Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-02-13
A WILL O'WlSP
vainly Pursued for Nearly Half q
Century.
HOW THE HUNGRY BRITISH uov
Gobbled Up the Real Estate Of An Enter.
prising Yankee Who Had located
in New Zealand and
Grown Rich.
Special 10 he Reoist<y.

WASHINGTON, February le.-Ex Congress.
man Ben Wilson, OF Clarksburg. 10 here
w1rking up what is known a. the Webster
claim. This claim 10 one OF the old tine
cases before Congress and the departments,
but as have never seen the story on which
1t Il founded outside OF the paper books
prepared for committees and Cabinet
officers, II msy be Of som. service to print
1t - showing in what curious Ways thess
claims originate, aud how they ling.r from
one generation TO another around the Can.
itol.
| The claimant in this case, William Web.
ster, used TO be Maine ship captain. and
sometime about lsS happened 10 get
ashore on the island OF New Zealand, at
that time inhabited by
ANaAty Set or CauniAals.
do not know how Webster escaped Be.
ing mssticated. Wilson says caunibals will
not eat man who sm Jkes, although they
will stew man who drinks for the sake OF
getting drunk on his soup. Perhaps Web.
ster's small vices we're confined TO tobacco.
Amy how, be kept out OF the pot, and being
shrewd Yankee he began TO look around
for opportunities TO do business. The frst
thing he did was 10 marry the daughter Of
one Of the chiefs. This made him soId
with the irst families OF the island, ensured
him cards To the hest receptions. gave him
the first hack At the cold missionary when
he was invited out TO tea, and enabled him
TO run the ward meetings whenever he
chose TO take hand in local politics. lie
kept his eyes open for the main chance ell
the time, ard noticing that the island grew
trstclsss pine timber, he got the natives
st work getting out ship spars and masts
ard taught them good many handicrsfs
as we'll rs
Improving Their Primative MeshsAs
OF agriculture. He introduced oil the new
fashioned garden seeds and approved c-rs.
ale, persuaded them thnt roast pig vas
better Than roast missionary, and Vas Ia
general Kind OF George Washington,
William Penn and Ren franklin com bind
to these formerly beniEhied ssvagss. In
return for his kindness and other good aud
valuable considerations, they conveyed
lsnd 10 him until in 1870 he Owned nearly
all the corner lots on the isIsnd and con.
siders bic water front in addition.
Meantime the island had become Q very
popular whaling station, and about the
time Webster 0 possession became valua-
bic the British Government took Q notion
to extend her domain In that direction,
senta . naval officer who made . treaty
with few OF the chiefs, whipped out the
balance and announced that thereafter
New Zealand was TO be considered part OF
the English domain,
The new management took possession Of
Webster's best grants, including his ship
mats and spsrs and would give him no
satisfaction. He
Appealed sO the American CoasaI
at New South Wales. the dearest United
States diplomatic station, 10 enlist the aid
OF this government IN the matter OF up
holding American rights, aud offered 10
Cede the Unitd States two OF his best
hafb0rs II they would back him up In his
claim TO them, but there was not suni-
Ciepcy Of sand in the craw OF the American
Eagle at that time TO enable II 10 rise 70
the eNigences OF the occasion, and Webster
e. ting no assistance had to retire Ia bad
order. He came back TO this country
shout lS4l, and ever since then has been
engaged 10 fruitless attempts n get the
SSts. p.piytment Of this government to
,on ss his tour Gel, but the former GOT oiu
and blind and the latter skipped on INTO
the Copfedsracy and tonk musto Webstsrs
u,p.u with him. Webster built some
.bips st Boston during the war and m'ds
.oine money, but the Confederate CRUISERS
CAPTURED and Destroyed His sh'Ps
In Chesapeake Bay, and another grievnnos
xss added to bis burden by decision that
hs could not he paid for them out oi th:
Geneva swsrd fund because they we're not
rap,urrd on the high sess" ~ defined ~
he commission. Meantime the New h's.
Ispd claim had been ignored on the ground
hist j, wss barred by reason of not ha'iok
p.,p prr,Put,d at some convention 9f
.ib,, irld bv the t~o countries. and Weo-
ar, rhsuc.. of success w-rs on the doSa
,r,as VII, n y lion toUk hold of thsm.
,sTis ter ON proposes to enlarge ths
scoue OF the Gsnsya hwsrd Commissiof sc
tb,t 1, csn r,y Wshs'sr for bis ships and
ih.n, y lib the AID of our susie Department.
,.I,ipg the British lion firmly by tbs oat
4 IN. p,sk and the roots OF the 10 ne
p,orf,ss 10 either "ysnk" him Oh n.
.Wsis,.T. premises 10 New Zealand. or
make bim pay FOR bis present. occupsn
Of them. ~ the property 10 nov neal.
ali buil, mp with brown stone fronts ana
mr.t OF the sousss have marble steps snd
b.Iis At the doors. Il will be readily seen
that the bill , i'll not be . tri6ing ons.