Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-09-19
LAND BUYERS SWINDLED.
INVESTORS IN JERSEY GROUND
CRUELTY vICTlMlzED.

Bought building Lots and Farms st Mil
Company-Tities Are Alleged to he
Worthless and the Buyers Duped.
One OF the greatest frauds perpetrated
upon North Side people in some years
was the sale of building lots and farm
land at Mlmay, N. j. During the
winter and spring OF this year MIR.
Moore, agent for supposed land com
pany, Travelled through this section
selling farms and building sites in and
around Milmay. lie paid particular at
tention to the English speaking peo-
po of the vicinity, and disposed OF land
right and left, inducing upwards OF
sixty people to invest their hard-earned
savings in the Jersey ground. HIe was
not averse, however, to letting few
others than foreigners into his Klondike
bargains, and some OF those who ought
to know better were caught in the
swindle.
For swindle 1t was, and OF the rankest
kind at that, II all is true that is told by
the victims. The oily-tongued agent
first appeared with maps OF the locality
and pamphlets describing in real boom
style the wonderful prospects OF the city
which was to spring up, maglc-like. and
make literal Gouds and Astors OF all
whom he left in on the ground floor.
For n "limitcd time only" he offered
building lots at prices varying from $50
to 800 per lot, according to location,
and few who tarried to listen to his free
lectures escaped the charm he threw
out, and they scrambled to buy.
For those who doubt ed that the land
existed he arranged cheap excursions to
his Jersey paradise. He took them to
his Milmay, pointed ont several plots in
the imaginary city which had been "sold"
to Philadelphia capitalists-some for
summer residences, some for manu-
featuring sites, hotels, etc.
The excursions were success, and
those who went and saw came back with
pretty sheets of paper which they called
deeds and which they thought gave
them a title, forever and ever, to so
'habN itVb w ~ i'Dps wa sum ohN
such an avenue in Milmay, N j.
Not content with owning these lots
and farms, which were to rise In value
so rapidly, several Of the purchasers
threw up their jobs in and around tho
mines and moved their families to MIL
may. Rude buildings were erected on
their possessions and farming and gar
dening taken up to pass away tho
time until the coming boom should
materilize.
Inquiries among the squatters nearby
brought out the information that tho
soil refused absolutely to give forth any
vegetable growth except sage brush, a
measly variety OF sweet potatoes and
passing apology for watermelons. I'm
daunted, the Freeand colonists, about
twenty In number, went into tho sweet
potato business and faithfully titled their
fields in the hope that the crop would
yield enough to bring them back to tho
coal fields. AS the crop neared maturi-
ty, along came another agent who do
manded to know by what right the land
VI MS GilCubo "ho uGooSlHhou ny hho
presence OF the Froeland contingent.
The alleged deeds were produced, but
were laughed at by agent No. 2, who
claims that the land is owned by
Western parties and that Mr.. Moore had
no authority to soil it. MIR. Moore had
previously departed IN quest Of other
green fields, and seeing that the colon
lists were really duped the agent of the
real owners asked no damages for tress
passing but is allowing the Swindled to
remove without further expense.
The titles given by Moore, 1t ia alleged,
were worthless In every respect, and did
not even purport to be deeds for the
ground. So sure, however, were the
buyers, that they neglected to take even
the most common steps to verify any
statement made by Moore, but they
have paid dearly for their negligence.
Some OF the Hungarians who bought
paid cash for their lots and farms, others
paid from $50 to 800 down and were to
give as much as they could each month
until the balance was cleared
The sympathy of the community is
with the victims, aud a warm reception
awaits the next agent OF Jersey land
company who may como this way.