The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-09-17
SEARCH FOR A FORTUNE.

Tue Vast EState to Which Cou0ress,,.as,
Springer Is an Herr
Two hundred and nine years ago John
Springer. q wealthy Swede, deposited Els
600 in q bank in Stockholm and iourneved
to America with his family, consisting of his
wife and one son. Their subsequent history
is somewhat obscure, but it is claimed that
four other sons were born to them in Amer
lea, and that the five, who were named
John, William, James, Joseph and Ed
ward, settled somewhere in the New
Netherlands, and took up tract OF
lo,OOo acres of land, including tho
whole of the present city of Wilmington,
Del, and paris of Jersey City and Brooklyn,
This large property was put into the hands
OF trustee, who, on the breaking out of tie
revolution, as is alleged, became Tory, clan
destinely sold the Springer estates in small
particles and fled to England with the money
In the excited period which followed the
titles to the property became all mixed up,
the rightful proprietors died one by one and
the result was that the heirs were not able TO
establish, or, in fact, properly prosecute
their claims, and after while the efforts to
establish their rights was abacdoned and the
subject passed into oblivion. 49,
About eight years ago some of the de-
scendants of the Springers, in looking up
the family history, came in possession OF
these facts, and correspondence was ope ned
with all the persons of that family name
Who could be heard of. About four years
ago The Springer association Was formed,
with headquarters in st. Louis, to make an
effort to recover the landed property and
the f175, 600 deposited in Stockholm, which,
1t is asserted, has not been drawn, and is at
the disposal of such of the heirs as can e.
tabilsh their title to participate in the dis
tribution of the vast sum to which it has
now amounted. ....-
About year ago, principally through tho
efforts of E. P. Springer, of Providence, &.
l., an Eastern branch of the Springer asso-
citation was formed, and recently the heirs in
New York, Rhode Island and Michigan,
numbering about 100, held meeting in o.
wego, which was attended by about thirty
persons, with authority to act for the rest.
j. b. Springer, of Plymouth, Mich. was
elected chairman; j. E. Constoc :, of o.
wego, secretary, and Mrs. N. e. Hoover, of
Oswego. treasurer. The subject of prose-
outing their claims to the real estate men
toned, through the courts, and the recovery
of the $4,000 in Stockholm, together with
interest compounded for 200 years, was thor
oughly discu SD. It was decided to elect .
delegate to meeting of the general asso ia-
ton, 10 be held in St. Louis this fall, when
q plan for action will be decided on.
E. P. Springer. of Providence, Il. l., WAS
elected such delegate. The value of the real
estate claimed by the Springer association
is estimated to he $50, OO0, 00o which, to-
gether with the Stockholm fund, makes the
Springer claim one of the most zstupendous
ever put forward in this country. There are
about three hundred heirs, all living in the
United States and Canada. They now rep
resent considerable wealth in the aggregate,
and are very determined, not to say enthu-
siastic. believing that they will be able to e.
tablish their claims, both in America and
Sweden. Yesterdays meeting was held at
the house of the late VIM. p. Springer, once
an inventor of some note, and whose daugh-
tiers, Mrs. J. E. Comstock and Mrs. N. E.
Hoover, are the heirs in Oswego, and Mrs.
A. P. p. Wright, of Buffalo, also his daugh-
ter, is another. Congressman Springer, of
Illinois, is also one of the heirs, and was ex-
pected to attend this meeting.