Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-20

company, for whom Bolden. Ridgeway
and Patterson acted as trustees. The
first two trustees whom 1 have named
are dead, but Patterson still lives in
New York. The property is held to-
day by the oil company.
"Bouvier then conveyed 6S, 900 acres
to John Herman, and on the same day
Herman mortgaged back 10 Bouyier
both tracts. When Herman died the
mortgage was foreclosed and the II, $50
acres bought by George G. Burkhardt
OF Philadelphia, who Is now dead, but
the land is the property OF his heirs,
who are known here as the Burkhardt
heirs. The 63,000-acre tract was
bought by man nsmbed Tribe and
afterwards il got into the hands OF
Daniel Book & Sons, Of Philadelphia,
who now holds it. These six tracts
comprise the full amount OF l57, 500
acres. and together with the so 600
acres previously surveyed, and now
owned by Mac Landburgh, of Balti-
more, make 277,50O acres, the total
amount OF land as made by a resurvey
by Henry B. Hartman"
ONE sAwMIIL, AND THEY DON'T OWN
THAT.
Before the reporter left Philadelphia
he ascertained that the only saw mill
on the 800, 0O0-acre tract claimed by the
Standard Company is owned and opera
ted by the Jaeger Brothers, sons Of Col.
Jaeger, at Rodenfeld, and that beyond
few primitive whipsaws there are no
facilities for getting out lumber at any
place on the entire tract.
HOW ABOUT THE BURKHARDT HEIRS?
The Burkhardt heirs, who reside in
Philadelphia, aud own the tract OF land
embraced 10 the 32O,0 acre tract, IS
| shown In the map printed with this arti-
Gle, are represented by j. K. Sypher, a
lawyer at 695 Walnut street, Philadel-
phia. The World reporter called upon
Mr.. Sypher az his office. In response to
the inquiry Mr.. Sypher said that he
acted as attorney for the Burkhardt
heirs OF whom be was one, and that he
was perfectly satisfied with their title
to their property In Mcdowell county.
West Virginia. While he had heard Of
the claim set up by the Standard Coal
and Timber Company, he did not care
TO talk about the matter. He has, how
ever, in his possession some very inter-
osting documents.
He took from his safe TO sho W to the
World reporter the original grant OF the
immense tract OF land given TO Robert
Morris from the State of Virginia.
This ancient sheepskin document bears
the date of March 4, 1905, and conveys
TO Robert Morris an immense tract OF
land lying in West Virginia. 1t Is
signed by Robert Brooke, the then
Governor Of Virginia.
Another equally interesting document
was the deed from Robert Morris and
wife TO William Cramond. dated March
Is, 1897, and conveying 800, 900 acres OF
land. This document or documents,
for two very large sheepskins are en-
tirely covered with the writing neces-
sary 10 the declare yellow with age,
the ink Is somewhat faded, though
still perfectly legi5e, ana the big wax
seals have become. so dry aud brittle
that to preserve them intact piece Of
thin tissue paper has been pasted over
their faces.
Mr.. sYPHER KNOWS THE TRUE OWNERS.
Mr.. Sypher also has number OF the
other original deeds, all made out on
parchment, showing the the transfer OF
this property as 1t passed from hand TO
hand.
Mr.. Sypher was conversant with all
deeds, with the varIUus M--ekeR~
court setting aside claims to the prop.
ertv under those deeds, and was equally
well posted on the true line Of transfer
OF the property. He knows, too, all OF
the present lawful owners OF the $780,
OO0.acre tract, but when asked TO talk
about them for publication he begged to
be excused.
FINE OFFICES, or COURSE.
The men who bought up the Stand
ard Coal and Timber Company had no
intention of doing things In halfway
manner. Therefore, it-was not surpris-
ing to end their Offices In one OF the
finest Office buildings in Philadelphia
the Penn Mutual Building, No. Sl3
Chestnut street They have two large
rooms on the fifth floor, eleg aEtly fur
nished and with all the facil tiles Tor
doing rushing business. Soft arpets,
luxurious chairs, beautiful enRravings
on the richly papered walls-all these
comforts are calculated TO instill Into
the visitor an undisputable idea OF the
prosperity OF the Standard Coal and
Timber Company.
On the door OF the front Office is the
name STANDARD Coal and Timber Com
panv. This Office is occupied by
pretty typewriter and three large pol
ished oak chairs. The second Office,
which is directly back OF this, has q
large desk IN the middle OF the room. at
which was seated Mr.. Benjamin Frank
lin Rowland, when a World reporter
called there. Mr.. Rowland Is very
large. robust looking man, well able TO
carry about the weighty name ne bears.
He looks and talks like a Michigan
lumberman, and that is what he claims
TO be, or rather, claims that he was be-
fore he became q member OF Philadel-
phia's Four Hundred. He was busy
with caller when the World reporter
was there, and the latter was unable to
see him, although he waited some little
! time.
DO BUSINESS SOMEWHERE ELsE."
From the typewriter who presided
| over the front Office the reporter ascer-
tanned that Mr.. Rowland was the man
| ager OF the Philadelphls Office. but that
| Mr. Swift, the President Of the Com
pany, was seldom there, In fact the
had not seeu him for long, long time.
| When asked IL Mr.. Rowland could be
seen later In the day. she said that he
was going to New York and would
probably be away for several days.
| From the various attendants about the
building II was learned that there we're
but few callers at the Offices Of the
| Standard Company, one OF the en-
Moves remarking "that be guessed the
| = -. 80. - Cleo dfd that huafnasa