The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-19
ROBERT II. COLEMAN
AND HIS MILLIONS
PART THEY PLAYED IN LEB-
ANON VALLEY.
Vast Fortune Dug Out of the Corn
wall Ore Hills and Distributed in
Works of Benevolence or Public
Enterprise-Fair Play for a Man
Who Has Met Reverses.


Lebanon Letter, Philadelphia Press
The stories OF millions are always
interesting, and tales of the loss Of
great wealth are always read by the
American people. The story of the
Coleman millions is an Old story. but
many facts of interest in connection
with the failure of Robert II. Coleman
have never been published.
| The Coleman family was one of the
best known in Pennsylvania. The his
tory of the Cornwall ore hills, with
which the Colemans have always been
| associated, is not so well known and
many Pennsylvanians do not know of
the vast quantity of iron ore which is
locked up in them a. Cornwall For the
Kind of ore; the size of the bed, and it's
quality, its equal is unknown. There
are three hills of ore. one rises 3l2 feet
above the water level, another 9s, and
another IS. a drill has been sunk into
the ore for 300 feet below water level.
without reaching the bottom of the de-
posit. Since 1740 this bed has been
mined, and about 100000 tons have
been dug from its sides, equivelant to
100000 tons of pig iron. But cold stat
iStics, while they may appeal to the
conception of their vastness. To rea-
lie what is at Cornwall the triple
mountain of ore must be seen and re-
peated visits will increase the wonder
and admiration Of the beholder
Up to the time when Robert II. Cole
man assigned his estate this mountain
was largely the property of the Cole
man estate. No one knows who first
discovered the presence of the ore or
who first appreciated its value. The
Indians knew of the strange earth to be
found there, and, when the first white
settlers gave them iron the aborigines
| quickly discovered what to them
seemed miraculous. The mysterious
dirr wo~'d cling to their hatchets and
steel beads would hold fast to the ore.
| The savages regarded this magnetic
property with awe and concealed 1t
from the whites.
HISTORY OF THE TRACT.
In 1882 John. Thomas and William
Penn assigned a warrant for 800 acres,
in which territory the yet virgin hills
were included, to Joseph and James
Turner. From them it passed to Will
liam Allen, who in turn. sold it, in 1897,
to Peter Grubb for G135. 1t was the
biggest bargain Mr.. Grubb ever struck
and it is safe to believe that Mr.. AL
len, who did not like the barren hills,
was not aware that they held such a
princely revenue. Peter Grubb. hav-
ing had his curiosity aroused by var
ious rumors, dug up some of the earth
and ascertained from an expert in
Philadelphia that it was half iron. In
1740 he built a little charcoal furnace
and smelted the first ore.
Forty-three years swept by and Pet
er Grubb, jr added to the estate by
purchasing 1291a acres more. 1t was
at about this time that one of the
Grubbs to satisfy an obligation, gave
away a privilege to take from the hills
enough for "One furnace as long as
waters runs and grass grows" By
this agreement the Rpbesonia Iron
company, near Reading, gets all its
ore for nothing.
Just before the Revolution. Robert
Coleman, young Irishman of energy,
discretion tact and business ability
came to Cornwall and entered the en-
ploy of the Grubbs. He advanced
step by step until he became the prac-
tical manager of the estate. During
the Revolution he made contracts with
the Continental congress for casting
cannon, shot and shells. and many OF
these hard arguments for liberty came
from the Elizabeth furnace in Lam
caster county.
Coleman kept exact accounts with
the government and some of his mem
oranda reveal the curious fact that
many of the Hessian troops, hired by
the British invaders and captured by
the American troops, were sold into
bondage for a term of years. Under
date of Nov. 16, 1882. Robert Coleman
credits the government with cash
value of forty-two German prisoners
of war at e3O each, e1,o6O" and on
June IA, 1888, there is another credit
for twenty-eight German prisoners of
war atG30 each. These prisoners were
put at work digging ore and hauling it
to the furnaces. AS late as 1S43 RUM
a local historian, visited one of the
Hessans, who was sold for ESQ for
three years to Captain Jacob thinner
man, of Lancaster county.
TRANSFERS OF THE TRACT.
Government contracts apparently
proved profitable, for on Nav Q 17S6
Robert Coleman bought of Peter Grubb
one-slXth share in the estate. In due
time Peter Grubb passed away, leaving
two sons. Burd Grubb and Henry
Bates Grubb. Burd Grubb sold to Rob-
ert Coleman all his real estate except
the ore hills for S291 100 on September
| u, 1898. He transferred his share in
the ore hill to his brother Henry Bates
who in turn sold four-sixths of the
whole to Robert Coleman. Thus did
| the diligent employe of the Grubb ac-
| quire five-sXths of the property and
| provided for his descendants a fortune
founded upon iron.
The history of the ownership now be-
comes more complicated. Robert Cole
man left as his heirs, William, James.
! Edward and Thomas Budd Coleman
OF these William and Edward sold
their interest to Thomas Budd. James
children We're Robert, George Dawson.
Ann, Sarah and Harriet. The interest
| OF the daughters passed into the hands
of their brothers, Robert and George
Dawson. Going back to Thomas Burd
Coleman; He died, leaving Robert w.
| William, Annie c.. Isabella, Sarah and
Margaret. Isabella and Robert w. died
intestate, William Coleman left two
| children, Robert II. ana Annie, the lat
| ter now married 10 Archibald Rogers,
| of New York For long time the
various heirs of the estate dug ore at
will from the apparently endless sup
| ply. At last, however, articles of
| agreement We're drawn up, by which
the interest i'm the Cornwall ore hills
| was divided into ninety-siX shares. The
| ore was mined by the Cornwall Ore