Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-17
The Potomac Flats Title.

Senator Aldrich has been endeavorins to con-
vince the Judiciary committee OF the import
ance OF obtaining some authoritative informa-
ton at this session in regard TO the status of the
claim claim SET up oy certain parties TO the Potomac
mats. Mr.. Aldrichs resolution, calling for such
snformation, was sent TO the Judiciary commit
tee. Mr.. Aldrich and other Senators think II
of that claim before any further work in prose-
cutting the Improvements is done.
The death of Mr.. John l.. Kidwell win have
has proposed to institute to decide the title TO
lands included in the improvement OF the
iS INA, fats excepting, perhaps to change
upon whether Mr.. Kidwell has LEFT a win and
made disposition of his rights As to the ''kid-
ferred by the Attorney Generals ONCE TO the
district attorney, viz: that In which Mr.. Kid
well claims the ownership OF forty seven acres,
Srine ne s dhe district is directed to
the claimants. This, as well as the
other case, requires careful examination, and
district attorney Office preparatory TO institu-
ting the suits.
ENGINEER ALERT DOES NOT THINK KIpwEL.Ls
TITLE GOOD.
Mr.. 8. T. Albert, the civil engineer, who was
brought into close relations with the Kidwell
flats and matters pertaining thereto, before he
was relieved Of his duties by Col Hams, said to-
Day, when asked about the Kidwell claim To
the Potomac flats: my opinion is that there
VIII pe no ullIcuIty In reputtlng his claim oi
ownership, II the matter is pushed as II should
be. l think 1t can be shown that the land for
which patents were issued was no land at all al
tnat time, but If delay continues until all
those who know anything about the matter
are dead, there will probably not be sufficient
evidence to show the invalidity OF the title.
kidwell's patents were for plat OF land below
Easby's Point, which was separated by a chan
mel nom the Washington shore. In the very
year they were issued. think IL was, an off,
cial map was made by Fendall for the l.. y.
coast survey which shows that where kidwell
claimed land there was nothing but water. and
at extreme low water, too. OF course, If IL can
sented the claim is invalid.
~ know by hearsay," Mr.. Albert continued,
THAT the surveyor who surveyed the claimed
lands for kfdwell, whose name is Carpenter,
was living short time ago near Brightwood.
His evidence would be valuable, for il is said
that when he made the survey there was no
land in sight, but that he waded over IL and
dragged his chains after him. Some men are
very far sighted, and kidwell was one of those
He expec' ed, evidently, that this claim
would make his heirs, IL not himself, rich
'The ownership of 100 acres of land, secured
near the city, would eventually become very
valuable. If 1t was not land then, he foresaw
that IL would be some day, either by the natu
raj accretions or by improvement. II has been
the policy of the claimant and his legal advisers
to wait and to ward off a final settlement of the
question of title as much as possible.
eff the title was good the land would be much
more valuable in years TO come, and IL 1t was
not In years to come IL would be all the more
difficult to prove it. for as said, all those who
could throw light on the subject would be dead
and gone. think that the claim can be now
at low water at the time the patents were is