Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-04-14
CLAIMING AIKEN.
A Georgia Lawyer Claim. ths Sit. Is
His Property.
His GFasdfarher Bslght it a. a eDeeala-
tion, CsnveEed Part Of it % the eoufh
Carolina Railroad ComBany On
CertaIn Condliisas. and
Thea Died.

tien, Csuveged Rara Of It 20 the soafh
Carolina RaiIrsad Cempang On
Certain CondItioas. and
Thea Died.
Here's big and genuine sensation for
South Carolina
A young Georgian, and an editor st
that, passed through Augusta on his
way to Aiken, S. c., to begin lawsuit
for the recovery of the entire town.
Think Of Aiken, the greatest resort In
the South, and the richest of the smaller
cities in Carolina, all claimed by one
mani
The young man is Julien B. Rodgers,
one of the editors and the business man
ager of the Macon Evening News. He
was born in WaynesborO, near Augusta,
and since leaving college in Macon some
years ago hehas been ENGAGED in journal
ism in that city. He was married about
two years ago to lovely Georgia girl,
and they have bright little boy, whom
they will rechristen Lord of Aiken, If
they recover that beautiful town
A reporter interviewed Mr.. Rodgers as
he was waiting for the Aiken train, and
he feels confident of establishing his
claim. His attorneys in Aiken are Col.
A. g.. Hammond and John Gary Evans.
and they have examined the records Of
Aiken and adjoining counties of Barn
well and EdgefieId, and inform him that
they have ample evidence to begin his
suit. They have urged his presence in
Aiken before Wednesday, and they hope
thereby to recover laage part Of the
property without contest, as on that day
certain leases expire, which, if Mr..
Rodgers puts in objections, it will bs
legally impossible to renew. He Is now
in Aiken consulting Messrs. Hammond &
Evans, and they will begin the suit at
once.
1t seems that many years ago Rodgers
grandfather. Beverly NJ Rodgers, of Au-
gusta, purchased about 200 acres Of land
in and around the elevation upon which
is now built the town of Aiken. He
bought it as a speculation and decided
certain lots to the South Carolina Road,
provided the company would establish
station and town Mr. Rodgers died
very suddenly. and his affairs were con-
siderably mixed. His children were all
small, and when the father of the present
Julien Rogers took charge of affairs the
deeds were lost, and the bare fact that
his father held some land In Carolina
was all that he knew Of the purchase.
Meanwhile settlers took possession Of
Aiken and it grew to be town. Flc-
titious sales seem to have been effected,
and while the deed of the elder Rodgers
was recorded, there seemed to be no
record Of deeds from him to purchasers
of much of the land that is now inno-
Gently held by real buyers The Rodgers
family slept over their rights until re-
Gently, when an aunt in Texas wrote to
Julien advising him to look up the old
records. He took hold of the matter,
and the lawyers have discovered pretty
warm trail in the way of evidence, show
ing that at least two hundred acres In
and around Aiken have never properly
passed out Of the possession of the
Rodgers family. Nr. Barney Dunbar,
prominent and wealthy citizen of Au-
gusta, who is related to the Rodgers
family, seems to have called the matter
to mind, and as he is an old dresident and
familiar with. Carolina, he wrote to his
relatiue in Texas advising that the mat
ter be looked into, with what effect may
be seen and with what results the Caro-
lima courts will show
Mr.. Rodgers does not know as vet
what part of Aiken is affected by his
claim, but his information is that the
whole town Is included, and if 50, the
little city will be considerably shaken
up. 1t is an important and serious mat
ter to Aiken, and it Is also quite imPor-
tant to Mr.. Rodgers. He says that thres
of his family will share with him what
ever he can recover, and he will push the
suit for all it is worth. This means that
hundreds and hundreds of thousands Of
dollars of property in Aiken are at
stake.