Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-25
GOOD QUAKER PENN.
How He Figures in Titles to Land in
Western Pennsylvania.
HISTORY OF PHE ERIE TRIANGLE.
Distress Caused by the Ambiguous Ian
gusge Of the Act of 1892.
SETTLED BY THE U. s. SUPREME COURT
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsrArcH.l

| 1t may be interesting 10 tne readers OF
The DISPATCH to recall just how titles to
the lands in Pennsylvania come kown to us
from the foundation of the Commonwealth
and to know something OF the plan of settle
ment. and the character of the people who
opened up four of the counties west OF the
| Allegheny, as we'll as few incidents in the
career of the faithful Quaker agent who
dealt Justly and leniently with them, and
from whose hands came deeds for over
| 1,500, 900 acres of land.
By the charter OF 1851, Charles II. granted
to William Penn and his heirs, forever,
nearly all the territory within the present
limits of Pennsylvania and part of the
| land that is now the State OF Delaware, on
the fealty Of the annual payment of two
beaver skins. This territory, however, did
not extend 10 Lake Erie. on the north, nor
was the southern boundary between it and
MARYLAND clearly defined until the survey
OF Mason and Dixon, in 1867, fixed the line.
The original three counties, viz; Philadel-
phia, Chester and Bucks, were of such vast
size that their subdivision became early
necessary and the other Eastern counties
were from time to time erected from them.
Some of the Swedes who had, in 1868,
bought land from the Indians, settled on
what is now the southern wards of the city
of Philadelphia. Penn purchased their
title to these lands and the Swedes became
valuable factors in the development of
Eastern Pennsylvania.
By the famous treaty made by Penn in
1852, with the Susquehanna tribes, under
the wide-spreading elm tree atShackamaxon at
beach on the Delaware, and by subsequent
treaties, including in all 10 tribes, his title
to the lands in the eastern counties of Penn
sylvania was settled forever.
THE WILDERNESS OF THE WEST.
But beyond the broad Susquehanna, and
the great mountain chain that formed the
western barrier of these thriving settlements,
there was an almost unbroken wilderness.
1t was not the purpose of the proprietor, be-
nign Quaker though be was, to sunder and
sell indiscriminately, the royal gi t, as it
was graciously called, although gift it was
not, but a conveyance in satisfaction of
crown debt of e16, 900 to Admiral Sir Will
lam Penn, father of our William Penn.
Reared under monarchical institutions,
and still believing in the prerogatives of the
landed class, Penn had careful surveys
made of the territory in his grant, reserving
manors after that remnant of feudal custom
in England, each manor to be the seat of
Court Baron or magistracy. Penn's char
ter expressly granted him this power
Although no manors had been erected in
England since the reign of Edward III, in
1900, the Surveyor-General. under the
Penns, surveyed for them A manors, in
Eastern, Middle and Western Pennsylvania,
containing from 5000 to 1000 acres each.
THE MANOR SYSTEM NOT So CCEss.
But it early became evident that the
manor system was repugnant to the grow
ing spirit of disfavor toward class privileges
in the colony, and they were never erected,
in a magisterial sense, at least.
BY the treaty OF 176S at Fort Stanwix
(now Rome, N. Y. between the Penns and
the six nations, the Indian title had been
extinguished to an immense body of land
between the Susquehauna and the ALLIE
gheny rivers. So that from the granting of
the charter in 1851 until the Fourth of July,
1776, all titles to lands. in PENNSYLVANIA
were derived directly from Penn or his
heirs. During the War Of the Revolution
0779), the divesting act was passed, which
declared the title of the Penns to have be-
come vested in the Commonwealth in conse-
quence of the adherence of that family to
the Crown. A clause in the act, however,
saved all titles granted by the Penns
prior to the Declaration of Independence.
And to ease the legislative conscience the
sum of e130. 900 was voted to the heirs not
in payment for their lands, but "in grateful
remembrance of the benefits which William
Penn has conferred on this Commonwealth"
By subsequent treaty at Fort Stanwix,
in 1884, between the Commissioners of Penn
sylyania and the Six Nations, the title of
those tribes was purchased to the remainder
of the land in the State, except that west OF
the Allegheny river.
THE ERIE TRIANGLE.
The treaties already made did not include
the Northwestern tract, or "Erie Triangle"
as it was called, which had never vested in
the Penns, but was claimed by both New
York and Massachusetts,, and ceded by
them to the United States Government.
The Supreme Council OF Pennsylvania, in
1888, bought it from the Government for IS
cents per acre that the State might get bene-
fit of harbor on Lake Erie. They bought
the Indian title also. To redeem her prom
Use to pay the officers and soldiers Of the
Pennsylvania line and of the State navy
for their services in the Revolution in cur
rency equal to specie, the State set apart
certain tracts of land for redeeming the de-
preciated Continental currency. In JAN
uary, 1877, the scale of the currency as COM
pared to silver and gold was 10 l; it rose
steadily, and four years later stood IS to 1.
PAY FOR THE SOLDIERS.
The lands for the redemption of this cur
rency were called the depreciation
Lands" Those Immediately north OF them
were called the donation Lands" and
were devoted to the donation of land PROM
Used to the officers and soldiers Of the Penn
sylvania line and the State navy during the
last years of the war. The amounts were
graded according to rank. A Major Cen
eral was to receive four 5OO-acre lots and
private one 200-acre lot. The land donated
was to be free from tax during the lie or
ownership by the soldier.
Taking ali things into consideration,
PENNSYLVANIA literally rewarded her SOL
diers of the Revolution. A list of the names
entitled to draw was made out, and the lots
mum 5ered and the numbers thrown into the
wheel. When the prescribed time for draw
ing had expired, the Council directed the
officers of the Land Office to draw for any
soldiers entitled who had not yet appeared,
and to ticket the lots SO drawn, and to re-
serve them, subject to the demand of such
soldier, their widows or heirs. The De-
probation lands were offered Tor sale at the
London Coffee House in Philadelphia, but
brought such low prices that the sale was
stopped.
A LOT OF LAND LEFT.
s.After all persons entitled to donations had
drawn or been drawn tor, large tract re-
mained, which, added to the unsold depre-
citation lands, left the title to several mill
ions of acres still vested in the State. As all
other titles whatsoever had been previously
extinguished, the State was now prepared to-
Ill m