The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-06-16

Rupp, a local historian, visited one
of the Hessians, who was sold for
40 pounds for three years to Captain
Jacob Zimmerman, of Lancaster Co.
Government contracts apparently
proved profitable, for on May 9th,
1886, Robert Coleman bought of Pc
ter Grubb one sixth share in the es-
tate. In due time Peter Grubb pass
ed away, leaving two sons, Burd
Grub and Henry Bates Grubb.
Burd Grubb sold to Robert Coleman
all his real estate, except the ore
hills, for $2o, 900, on September 18th,
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
Grubbs acquire five-sixths of the
property and provide for his descen-
dants fortune founded upon iron.
The history of the ownership now
becomes more complicated. Robert
Coleman left as his heirs William,
James, Edward and Thomas Burd
Coleman. Of these William and Ed
ward sold their interest to Thomas
Burd. James's children were Robert,
George Dawson, Ann, Sarah and
Harriet. The interest of the daugh-
tiers passed into the hands of their
brothers, Robert and George Daw-
son. 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
H. and Annie, the latter now married
to Archibald Rogers, of New York.
For long time various heirs of the
estate dug ore at will from the ap-
parently endless supply. At last,
however, articles of agreement were
drawn up, by which the interest in
the Cornwall ore hills was divided into
ninety-two shares. The ore was
mined by the Cornwall Ore Banks
Company and sold at private rates
to proprie-tors.
ROBERT H. CoLEMAN'S CAREER.
Robert H. Coleman is a graduate
of Lafayette College, and is now
about 43 years of age. When he at
tained his majority, in 1877, he came
into possession of his fortune, his
father having died on May 5th, 1861.
His guardian was Samuel Small, of
New York, now deceased. Mr.. Cole
mans release to his guardian shows
that when he became of age he re-
ceived over 81 900, 900 in stocks and
bonds, mostly U. S. bonds and Penn
sylvania Railroad stock. He imme-
diately engaged in business, devoting
all his attention thereto, and it is a
millions at his command turning bis &
back upon the empty pleasures of the
world and finding delight in the de-
velopement of the industry of a coun-
try.
He soon saw that Cornwall needed
a railway connection with the Penn
sy1vania, giving it the advantage of
competition with the Philadelphia
and Reading. Accordingly, be built
the Colebrook Valley Railroad from
Cornwall to Conewago, on the main
line of the Pennsylvania. There was
a road from Cornwall to Lebanon
the Cornwal1--but Mr.. Coleman could
not get possession of it, and then he
built his own road to Lebanon. It is
now known as the Cornwall and Leb-
anon. Meanwhile he built new fur
naces and erected a village or two
of comfortable houses for his work
men. He built bank in Lebanon,
the ground alone costing SIS, 700.
1t is at the junction of the principal
streets, Eighth and Cumberland, and
upon it he erected a sandstone build
ing, costing about $1,000 He was
president of the bank-the Lebanon
Trust and Safe Deposit Bank-but
when he failed in 1898 the bank was
obliged to cease business. In March,
1898, this building was sold at as
signee's sale to another banking in
stitution in Lebanon for $33, 500.
In 1880, in memory of his deceas-
ed wife, Mr.. Coleman built St. Luke's
Episcopal Church, in Lebanon, at
cost of $15o,o 900. 1t is finished in
highly polished brick. The floor is
of English tile, the pillars are Of the
richest granite, and the roof is of oak
and other hard woods. The remains
of Mr.. Coleman's first wife rest be-
meath the structure. Mr.. Coleman
remarked and has several children.
ESTATE OF 200 ACRES.
Ten years ago Mr.. Coleman had
charge of an estate which required
ffty-four miles of fence to girdle,
which comprised $4,000 acres, and
which had tenantry of over 1000 1t.
extended from Cornwall, in Lebanon
county. A single road through the
property to Speedwell, in Lancaster
county, is over twenty miles long.
The income from all this estate, it is
said, was not large enough to be
counted. The great source of wealth
was the ore beds. The pay roll of
the whole Coleman estate numbered
1000 people, that of the Cornwall
property alone 1900. At its height
the income from the iron mountains
and furnaces of the Coleman estate
was equivalent to an income of S per
cent. on $40, 900, 900.
Mr.. Coleman's home at Cornwall
was built by his father, and is but a
short distance from the ore hills.
Over its threshold is inscribed, "Par
vus domus, magma quies." The
house was a little palace, surrounded
with terraced lawns where fountains
bubbled, and provided with every ap-
pointment which art and science, gov
erned by intellectual, taste could de-
sire. At the time of his assignment
Mr.. Coleman was building large
music hall, to cost 500, 900. At the
u