The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1905-02-03
Peculiar Deed Placed on File In
Muskegon County.
ACRES OF LAKE MICHIGAN
INC uded In instrument Filed by Wash
l'igton Corporation Decided to Them
by New York Man-Supervlsors viii
Contest lite Legality.

Muskegon, Mich, Jan. S0.-Accord-
Ing to the terms of deed just filed
with and recorded by Register Of
Deeds G. l. Giles of this county, Sam
uel NJ. Biddison and wife of New York
CITY have sold to the United States
Mil & Lumber Co., a corporation sup
posed to be doing business in Washing
ton. d. c., 10000 acres of land alleged
to lie west Of the United States mean
der survey of Lake Michigan and in
Muskegon county, but investigation
shows that the property included in
the deed consists perhaps of 100 acres
of made land end $4,000 acres Of wa
ter, some of which is over 100 feet
deep.
The deed in question was executed
in New York city on Oct. "a, 1904.
and was filed with Register Giles on
Dec last.
Just why a corporation of any kind
wants property of this character Reg
lister Giles does not attempt TO eX-
plain and how, when and where, and
for what consideration Samuel NJ. Bid
Olson procure his title to so much
Lake Michigan water west Of Muske-
gon and other countries north and
south is also q matter on which the
register is totally unable to throw any
light.
Dubious About Title.
Biddison seems to have been a little
dubious about bis title, for he only
gives a quit claim deed and does not
attempt to boost his position in the
financial world by seeking to convey
the idea that re Washington corpor-
alton was soft enough to pay him
big sum for hr interest in the beau
tifui expanse Of sand and water which
abuts on the western line of Muske-
gon county, as he deed says the trans
fer was made for 81 and a valuable
consideration.
The transaction looked so queer,
nonc Of the parties ever having been
heard Of here before, that the board
Of supervisors instructed Prosecuting
in court to have the deed set aside,
and also to commence criminal pro-
ceedings against the persons con-
cerred, if he can locate them.
Prosecutor Lovelace says that he
will do his whole duty in the matter.
and has no doubt but that the court
will make short work Of the deed and
despoil the Washington company of
Its gauzy claim on Muskegon county
realty. He is now doubtful about a
criminal charge holding, however
Work of Shifting Sands.
It is now 6S years since the shores
Of Muskegon lake and of Lake Michi-
gan for some niles north and south of
the harbor we're meandered by the
United States engineers, and just how
much of a change in the shore line
has been made only a resurvey will
show, as there Is from year to year
shifting of the sands along the
shores.
North and south of the piers at Mus
kegOn. White Lake and Lake Harbor
the shore has extended into the old
bed OF the lake considerable, and per-
haps all told during the past forty
years 100 acres have been added to the
area Of the commonwealth of Michigan
In this way.
This land adjoining property owners
have always claimed and they were
astounded when they learned that in
some mysterious way a New York
broker had gathered in the ownership
Of these drifting sands and the right
to erect bathing houses thereon.
A little investigation of the legal
phases of the question has treasured
them, and they low look upon the land
company and its claims with contempt