The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-08-24
AFTER 80 YEARS.
A Romance Of the Y .avolu-
ticnary Oar.
MIS- .Sarst Esss. of Tacoma
Lays Claim % . Tract Of Land
In PhiladeIrhi.-


Abbott this afternoon. in company
with W. T. Wright, her son-in-law.
and stated that she desired TO make
an affidavit to an important chain OF
facts as a preliminary measure to-
ward be ginning suit in ccart.
Clerk Abbott offered the old lady
and her escort chairs drawn close to
his desk. and prepared TO take notes
| of what she should tell hiui And
what she told him was OF profound in
terest- She was not s., but s. years Of
age, and she claimed 10 be one ef
ing ls0 acres of land covering the very
heart of the city of Philadelphia.
| BRIGHT OLD LADY,
No, she is not crazy. She is so
| bright and intelligent; her eye, her
mind and memory we're all so clear as
to cause those who heard her tell the
| story 10 pause at times and look Mt the
old lady in wonder For two hours she
sat there and traced her life back
| through all the mazes eli relationships,
OF marriages and inter-marri8geS.
citing the names of the children that
grew up in each branch OF the family
tree-a hundred names or more with
tout hesitation. and never slipping a
link Two or three times Clerk Alb
bott switched off an aunt or uncle,
niece or nephew into the wrong fam
ily, but the sprightly old lady cor
rected him promptly in every instance.
Briefly, the story she told was this:
THIS STORY.
| Colonel Israel Baker had fought
brayely through the Revolutionary
war. At its close a law was enacted
that granted each soldier the right to
take up 100 acres of the public domain.
Col. Baker took advantage OF this,
choosing his land near the city of
| Philadelphia. In the course OF time
Col. Baker died and left no other heir
than a brother.
This brother, Asa Baker, leased the
land in question to company for q
period OF 30 years. That act fixed the
estate for the lifetime OF many who
had an interest in it. But the life of
the lease has come TO an end. and all
those who are descended from the
Revolutionary Col. Baker are about to
get up their claims.
THE LINE or DESCENT.
Now Asa Baker had daughter
| Susan, and Susan had a daughter
Lydia, and Lydia had daughter Mar
garet, and it was she, IS years of age,
who walked into the office of the clerk
of courts away out here in Washing
ton territory this afternoon.
She was born in the pretty town of
Avon, on the banks OF the Genesee
river, in New York state. Her maiden
name was Margaret McNutt She
lived there until she was II years of
age, and then emigrated with her
parents to Erie county, Ohio. Here
she grew TO womanhood and was mar
ried TO one John Durham. John died
after a while, and then she was mar
ried to his brother Jonas. Jonas, too,
was gathered TO his fathers after some
wears, and when proper time had
elapsed she was married to Nicholas
Foos, who, in his turn, has followed
the Durham brothers into the undis-
covered country.
THRICE WIDOW.
The old lady, therefore. thrice a
widow, Is thus left alone to begin, Mt
$ years OF age, a singie-handed fight
with the law and its delays, for an es-
tate worth many millions. When the
old lady finished the recital of her sew
erai marriages she heayed a sigh and
added that she had had much trouble
in her time. She came out here about
four years ago and is living now in the
country few miles from Tacoma.
Under her structions Clerk Abbott
drew up her statement in legal form,
reciting all the circumstances having
bearing upon her claim necessary 10
set up en.action in court and to the
truth of this she made affidavit and
the paper will be sent on to Phiiadel-
phia.
Mrs. Foos i old and gray and with
cred, to be sure, but, besides having
all her sharp wits about her 10 re-
markable degree, She speaks in q dis
tinct, strong voice. and declares that
she can see to read the ordinary news
paper without trouble and without
glasses, which latter she declares she
has never worn t. this day With all
this, however, she does net claim 10
have ever sat upon the knee OF George
Washington, nor yet TO have danced
with Lafayette.
What she does claim is that she i
one OF twenty having an equal right rs
forming direct line of descent from
Col. Baker. BE ides these, however.
there are many others forming off |
shoots and branches.
DISCUSSED IN THE FAMILY CIRCLE.
Mrs. Foos SAYS that this estate has |
been the subject OF discussion at the I
hreSides of the family as long n she |
can remember. When she was a child. |
and all through her girlhood and wo- |
manhood, she heard this lease much |
talked about. and many were the COM |
plants laid against it for the trouble |
aud anxiety which this large estate. |
but for being tied up in this manner, l
might relieve. Her father personally |
knew his grandfather. Asa Baker. and |
had talked with him about il, and she /
had heard her father and her grand !
mother, Susan Barnes. talk about il. /
The estate has, of course, become very
valuable as population has reached /
out and around it, and the property 4
now lies in the very heart OF the city. |
Following Is list Of the heirs a. |
giYea in the affidavit.
THE BEIRs.
ASA Baker; Children were Susan, |
Charles, Israel, Joseph and samuel.
Susan Baker married James Barnes
and their children were LYDIA. Ira
fdcId}. Susan. Elsie tdeadf. Welthy |
ideadl, Matilda and Hiram
Lydia barnes married Andrew Nc
Nut, whose chiitrea were Margaret
tmy Seln. Ira and Abigail tdead).
Abigail married William Hunt /
tdeadl. by whom she had Andrew.
sarah. Hannah, W1liace and Albert
tall ivingl
susan Baker married Richard Wads-
WORTH by whom she had Elizabeth
Frank. Saphiz. Richard tdeasit. Rn-
meo, Clinton. William Henry uarri- |
son tdesdl Susan tdead1. Emily and
Mary.
Elizabeth married Thomas McNutt.
(noW liy3ngl
William Henry Harrison married -
Randall thvingA
Romeo married Nancy Me(iougy, by |
whom he bad Julia, Harriet, Jane.
(all liyinsl
Clinton married Lucinda Foos tmy 1
sicV-daughterhby y hOm he had Heary /
Cad, Nicolas. Dewitt tall iivingi
Hiram Barnes married Lucy Ran /
DAN by whom he had Betsy (tlead) /
keRbsn tde8Gt, Loren. George tdeadt. /
Mary sde1dA Erast1s tdeadl
Betty married ---- Cady edeatlA aud /
IL her wa barn LUcy thvinsl.
Mary maFriesi Jake Baker, by whom
shc bad Mary tliyingA who married
John BakeF
Erastus married sarah Nohles
tdeadA bv whom he had Eunice
tGesAt Thee constitute the heirs al
- & r.sE 4 a