The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-23

own nearly all Manhattan Island. The fact is how
ever that but small portion OF the island II resting
under cloud. Nearly all the upland was properly
conveyed by tine original patentees and their inlme
date descendants before the present century, anu the
lands now in dispute are those known as marsh anu
meadow lands and the shore fronts from hSh 70 low
water and extending into the streams The city mas
ignored of the main provisions of all the enact
nients of the Legslaturetlat giving owners OF aa-
iacent lands the pre-emptiye right to the shore
front-and it holds that owners OF upland
distant IRON the shore are not adjacent adjacent
lands not conveyed away by the original settlers
the rights of descendants have been wholly ignored
The Waldrons claim land all the records bear them
out in it, that the original patentees were granted
full right to the lands under water along all the
streams and that no act OF the Legislature can AFFECT
that right II this be true my investigation tends
prove to be- then the city has right to single
foot of water front above East Seventy street.
and all that portion once known as marsh and
meadow, between that point and High Bridge all tho
lands occupied by and surrounding the railroad
depot, opposite Harlem. and some of the islands
mentioned i'll the original patents, are still under
cloud or, in other words, the property OF the de-
scendants Of the original inhabitants"
THE WATER FRONT
Under what clause OF the patents do you claim
the water fronts?'
..The patents expressly grant all the meadows,
marshes fisheries and water The city claims that
the Dongan charter conveyed absolute fee in the
tdeway; but in that charter all the lands above East
Seventy fourth street reserved to the original
patentees. 1t was never supposed that the term
tideway' meant to include lands until 1871.
when the Revised Statutes were amended SO as to
bring under that term lands under water; but II
lands are included in the term tdeway then all the
lands under water conveyed to the freehoders
OF Harlem. The line designated by all the patents
commenced at point on Blackwells Island
opposite East Seventy-fourth street, east of tho
channel of the East River and before it returned
to that point went to the Hudson River, came down
Spuyten Duyvil Greek, crossed the Harlem River,
taking in the low lands opposite Harlem and the
islands in the vicinity of He'll Gate from whence it
passed to the place OF beginning II there was
clearer conveyance of all the shore front have
failed to have it pointed out to me-"
EInu fur in1 ma nd X.
tend?'
"In some places at the vicinity of Tooth street. it
extended Third avenue. 1t varied say, from
to four blocks, with occasional ridges of upland
reaching the shore at different points all the way to
High Bridge. Opposite Harlem the marsh lands
patents
RESPECTING LEGITIMATE TITLES.
els it intended to make those who made
what they supposed to be bond dde purchases many
years ago?"
..No, Sir: no man win be disturbed who has a
which to found claim Those who have squatted
and those who have bought from spectators who
had clear title will probably suffer il the
gets in the courts, believe it will very soon.
The missing links are being sought, and when the
case is commenced the public will see that it is .
strong one
s'Do the heirs work together?
mo, they do not Those who live outside of New
York controlled by men acting agents, and
induced to believe that they working up the
when they apparently doing nothing. Less than
half dozen in this section have borne all the
buttons upon the others. When proceedings are in
stuted 1t will probably be by single branch of the
Waldron family and bear only upon small portion
of the tract in dispute.