The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-02-11
UNJUST SUSPICIOUS.
SANTA BAnpAnA. CAL., Jan. I. Il

6ANTA bARbARA, OAL., Jan. I, 1881.
DEAR -; In regard To the
Camden fOrgeries l must say that your
suspicious OF Dr.. Z. W. Crooks arc very
unjust. know all,sbout the matter, and
It Is evidently clear back down upon the
part Of the Camden Consolidated Oil Com.
pany and W. A. Cooper from a purchase
which they instructed Crooks to make.
When Crooks bought the property (the
Ortega Ranch, near Santa Barbara, Cal.,)
he paid $l0,000 cash down. Now Crooks
| Ia not worth that amount Of money, and
could not upon bis own individual credit
raise such an amount. That $4,000 came
from the Camden Consolidated oil Com.
papy, and the three drafts, said to have
been iOrgeries, covered the balance OF the
purchase money, paid for the ranch, and
the truth OF The matter iB that the Camden
Consolidated Oil Company found they had
paid much more than the property
was worth and they thought Il
better To lose the $4,000 than
to pay any more on the property. There
NAV be oil under It this is supposed 10
have been the basis Of the speculation
but that remainsto Undetermined. Itthls
is The prlCeto be paid t$75,0O0) It is not ex.
cessive, but one effort to find II has prov.
ed unsuccessful, owing, 1t 10 thought, TO
lack OF means upon the part Of operators.
As an investment flt agricultural pur.
purposes, or q speculation Upon the ad.
yancement In the value OF real estate, the
purchase would have been q very poor
one. The ranch Ia easily worth 100000
and might bring $4,000, but $75, 1000 iB a
little beyond what could, be hoped to be
realized from II In anyNlegitilAate way.
YOU can resdlly see that after they found
they were 'bit," II was better for tie Cam.
den Consolidated Oil Company 10 fdSieit
the $4,000, than TO honor the drafts and
complete the purchase Of the ranch.
1fDoCtor Crooks would only attend 10
his own business, prsctiCing medicine,
and not permit every Tom, Dick and
Harry, who desires 10 use him, 10 ihyeigle
him into such transactions as the Camden
matter, he would be much better of.
WAS no BUSINESS MAN.
lie is no business man and lie was led
Into the transaction againBt the advice Of
friends here, myself among the number,
under the delusion that he was doing a
favor for W. A. Cooper, his uncle. In re.
turn for this, the latter finding there was
no money TO be made ID the transaction
LEFT the Doctor 10 shoulder the fespoh.
Blbility Of the purchase.
The Doctor has number Of letters
from Cooper, In one Of which was inclosed
the remittance Of $4,000, and In another
the dtails in the transaction. Coopet's
brother, b. +. Cooper, Of Santa Cruz,
came here and showed q number oil lettet6
from W. A. Cooper, concerning The mat.
ter and 30 lat as can be seen there has
been no forgery al this end Of the string.
II is hardly probable that any party
writing ok letters over The signature Of
W. A, Cooper, could get replica 70 every
one Of them addressed 10 W. A. Cooper
Of his proper address. There wtrS nv
f0rgsTil1, have written very
Italy about the Crooks matter, and /
have every reason 10 believe, Iuthiully,
All The parties 10 the ttanSaCtlon are well