The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-05-20
sTUPENDOUs LAND SUIT.

One Hundred and Eighty square miles IN IN
nois ana Missouri Claimed by French Heirs
Ii Is well known how enthusiastically TIT
= French cheered in 1919. the foundation o
the "Champaguies DIES hides for The purpose
of culiivatlng and developing the immens'
riches of the Mississippi Valley; every bit o
land turned into shares was quoted al the
Bourse of Paris. Four years aiterward, now
ever, an unparalleled panic followed the en-
thusiasm, and the shares which had chang
ing hands at 10000 francs, were sold at one
franc each the real estate then was OF nc
value and this explains the importance OF tAc
grant made by Messrs de Bosbrlans and des
| Ursins in the names of the "Campagnle des
hides TO Mr.. Phillip Francois Renaut, gen
eral manager of the mines OF LOUISIANA TN
der the date of June II, lI23. Inc grant,
which was confirmed by the French Govern
men IN 1871, comprised first two leagues
square OF thlrty.siX square miles at place
called Mine Lamothe; second, one ana one
half leagues front by leagues deep or eigh-
ty-one square miles on the Little Maraihec al
Renauts fork third, one league front by TWO
leagues deep or eighteen square miles al
Fort Charities; and fourth, one league front
by five leagues deep or tortyhye square
miles at Peoria, ILL.,, beginning at one and a
half miles from the old fort on Peoria and
square miles.
This grant has at this same day the same
guarantee ii had in 1923 and 1874, being pro-
tected by the treaty OF cessiOn of Louisiana
by France TO the United State, signed IN lSO3
by Marquis de Lassus, whose son at TINS
time Is living in st. Louis. Until lately no
serious reclamations have been made by the
heirs of Renaut to recover possession OF the
lands granted to their ancestors; the govern
ment of the United States however, conced-
ed or sold the same, carefully inserted in all It's
deeds the clause, subject to French claims,
so that present holders have only conditional
titles, over which the sword of Damocles is
constantly suspended Ivy the Heirs OF Renau'.
1t is impossible to sum up the immense
interests dispersed all over Illinois and Nils
souri,, which are dependent upon this Renaut
inheritance. A few examples will suffice;
In 1872 the Nine Lamothe was sold to an
English company for $l,00000O; the bar.
give the sellers time to procure clear title,
and was Cancelled afterward, us they were un-
able TO secure quit-claim deed OF the Re-
maui heirs
The city of Peoria, which was founded by
the French in 1863 and which is at present
one of the most important cities OF Illinois, is
entirely built on and belonging TO said heirs,
and from Peoria to the Mississippi great
many villages are in the same condition.
From this it is easily understood that of late
serious efforts have been made to hunt up
the heirs of Renaut and to obtain their power
Of attorney. We know a large banking house
in Chicago, Messrs. McMullin Brothers, who
have expended 100000 for this purpose,
Turing the last two years, in this country as
we'll as France. Count de Tournon, living
N Paris, who is one OF the principal heirs,
offered TO sell his interest 10 Mrssrs. NcMul.
IN: an essential point in this transaction,
however, is to establish by authentic docu-
nents the geneaogy Of the Renaut family
md to know all the Surviving heirs in order
o be able to exhibit before the courts the
,ower of attorney of all the heirs. We don't
believe that the McMullns are in possession
If these documents. The want Of q single
igEature will set at naught all proceedings,
nd as Messrs McMullins are gong to begin
heir suit, we advise all parties concerned to
axe care of their interests.
The paper from which we translate adds:
We have in our possession al the letters
nd proofs of what we have stated in regard
0 the Renaut succession"