWN UP
by the explosion of the steamer he was
III. Hundreds persisted. but he was again
proyidcntially saved. lie finally reached
Mazatlan. where he went 10 work on a
that wa being dug. lie was placed
over a gang of natives, and kept a ranch
where they obtained their supplies. This
was broken open several times and rob
bed. One night he was attacked by a
party of Mexican soldiers. and LEFT for dead
with twelve dagger wounds in his person.
Recovering from these. he again became a
wandercr. lie spent a year among the
silver mines of Peru. getting possession of
a piece of land said to contain silver de
posts. Failing to find them. hc disposed
of the property for song. In less than
"A month a rich vein Of silver was opened
upon it.
lie then went to Chile and worked un-
der Harry Meiggs. the great South Ameri-
can railroad prince. By sub-contract un-
Ter Meiggs he made several thousand dol
-ars. and had he possessed a less rowing
disposition could have remained in Chile
and accumulated a handsome fortune.
Completing his contract. he went to Brazil
and %endcavored to get himself appointed
N an overseer in the diamond mines. and
failed. After rowing through South Amer
lea for several years, leading a life of the
widest adventure, he again visited the
western shore of Mexico, and then deter
mined to return home. He wrote to his
mother, not knowing whether she was
dead or alive.