The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-01
BOUGHT A FARM FOR $50.
And an Opportune q Won Him Half q
Million Dollars From II.

A half-ton of hay won a fortune for a
man and an oil company in the courts of
our county one time said a Cattaraugus
county lawyer, and then a COW that ate
that hay came along and turned that for
tune all over TO another man. The record
OF II is in all the courts from the County
Court up TO the Court Of Appeals, and the
case hasn't its parallel in the history Of
litigation.
Years ago Griffith Jones. who lived In
Oneida county, purchased at a tax sale
800 acres Of land in the town Of Allcgany,
Cattaraugus county IL cost him $50, but
when he came 10 look his purchase over
he did not think well enough of II to invest
any more money in il, and after taking
out his tax decd to protect his title TO the
land he returned to Oneida county.
The farm had been the property OF
James Hill, who had let IL pass To sale for
arrears of taxes When oil was struck
in Allegany county this farm lay on what
promised to be the oil belt and Hill took
possession Of IL again and transferred II to
the Bradford Oil Company on n basis OF a
ROYALTY on the oil that might be discovered
upon the farm. ,
The property proved 70 be a rich on
producer. In two years the farm returned
10 the oil company $500 900, and was still
producing largely.
Jones about that tune happened to he
in that locality and learned Tor the first
tim. what a bonanza the farm had turned
out 10 lie, and he az once began process dings
against the Bradford Oil Company To- re-
cover possession Of il and for an accounting
for the oil that had been taken from H..
Trio care came up before the County I uur',
and the oil company denied ia" ttl' ~
Jones To the property on tn ground that
he had not served on the OCCulaht OF Wac
land notice to redeem the samo within Two
wears. AZ the Tax Sale law OF III" state Ic-
CURED.
the farm was not occupied by I'LL WHEN
the tax decd wa taken ont, aud thHt ih"fe
WIS c~uuseguCntlN no one 20 rrrN" such
notice up.u. The oil company proved that
Hill had lni' in barn on the place nan q t"n
Of hay and cuntcudsd that il wa evidence
of his legal occupancy al lt lI'l'I|N'
although be- Wa aDr-nt nom n.
"1hc contention Of the company was
accepted hy the Court ~ good ~ law ana
the iurV we're charged that " n had been
proved 10 their satisfaction tiat the hay
Wa IN the barn on the day tho I1aihtlh TOOK
out HI decd under the tax sal' hey shouI'
ind that his title wa not good. III" Jury
eo found.
Jones asked Tor aud obtained a new
trial on the ground that u"W "Nldelre had
b. discovered The ca-o wa tried ggaiu,
and Jones uruvsd hy two witnesses that ON
IA" very daV before b" pad hl- rur'hh~''
prio" for the HI farm and took "hi IA" TAX
d,.i, giving him hi al" &" %, "a COW ht'i
t'rIlled along that WAY entered ia" ram
tharklr -sAuty - a bnru ami "ai.n all 'i"
ln' that ~ itft therein flt r"N rNidru'lY
having h..U a visitor thrr" hriuf'
-Gu the sy.isuor Jpur- Won 'he 90"
Tho ul Impan ,Afrlrf % tu tie Nuurru"
court. 'hs G,neral Term, and ih" Count =
ApIsal-. and the judgment va SUSTAINED
every uuurt li"u al The COM aIN
c,uld b. "a o. Co., --ttlr With lHur- Nll'l q
dii pa,iug him u"arly half q mI.iHn d".us
aud taklug ths farm