The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-01-23
Valuable Land in DISPUTE,

l.
county, Mr. Roger Merritt. a gentle
man of large landed property. who
iour.shetl il that section of country i'll
both colonial and Revolutionary days.
Portchestor then consisted of q mere
handful of houses, the chief and COM
manding one among them being that of
Merritts, which stood on rising emf
nence near the heart of tho present
town, half surrounded by grove of
locust trees and overlooking the waters
of Long Island Sound. Mr.. Merritt
held the land for miles around in fee
ami was almost monarch of all he sur
veyed. Westchester county vas then
but thinly populated and real estate
WAS drug in the market. Merritt
lived after the fashion OF the coun-
try gentlemen of the olden time,
was fond of outdoor sports, and prac
tised wide and warm hospitality.
When tho war of the Revolution broke
ont he espoused the patriot side and
when it was over he retired to his home
in Portche,ter, where he passed the
remainder of his years in peace, honor
and competence. He died interstate,
but in his lifetime he made lease of
the property which now constitutes the
town of Portchester to different parties
for term of ninety -nino years. 1t is
alleged by the heirs of Mr.. Merritt
who are now about entering on legal
contest for the recovery of their rights
TO the property in question, that this
lease was Of record until ten or twelve
years ago, when, it is sontcndted, it
must have been nbstraoted from the
record and nothing left to denote its
existence, except the reference in the
indSI. The book is on file in the
leaf to which the index refers is torn
out. The hsi~, however, state that
there are witnesses now living who saw
the original lease in the book of record
and can testify rs to its contents, and
one among them was fortunate enough
to take the precaution of making and
retaining copy of it. They claim.
too, that even some of the present
property holders holding realty covered
by the lease of Roger Merritt admit the
existence of such lease, but insist
that tho hcirs-at-law have no remedy.
because owing to its destruction it will
be impossible for them to prove its ex-
act contents. The number of the heirs
at law varies from forty to eighty.
They reside, not only in tho State of
New York, but in Michigan and other
States. General Merritt, Collector of
and in lineal succession to Roger Mer-
rift. The area Of the property in dis
pute is about two miles long and one
mile wide, and much of it is along the
water front on the Sound, making it
thereby very valuable. 1t is estimated
to be worth all along from $4,000, 900
to Sl1 100000, and its prospective
value when New York city has spread
away over Westchester county is alto
gether incalculable. The town of Port
chester, which in Roger Merritt's time
WAS hamlet of about hundred poo-
pie. is now snug town of u 600 in
habitants, with great future before it.
About dozen OF the heirs held
meeting yesterday in the Office of eX
Judge George M. Curtis, Park row,
who is engaged as their counsel, and the
question of the remedy to be adopted
in their case was discussed at some
length. Steps have already been taken
for the purpose of Il minute research
and investigation, and confidence is
entertained 10y counsel that the heirs
right to maintain an action and to re-
cover will be sustained. The plans for
future proceedings are for the present
kept private in order that nothing may
intervene to mar tho success of the
suit.
In the last number of the New York
Observer the Rev. DR.. Prime has long
letter devoted to Mr.. Childs, of the
Philadelphia Le,iger, and how he has
made it, with perhaps single excep-
ton (the HerahO, the most profitable
paper in the United States. Mr.. Childs
bought the paper in 1864. 1t was then
losing money. For time it lost more,
owing to the fact that Mr.. G. excluded
from its reading and advertising col
umns everything of an immoral ten
dency. Before year had elapsed it
began to be remunerative. In three
years he was enabled to erect and oc
cupy the present Ledger Building
most spacious and perfectly arranged
newspaper establishment III the coun-
try, and ut the present time the Ledger
pays net profit of over one thousand
dollars day. DIR. Prime concludes
by saying: "Mr. Chlds seeks no office,
covets no mans wealth, pays his debts,
gives to the poor in his own way (no
begging letters noticed), is generous
in all the relations of public and pri-
vofo Iifa opI ap;oxo thu nokaa,, AMI