Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-10-09
HOOKING VALLEY.
Still Another Falsehood by
Blaine Exposed.
He Pays $25.O0Q fer an Interest IN
Ohio Coal MiHes-DenyiIig
the 1f.ansactiOn-the
Pz.O0fs.

called to statement said to have been
made by the Hon. James G. Blaine,
which substantially gave the public to
understand that he never at any time
had any interest in the Hocking'Valley
coal and iron region of Ohio.
The following was obtained by me
from the Springfield Republican of Sep
tember 20, 1884:
MR. BLAINE AND COAL MINES
The Republican is indebted to the Utica
Herald for reprinting and calling to our at
! tention the following letter from the Repub-
lican candidate for President in regard to his
coal interests, and which we reproduce with
pleasure. II will be observed that Mr..
Blaine's denial covers the ownership of coal
mining stocks In Ohio as well as in the
mines
BAR HARBoR, Ne, July % 1881
HON. 5. 5. BUNDYs@
In answer te your recent favor beg to say
that am not aPd never have been the owner
OF any ceai lands or iron lands or lands OF
any character whatever in the Hooking Val
ley or in any other part Of Ohio. Nor have
at any time owned share of stock in any
coal, iron or land company in the State eli
Ohio. Five years ago | loaned $1g, SEQ to a
member of the Standard Oil company and
took the bonds of the company as collateral.
l shall be happy to transfer the bonds to any
gentleman who il ambitions to pay the debt ]
am interested in coal lands in Pennsylvania
and West Virginia, but there has never been
the slightest trouble with laboring men in any
enterprise with which have been connected
| This, believe covers all the points of your
inquiry. Very sincerely
JAMES. G. BLAINE
You will observe from thorough ex-
animation Of this letter that if it was in
tended to mean anything at all, it was
especially forcible in its effort to convey
to the public the impression that the
writer was never in any sense, form or
manner, directly or indirectly, at any
time interested III the Hooking Valley
coal and iron region of the State of
| Ohio.
| would state in this connection that
| in the autumn of 1880 articles of associa-
ton were formed under the title Of the
Proprietors of the Hope Furnace
/ Tract" and dated November 20, 1880,
to which the subscribers became parties
thereto, and Mr.. ]. N. Dcnison was fnan-
cial agent of the association and was
the trustee in respect to the title of the
lands purchased. The object of said as
sociation was to purchase of Mr. William
two-thirds interest in tract OF land con-
sisting of 10,S10 acres, rich in timber,
coal and iron ore This land was stu
ated in Vinton and Athens counties,
Ohio, and the purchase was made as of
the first of November, 1880.
These articles of association also pro
vided that this property should be rep
resented by thirty-three blocks, each of
the value of $25, 900, eleven of which
blocks represented Mr.. Lees undivided
third. During the latter part Of No
vember, Mr.. Lee informed me that he
was acquainted with Mr.. Blaine, and
that he would like to have him interest
ed, and through Mr.. Lees solicitation
the Hon. James G. Blaine signed said
articles of association, subscribing for
one block in the association.
On December Z, 1880, Mr.. ]. N. Deni-
son, of this city, wrote Mr.. Blaine as
follows:
Boston, December :, 1880.
Hon. J. G. BLAINE.-
DEAR SIR learn from Mr.. Lee that you
stand ready to pay your subscription of one
share In the Hope Furnace land property
II so, should be glad to receive it, with
interest from November l. in conformity to
the terms Of the subscription. Yours truly,
/ tSignedl ]. N. DENISON,
&c Sears Building.
Fearing that Mr. Blaine's remittance
might have miscarried the following tele-
gram was sent;
Boston, December Is, 1850.
JAMES G. BLAINE, WASHINGTON, d. c.:
Have you received letter of 7th2
d. II. 65L Signed j. N, DENISON.
Later on the same day letter was re-
ceived from Mr.. Blaine (Which was dated
I enormously December 80, which should
have been December 49,, the following
being copy:
SENATE CHAMBER, WASHINGTON. December
30, 1880.
DEAR Sir-Find inclosed my draft for s25,-
UJO IN payment of my subscription to the
Hope Furnace enterprise.
touching the interest, | have to ask that
whatever it may amount to- YOU will permit
lis payment to be postponed until some mat
ters between Mr. Lee and myself are definite
iy adjusted Very respectfully,
sSigned) JAMES G. BLAINE.
| Mr.. DENIsoN
On receipt of this letter. Mr.. Blaine
was Immediately telegraphed as below:
BOSTON, December Is. 1880.
Hon. J. G. BLAINE, U. S. Senate, Washing
ton, D. c.:
Your letter Of 18th received since teie-
! graphing you this forenoon.
D. II. 56l. Signed j. N. DENISON.
The draft enclosed in Mr.. BIaine's let
ter was on the Hon. S. B. Elkins. of 9
Wall street, New York, and when its col
lection was reported through the GUS
tomary banking channels Mr.. Denison
issued voucher, similar to what was
given other subscribers when payment
was made, which was as follows:
BosroN, Dec. II, 1880.
Received from James G.. Blaine s25. 1877. 80.
being payment in full for one share in the
association formed for the purchase of lands
known as the Hope Furnace Tract, situated
in Vlnton and Athens counties, Ohio This
receipt is to be exchanged for certificate
when prepared. lSigned)
]. N. DERrsoN, Agent.
Early in 1882 the Standard Coal and
Iron Company combination was formed
for the general consolidation of the
smaller companies in the Hooking Val
ley.
The Hope Furnace Tract association
properties represented by these S25, 900
shares or blocks, was ultimately merged
into or consolidated with the Standard
Coal and Iron Company, on the basis of
$50, 900 at par of the consolidated com
pany's bonds for $25, 200 block in the
Hope Tract.
On the 25th of May, 1882, handed to
Mr.. 5. B. Elkins, in his office at 2 Wall
street, New York, fifty of the Standard
Coal and Iron Company's bonds, to rep
resent Mr.. Blaine's interest in the HOPE
Furnace Tract association, and received
from Mr.. Elkins voucher, of which the
following is copy:
NEW YoRK, MAY25, 49,
Received of ]. Henry Brooks, fifty thousand
dollars Of the first mortgage bonds of the
Standard Coal and Iron Company. on ac-
count Of James G.. Blaine, numbered from