New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25

titles OF more than one hundred deeds and given
the money 10 Charity. The circular continued:
! now invite a committee Of the sailors and
soldiers wives. widows and orphans Of the war
OF Cuba Philippines and the Chinese War to
form g Grand Army No. ., then confer with me,
and I viii donate
7 also invite the deaf. dumb. blind. cripp,es
and aged to form q company and appoint a
committee to form = fund and let their com
mittee confer with me, and viii donate
Let not the trusts rob widows and orphans
by conspiracy and debauchery."
The public refused TO take This circular seri-
Dusty The city. the college and the property
owners on the Heights did not turn over th=
property as commanded. and Vaud=ryoort final
ly became convinced that he would have 10 go
70 the courts TO secure his rights. His claim 10
the property was based on deed dated FEB
ruary p. 1852. transferring al the rtght. ttr.-
and interest Of John r. Bowen tn the
Jumel estate 10 VanGervoort. The courts had
already investigated the Bowen claim against
this fine old estate and held that he had no
right 10 the property. but Vandervoort was
very confident.
He announced that ia 1896 he had given in-
reElse sums 10 various charities including Drop-
erJy valued at $4,000 to The American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor; $4,000 TO the Central Labor
Union: 100000 10 the Salvation army: $50
600 TO the American Volunteers and 100000
70 the Terra Dephla Home for Lrforlunates f..
Trenton. y. J. In December of 1900 he called
upon these recent benetciaries Of his great
generosity 10 join with him in forming Il stock
company 20 pay lawyers and court fees Strange
as 4 may seem, and with what he called the
basest ingraCtude ever shown by the recipients
Of favors. they unanimously refused
Then he offered the general public Z chance 70
acqire Interest IN his prospective lawsuit
hg yE-ac
from one 10 five shares OF stock in the company.
AT $500 share. 80 one man was TO be al
lowed 10 purchase more than five shares thus
assuring that "graspiug curIdity cannot profit
TO the detriment Of the general public" \
cash payment Of SO secured a share Of stock
and the balance of S275 did not become payable
until the purchaser received deed FOR 5000
worth of properly and 81 contract for q share in
S5O000o0 Although the prominent men 10
whom he referred denied ell knowledge Of the
man or his schemes. he found q number Of per-
sons who were willing to subscribe. small
fund raised. but nothing ever came Of the
suit, and the title guarantee companies still
continue TO insure titles 10 the properly.
The effort 10 acquire the tideways and IN
divided lands Of the old town of Harlem has
been begun tn d seemingly busluessike man
ner. For more than two years attorneys have
been working UP the case. which viii come into
test in a suit for portion of the tideway on
the Hudson River near Fort Washington. The
City Of New-York is made the defendant, and
her attorneys VIII fight the claim
In order 10 understand the contention O. the
heirs Of New-Harlem one must 20 back to Drim-
tive times on the island Of Manhattan. 1t was
IN the year 1908 that village was founded IN
the wild region just north Of the present Cen
tral Park The otHer colonIsls encouraged this
foundation as they wanted d buffer against the
attack Of the Indians from the north The ordi-
nance establishing the town gave from thirty
SIX to forty-etght acres Of farm land to each
Harlem settler. with from twelve TO sixteen
acres Of meadow land. which holdings and the
defence of the village were to be maintained
with all -YOrss military power consisting
at that date Of an army Of from twelve TO fifteen
soldiers The village was to have a pioUs.
orthodox minister; q good wagon road to New
York, q scow q ferry auG a horse market.
The village first became a town In 1906 when
Governor Richard Nicolls gave q charter con-
yevinc all the lands on Manhattan Island north
and east Of q lire running from Seventy fourth
& on the East River TO OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
tvyer.ty-riIth -st. on the Hudson River. A sec
or5 patent was issued IL 1861 and these two
,rere confirmed by the charter issued by Gov
ernor Thomas Donsan IN 1856. This last charter
,,a-,,e6 ali Of the freeholders and inhabitants Of
the Town and 1t is IN behalf Of the descendants
of those so named that the present contest IS
being made
The contestants maintain that the Town II
Now, Harlem was never legally dissolved and
thar il could not die out unless so dissolved
while any of the heirs Of the original settlers