Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-10-01
WAS BLAINE TRUTHFUL?
AN ImpoRrANr ISSUE OF yEnAv,rY.
his DENIAL That He was Interested In the
HocHing Valley Mines Met by Froof
| 4aasusug Oau ra0slva.


his DENIAL That he was Inssrested In the
Hocsing Valley Mines Met BY Prooi
Seeming Conclusive.
1t having been stated short time ago
that Mr.. Blaine was interested ia the
mines in the Hooking Valley, Ohio, where
the difficulties had occurred between the
operators and the men, the following
letter was written and printed in the
newspapers
BAR HARBoR, Me-, July %, 1884.
Hon. II. 8. BUNpY: In answer to your
recent favor beg to say that l am not
and never have been the owner OF any
coal lands or iron lands or lands Of any
character whatever in the Hooking Valley,
or in any part of Ohio. Nor have at any
time owned share Of stock in any coal,
iron or land company in the state of Ohio.
Five years ago l loaned Sl2, 500 to q
member of the Standard Oil company and
took the bonds of tho company as
collateral. l shall be happy to transfer
the bonds to any gentleman who is am
bilious to pay the debt. l 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 I have been con-
nected. This, believe. covers all the
points ofyour inquiry. Very sincerely,
This letter was copied in the Springfield
Republican of September 90; The New
York Eceaing Post of Monday prints a
communication from j. Henry Brooks of
Boston, Mass, who, after quoting Mr..
Blaine's letter, says:
~ would state in this connection that
in the autumn of 1880 articles of assooia-.
tion 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.. J. F. Denison was financial agent
of the association and l was the trustee in
respect to the title of the lands purchased.
The object of said association was to pur.
chase Of Mr.. William d. Lee, of Newark,
Ohio, an undivided two-thirds interest in
a tract of Iand consisting of l0,Sl0 acres
rich in timber, coal and iron ore. This
land was situated 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 repre-
sented by thirty three blocks, each of the
value of s25, 900, eleven Of which blocks
represented Mr.. Lees undivided third.
During the latter part of November Mr..
| Lee informed me that he was acquainted
| with Mr.. Blaine and that he would like to
have him interested, and through Mr. Lees
solicitation the Hon. James G.. Blaine
| signed said articles of association, subscrib
| ing for one block in the association.
''On the 7th of December, 1880. Mr.. J.
| N. Denisop, of this city, wrote Mr.. Blaine
as follows:
| "BosToN December Z, 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.
"If 80, should be glad to receive it,
| with interest from November 1, in coufor.
nifty to the terms of the subscription.
Yours truly, J. N pEN1soN,
"Fearing that Mr.. Blains's remittance
might have miscarried the following tele
| gram was sent:
Boston, December is, $780,
"JAMEs q. BLAINE, Washington d. c.,
Have you received my letter ol
]. N. DENIsoN.
"Later on the same day a letter was TO
ceived from Mr.. Blaine (Which was dated
erroneously the Both of December which
should have been dat December 13, thu
following being copy:
"'SENATE CHAMBER, WASHINGTON,
December 80, 1880.
"'DEAR SIR : Find enclosed my draf
for s25, 900 in payment OF my subscription
to the Hope Furnace enterprise.
"'Touching the interest, have to ash
that whatever iJ may amount to you will
permit its payment to be postponed unit
some matters between Mr.. Lee and mysel
are definitely adjusted.
/, sUaru lIy
".Mr. Denison. JAMES G.. BLAINE
son receipt of this letter Mr. Blaine
was Immediately tslsgraphed as below
".BosToN, December Is, 1880.
"'HoN. ]. q. BLAINE, U. s. Senate, Wash
ingtop. d. c.:
"'Your letter of the thirteenth received
since telegraphing you this forenoon.
"'D. H.. 651. j. N. DENIsoN.'
"The draft enclosed in Mr.. Blaine's
letter was upon the Hon. s. B. Elkins, o.
No. Wall street, New York, and wher
its collection was reported through the
customary banking channels Mr.. Denisor
issued voucher similar to what wal
given other subscribers when payment
was made, which was as follows
8" BosToN, Dec. II, 1880.
"'Received from James G.. Blaine $25,,
1877. 80, being pa ment in full for one share
in the association formed fer the purchase
of lands known as the Hope Furnace tract
situated in Vinton and Athens counties
Ohio. This receipt to be exchanged fol
q certificate whom prepared.
j. N. DENIsoN. Agent
Early In 1882 the Standard coal and
iron company combination was formed for
the general consolidation of the smaller
companies in the Hooking valley.
The Hope Furnace tract association
property, as represented by these s25, 900
| shares or blocks, was ultimately merged
I into or consolidated with the Standard
coal and iron company, on the basis ol
$50; 600 a. par of the consolidated com
pany's bonds for a s25, 600 block in the
Hope tract.
son the 25th of May, 1882, | handed
TO Mr.. s. b. Eikins in his office at No.
Wall street, N. Y, fifty of the Standard
coal and iron company's bonds, to repre-
sent Mr.. Blaine's interest in the Hope
Furnace tract association. aud received
from Mr.. Elkins voucher, of which the
following is copy
"NEw YORK, May 25. 's2.
"' Received of J. Henry Brooks fifty
thousand dollars Of tho first mortgage
bonds of che Standard coal and iron COM
paDy on account of James g. Blaine,
numbered from 35l to 400, inclusive.
"'S. b. ELKINs.'
In referring back for moment to Mr..
Blaine's most extraordinary letter upon
this subject to the Hon. H. g. Bundy