Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1893-12-16

STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA, J
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER.

& o. r. r., Baltimore, Md.
DEAR SIR:
Your letter of November 10th at
hand enclosing statement that Swiss
Consul Schomberg had reported that
good land titles could not be obtain
ed in West Virginia, and that the
whole State was under cloud, etc.
This statement is utterly unjust.
/ wish to state in my professional
capacity as lawyer, technically ia
miliar with West Virginia land I'll
ties. as we'll as in my public position
as Governor of the State, that land
titles are as good here as in any State
of the Union. The States marvel
Gus increase in commercial product
and prosperity, and the great and
growing increase in the prices of its
coal and timber lands is q sufficient
answer to the statement that there is
q cloud upon the State. / wish to
make this further statement, that
within the last ten years West Vir-
| GINA has furnished more instances
than any other State, of men making
large sums of money by reason of
the steady rise in the value of land.
By the exercise of the ordinary
care and attention required in any
State, you can obtain here perfect
title.
There is no doubt about some peo
pie purchasing bad titles in West
Virginia. I am familiar with the
majority of instances. These in
stances, almost universally, sprung
from two causes First, the purchase
of land without examination of title;
Second, the desire of many people to
purchase magnificent agricultural,
timber, or mineral lands at mere
nominal cost. This last is always a
kind of sight unseen sale and is al
ways accompanied with uncertainties
as to title. In fact the purchase of
such lands for nothing is nearly al
ways in the nature of a gambling
risk upon the title. That is the rea-
son of the exceeding cheapness of
the land, and when those thus invest
| ing, lose in the deal they do not in
form the public of the gambling ma
ture of the transaction.
In almost every instance, the sales
involving defective titles have been
made by brokers or land agents who
themselves are not residents of the
State and who are interested in the
proceeds of the sale, and, usually, the
purchasers have never been within
the bounds of the State to investi-
gate the title.
| As illustrating the last PROPOSE
tion, / was not long since counsel for
foreign company which purchased
about 100000 acres of so-called vir-
gin timber land from an irresponsi-
BILE land agent. There were actually
incorporated towns on the land and
these towns had been settled for near
| ly one hundred years, yet these peo-
pie had neither gone on the land or
Investigated the title. As soon as
they ascertained that they had no IT,
tie and had been swindled, they in
weighed loudly and viciously against
West Virginia and West Virginia
land titles, although the man who
sold them the land was not West
Virglnian and any tyro at the law
would have informed them that their
title was not worth the paper upon
! which it was written.
Another instance: Some non-res-
idents not long ago, purchased for
three dollars an acre, a comparative
~ nominal price, magnificent tract
OF land, filled with wealth of min
eral, clothed with grand timber, and
splendidly located. After year or
so, hearing some question as to title,
it was investigated and they found
grave doubts about the title TO one
third of it. / then made the as
founding discovery that these ordi
narily careful men who never pur
chased an invoice. of merchandise
without careful examination, had
spent about forty thousand dollars
without having anyone to investi.
gate their title.
These are about fair illustrations
These men were very vigorous In
their denunciation of West Virginia
land titles, although the only thing
which should have been denounced
was their own want of ordinary bus
mess foresight and care.
/ have yet to find, and challenge a
single instance of any purchaser get
ting bad title in this State when be
had exercised reasonable prudence,
purchased from reputable persons
and had his title examined by com
petent person.
1t is true that our phenominally
rich and cheap lands have afforded
splendid opportunities to the non
resident land adventurer, but if the
persons proposing to invest had
availed themselves of the ample IA
cilities to investigate the title thro'
the Clerks offices instead of listen
ing to the smooth and colored state
ments of Northern and Eastern land
Adventures they would have had no
trouble whatsoever.
A few days ago the press was full
of great swindle in West Virginia
lands. The whole deal emenated
from Wall street and Philadelphia,
and not West Virginian was con-
nected in it. 1t was swindle on it's
face, and the people investing money
in it should have been in the control
of guardian.
/ We offer to the investor every fa-
cility for obtaining information as to
title and quality of land, and we are
| just completing the copying of the
Virginia grants OF land lying within
the territory of West Virginia. This
allows full examinations of titles
without inconvenience to the pur-
chaser.
| repeat, that in our State we can
give as perfect titles as in any State
in the Union, and any one purchas-
ing defective title has himself only
to blame.
l wish further to say that no State
can excel West Virginia in salubiity
of climate, splendid and certain re-
turns upon investment, low taxes,
| and in oil Of +bo ac,oot;,Ia Iao:~aI l..