The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-10-13
The Land Sharks.
HOW TNEY OPERATE,
West Virginia " Lands lin
n Foreign Market.
How the Europeans are SMiniIcd
and our Uwa state S!unEercd.
81, 900 ACRERS 0FLEWIs C0uN,
LANDS IN QUESTION.


English gentlemen, named respectively,
Charles Cologne and Joseph I. Brown
(both residents of the suburbs Of Lon.
DOM called upon Squire NOOftcr, the
Clerk Of our County Court, and pro.
tluciug certain elegant maps and other
diagrams of lands, politely requested
him TO give them Whit information he
could concerning their locality, Sc.
Upon examination, the plat appeared
10 cnll for about q 900 acres, situated
in tho upper portion Of the county, be-
ginning in tho neishbOrhood Of the
bead Of Rush Run, and running W
and TO the right Of the pike, including
some Of the best lands anu finest farms
in the county. The clerk at ouce told
them where tho lands were situa ted :;
but Of course informed them that The
lands were licll by their occupants by
the best Of titles, ard that it would be
useless TO attempt to recover any pOT-
ton Of them, lie advised them, how-
ever, to secure the assistance Of az
attorney, aud they subsequently cm-
pIoycl Mr.. james W. WOhiadin 10
procure the nc2:s'ary papers, &c to
carry back to England with them.
From Mr.. Wvfiudin we gathered the
following pa'tic u!ars concerning the
matter: In the gear Of 1897, the
Governor Of Virginia patented to one
Staudish Ford large bodies Of land in
this section, and the patents, cn;rirs
and surveys Of the various tracts were
duly recorded il the Land Office at
Richmond, but, subsequently, Mr..
Ford aud his representatives,, failing
to pay the taxes due on the lands, they
became forfeited to the State us lGlin.
qucNt and other parties made ncw en-.
tries upon the same tracts, which were
confirmed BY tho State authorities.
troul these latter entries dates the ii
ties Of tho parties whO now own the
lauds in question. ThJ old Ford pat.
onts, however, seem to hive been pass.
lug from the hands Of one patty to
those Of another, until sev,ral parties
now claim the entire tat; but in cT'
cry instance, IN examination of the
leSards seems 10 have satisfied the
owncrs" that their claim could no;
be maintained. aud they dropped the
matter with as little cost to themselves
rs possible. tut it remained for John
u. EiudIuy, a Philadelphia lawycr-a
shrcwl, calculating swiallcr to make u
"rnIse on this bogus claim. lie "p
pears to have "set up the pins with
such nice accuracy, that it must have
taken him years to accomplish us oO'
ii
J@ct. Having hrst procuFeu nom 'He
lr'Per office at lH'N"o"" etF"l'a
copies OF the oF'g'uaI patents to STAN
di"h Ford, he sent his agent over TO
Lewis county anu made nn extensive
eSam nation oil the rceoTds' 'o''''yl"S
himself with s4cA portions thereof as
would be OF Assistance IN carrying out
his scheme. lie then proceeded IL
make 4 superficial survey OF Tue eN''Fe
tract making OUT 'uc lines o' Tie
streams ana O'HeF prominent Po'u'S'
and even getting ut Tue corner trees
Ito continued us Work uo''' W was no
tiled by tic 'aaa owners 'a7' '"ey
would commence FI'Is pFac!'ee upon us
person unless nc LETT '0''r premises
This was about 'ouF years ago N''n'
lug moro was heard 'Fo% ~, M" 9",''
'i4rch' 1871 when the VNfE .. Tue
County Court received d registered let
ter from L'ndon' "'tA Two oeeus Gu
closed tor recoEdat'on-fnc nfs' 'to"
FindIay to George t''G IT,. CT A9Nl0"'