The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-25
MR.. ABEL BA1LEY'S ESTATE.
A DAUGHTER's sTUBBORv TTGHT ron
her FITHER'S PROPERTY.
Eighty Thousand Acres st Stakc-The story
of Busy Lire-An Iii-Omencd Partner
ship Stealing tho old Mans Papers.

Eighty Thousand Acres at Stnkc-'rhc story
of /, uusy Lir,-An I1-Omencd Partner.
ship Stealing tho Old Man. Papers.
Ina pleasant thrcc-story dwelling at "a
East 10th strcot lives a lady who has grcatcrcx-
pcctations than even the most sanguinc heir ot
Annckc JAMS. Mrs. NJ. II. wilkins lays claim 70
an estate cpull IN n"rcai.' to moro than one VI
The New York counties in which II lies
This estate, she SAYS. belonged to her father.
Abel Bailey. and wis wrestei from him by
sharp pra.t icc. Abel Bailey seems TO have
had an unusual faculty for acquiring property.
At the beginning Of the century he established
% ferry linc Of shil boats across Lake Champlnin,
from Brldport w.. 70 Crown Point, ~ Y. There
were but threc houses in Crown Point and tho
surrounding country was n Wilderness Bailey
already owned farms ON zach side Of the lako.
and with the proceeds of his ferry he bought
more land in Bridporl He also carried ona
Prov. Auny, and New York. and investing his
profits ia timber land on the NV YORK side of
store in Crown Point. He built eleven saw
mills. aud launched out into business 80 cx-
tcns,yc that IN lcSui document on record In
among other things, siiOOOD worth of lumber.
thyn awaiting purchasers III Albany. Many
gri7t mills wcro also owned anu operated by
him.
land until he literally owned Grown Point and
the country for niilcs around Pretty much all
the business Of the place was ia his hands tho
men bought out became his tenants and cm-
ployecs He ran two tanncrics. a wooen mill.
and blacksmith shop. IN which he made his
own mill irons. He established potash and
pearl ash works. and drew large income from
ashinglc. llth. and rlapboard factory, \ branch
| OF his numbering business was established on
the Au Sable river. II also bought the ore beds
from which Is now taken the famous Crown
| Point iron ana hogan 10 mine them.
At this timo. then. Mr.. Bailey owned land In
| twenty counties, and with the help Of his vito.
pra tised the ayurations of a drOyor hutchcr.
lImhnpmun mot m
| lath and capbOard maker tanner hlacksmths
| farmer, cloth maker. and miner. lie worked
twenty hours IN the tw'nty-lOur, "
In iSls ne took into partnership with him his
| iather-in-l9w, Samuel Buck. and sent MN 70
| keeper in Bridport. lie bclmmc embarrassed
,nad walnut ohnt 80 1s 5ney na T hSi the
property Of the firm would BE- sezsd 10 satisfy
| NE judgments olIdln,d against BUCK pssumod
| partnership with Buck, first securing from him
"A transierLin the shape oi deed-ol az the
| property which Buck possessed ~ partner;
| Bucks eldest son. Hiram and person named
| William licatOn Were appointed trustees Of
| portion Of tho estate 10 be- held in trust Tor me
Mrs. Wilkins claims that these trustees were
| really employed as clerks at one dollar per dav.
They were bright, Intelligent young men. and
| much that Bailey should have personally looked
| says. intrustcd to these clerks the drawing up
| OF valuable. papers the recording oil other
papers. and the transier Of property from
| thnt every document and INSTRUMENT That was
| OF the least value 10 hlm IN proving inc
ownership Of his lands had been STOLEN. Deeds,
| I"hHs' contra US. oven we on til"n "r.uun
| books. had disappeared. ana THOUGH snnrch
M Iva aisao WE'RE /" 3 Oh Sa t w2"sa
| Indebtedness had been lquidut Il, impudcntly
declared that it would he impossible TO
| effect any settlement with Bailey while his
| papers wore missing. When Bailey threatened
| q prosecute Buck and his sons they sought
| Mrs; Bailey. told her that they would SETTLE wtn
! her husband. and secured neg aid IN app 'a-lng
the old gentleman The estate was broken up
and sacrificed by the Bu Ks, who disposed OF
tru,ts right and left at Whatever prices they
| lions in those DAYS was remarkable. not ona
| transfer in a hundred being properly recorded.
| thr sne ol what are NOW the trown Point mines
| for g. 900. Bailey had paid 5000 for the ore
| beds and had spent $4,000 in working thcm
For more than forty years the claimants and
| Buck died years ago, and Hiram followed hin.
delon Buck. the Younger brother NOW an old
| mani. IL the defendant in tho pending suits.
| Abel bailey died ten years ago. worth only
| song. having spent Il large fortune in his en-
deaV3r To- recover the property Since his death,
Mrs. Wilkins has spent all she could rak and
| srrino together. AMI her S1n-in law. Dr.. Law
r"n''. OF i4stn strg'i has backed her.
! a ~isieroi the brothers bu X secured. without
their knowledge. the d"ed which Slmur Buck
drrwup in favor of Abel Bailey. and us COM
puuloh paper, thu Hrtlc" tli-~plVing the part
nor>hip D,iwtcn Buck and Bailey. Shcohtainod
I these pap"rs in 1872. hul no u-e was made 81
inrm until IN present action was h@ggn, in
/ OF Fort Edward WIS then appointed referee. and
Aitcr ths SUI was lun. Nix wilkins Vent u
/ Bu KS Hollow. the rr>iirnr" ~ the Bucks. OBJ
tanned lcavr Ia search house in which Hiram
Buck had on 'e lived. and there found what sho
Describes as bushels ol pur.r-" under tina
! n.nind ue plank and seulcd IN. Iut While Mrs.
| WilhM, w mt inform tir ShoriN of her dis
covry. Hiram Bui, had tne paper, removed.
Tine estate sued for is -a' a. oompr'-o somc:
ininE Ike s""p arr's ~ warren IN'"N, and