The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-23
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS.

!. A JaRndyee W. Jarndyce Case-Hov Il
y . Springs Property was Sold-The wa
q Mig Crowd Amuses ItseIf-SuIpht
Politicians -PersonalIa.
WHfrR SULPHUR STRINGS, August q.
Editors Tntelligeneer.
VI Your correspondent has spent nearly
y week here, and promise TO send you
6 few notes from this most prominent Of tt
d summer resorts Of the State, has neye
a been forgotten. The difficulty has bee
:. to find timein which to write them. Their
1 Is no individual SO lacking in opportunit
: and inclination 10 work as your summe
7 loafer.
THE WHITE SULPHUR SALE.
| The subject uppermost IN the discussion
/. tof the qiid nuncs here last week, was tn
sale Of the Springs property to Cant Alex
Mathews, OF this State. What Il viii
amount 10 remains 10 be seen. Tho settle
. ment Of the affairs Of the company whicl
formerly owned and improved the prop
erty has been such a long and variet
chapter, that 1t Is difficult 70 tell how /
will terminate. According to the tradi
ton, for the efforts 10 sell date back Il
misty ages, the association owning thu
property found itself at the close Of Inc
war encountered with an indebtedness ag
gregating upwards Of million dollars
This Indebtedness was made up OF differ.
ent classes Of bonds, issued at different
times and secured by observation-disclosures
giving TO different creditors various posi-.
tions OF preference, Just as holders Of rail.
road securities are supplied from first
mortgage bonds down 10 common stock.
At that time business was booming, and
there was market for everything, and
when the company concluded 10 sell out
It had offers which ought to have been
taken. AS the story goes, Hon. Allen T.
Caperton, who died during his occupancy
OF seat in the U. S. Senate as repre-.
sentative Of West Virginia, and who was
charged with the negotiation OF this sale,
once had bOnlfds offer OF million dol.
lars from Jim Fisk, for it, and James is
said TO have gone TO Baltimore prepared TO
close a bargain at these figures, but Mr.,
Caperton held out for another quarter
million, and West Virginia missed the
chance OF seeing what an Erie prince
could do up here In the mountains.
When the company could not succeed
in selling 1t, its preferred creditors took the
JOB in hand and have been working at it
With commendable assiduity ever since.
One would suppose that holders OF over.
due bonds, secured by mortgage on realty,
could force sale OF such realty without
difficulty, but as matter Of practice in this
case they found that they could not do
anything Of the kind. The less favored
creditors behind them, and those inter.
ested with the latter were strong enough
TO prevent any sale and confirmation, and
the property, thus tied up, was rented
year by year by a receiver appointed by
the Court. This naturally gave rise 10 a
good deal Of feeling and discomfort.
Charges were freely made that the failure
70 sell grew out OF the efforts OF ring
that was bent on keeping the property in
litigation, and after the failure TO secure a
bid acceptable to everybody last sum-
mer, Judge Jackson ordered the
Commissioners 10 divide the property into
plats most likely to attract additional bid.
ders and 10 sell It in parts or as whole,
whichever would result in securing The
greater amount. The sale OF the 9th inst,
to Capt. Mathews, was the result of he
last order Notwithstanding the fact that
the property contains nearly eight thou
sand acres, and the existing improvements
are substantial and extensive, and not
withstanding the fact that il is capable OF
subdivision, as Saratoga or Long Branch,
and could be made into little summer
city as healthful and delightful as either,
moro money was offered for il as a whole
than in parts, and the Commissioners
knocked It down at the figure named,
subject 70 the approval Of the Court.
lam afraid have wearied you with the
length OF my statement on this subject, but
l have heard the matter discussed with as
much earnestness in your end OF the State
as in this, and there are good many peo.
pie in every section OF the Union who are
interested in the settlement OF the proper
ty. AS | understand Capt. Mathews po-
sition, he intends 10 secure sale il posi-.
bic. He holds moderate amount OF the
preferred indebtedness, and il ANYBODY
will give more than his offer for the prop.
erty lie is willing that they should take It.
II not, he stands ready 10 make his offer
good There is considerable talk as 10 the
probability OF further bids, many beliey.
ing that the Stuarts, Of Southwestern Yir-
ginia, who are supposed to hold upwards
Of 100000 worth OF bonds OF different
classes, will offer more, but all this is
matter OF conjecture. l see that the U. S.
Court announces meeting in your city
shortly, and 1t is possible that the matter
will be settled then and there.
THE MANNING cpnwn
As TO the crowd who are assembled
here, II isabout the same conglomeration as
formerly. About thirteen hundred people
were here last week, and there Is no ap-
parent diminution as yet. About half this
number are accommodated in the hotel
proper, and the balance in tho cottages,
which vary in size from an ornamental
dog house up TO fifteen room villa. There
are, in addition, couple OF companies en-
camped on the lawn back OF the Club
house, one Richmond organization call
ed "Tho Guard OF the Commonwealth" !"
and the other the "Lewisburg Greys," )"
from this county.
The Qalwell House, on Dry Creek, about
mile distant, and under the control OF
Peyton & Co., the White Sulphur lessees,
has about two hundred guests. Most Of
the visitors arc from Southern States, al.
though the patronage from the North and
East is considerable, and grows larger
every year. There Is quite delegation
present from New York and Brooklyn,
some very pleasant people from Philadel.
phia, and a solid little set from your
neighbor city, Pittsburgh. OF theSouthern
cities Richmond is still most populously
represented, although the yellow fever
scare has had the effect OF sending largely
increased patronage from New Orleans,
Memphis and intermediate communities,
As the effect both Of numbers and social
qualifications, the Virginians seem TO lead
the Ton and the result Is that the spirit oi
the crowd Is liberal and friendly, averse
10 snobbery and willing 10 let individuals
get all the pleasure and profit possible
IRON their stay, in the manner that suits
each best. The place is big enough 10 az