The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-05-06
WERE MILLIONS IN IT
The Original Colonel Mulberry Sellers
and His Big Scheme.
He LANDS SOME LARGE-SIZED GAME
Red.Itcadcd Women Have Played "a
Prominent Part In the worlds
History-Character Diary Of
an office Boy-Other Squibs.

Samuel l.. Clemens, the father OF Mark
Twain, was Maine congressman, but
the humorist was born in Missouri, &C.
cordiDg to some authorities, while men
are now living who positively swear that
he was born at "Jimtown," in the Ten
nessee mountains. The coming of Con.
gresham Clemens to Tennessee and his
overland trip to Missouri in the early
forties were brought about by a specula
ton in which he and Daniel Webster lost
$40, 900 through the original of Colonel
Mulberry Sellers.
Jimtown is up in the Tennessee noun.
tains, and on the map it is set down as
jamestown, the county seat of Fentress
county. Fentress county is a great hol-
low area OF land, begirt on all sides by
hugh spurs of the Cumberland range.
In the Businesses of these mountains are
the hiding places of moonshiners, high.
waymen and desperadoes. The James
gang sought refuge once IN this retreat.
10 G. Taylor, who has been magistrate,
county clerk, county judge, state senator
and deputy revenue collector, has earned
$4,000 in the last twenty years by cap.
turing criminals for whom rewards were
offered.
Five years ago the little mountain pa.
per of Fentress county contained a legal
notice warning the heirs OF Daniel Web.
ster, Samuel l.. Clemens, ct. al, to
appear and show cause why about 900
acres of land decided to them in Fentress,
Overton and Pickett counties should not
be sold for back taxes, which had accu-
mulated against them for forty years.
No one appeared to defend the suit, and
the land was sold to the highest bidders
at public auction for song. Within two
years after the sale oil was discovered,
and the Webster and Clemens purchase
was seen to be worth millions. Jimtown
is in the center of the oil section.
Fifty years ago foxy lawyer OF mid.
die age, the original of Colonel Sellers,
arrived in the mountain town and opened
a law and land office. He secured grants
from the state for thousands of acres of
the wild mountain lands, and made op.
tional purchases OF many thousands of
acres more from his neighbors for thirty
and forty cents an acre. Then he packed
his grip and moved on Washington.
Webster was then at the height of his
power in the senate, while Clemens was
in the house of representatives from
Maine. Webster wanted to be president
and Clemens was his confidential friend.
The South held the balance of power,
Webster wanted the Southern vote. The
lawyer and land agent from Tennessee
met Webster, and impressed him with an
exaggerated idea of his political power,
and promised him Tennessee's support.
Then the land agent preached the scheme
to Webster. In the wilds of the Tennes
see mountains, he said, were lands TEEN
ing with precious minerals, and the men
who developed them would become fabu-
lousy rich. He told about his purchases
and said he wanted to associate with him
men of capital. How better could Web
ster secure the support of Tennessee
than by being landowner IN that state,
he asked. Webster liked the scheme
and persuaded Samuel l.. Clemens to in.
vest with him. They raised $50 900 and
turned it over to the Tennessee lawyer
who left Washington after having deed
ed the lands to Webster, Clemens and
their associates. What became of him
is not known.
Months afterward, when nothing had
been heard from the Tennessee boomer
Webster persuaded Congressman Glen.
ems to leave home and take his family
overland to Tennessee to reach the riches
that had been promised to them. The
trip overland was a weary month of tray.
ell. When Congressman Clemens arrived
he found wilderness. Disguised with
his part of the bargain, he journeyed to
the Mississippi river, and crossing, pro-
ceeded to the spot where the little city Of
Hannibal, Mo-, now stands. 1t was this
venture that gave Marx to the Southwest