Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-10-21
STORY No. .

Two men sat iU the back room OF the
well-appoiuted Offices OF the Real Estate
Loan and Trust company. a. ST. Louis
one night in the fau Of 1872. one was
young. under so. slender and somewhat
stopped. His eyes were dark and shift
ing and De wore BLACK beard and mus
tache. The other was Slightly older
bore the appearance u prosperous
business man. save for them The OF
ices were deserted but nevertheless
they talked in undortones.
The plan has been tested in aU its
questionable points and found absolute
ly safe. said she younger man. thoovsn-
er OF the Offices and 90 all times the
leader Boz the dialogue. Tho ONLY weak
pointremairins is thehmiled market we
now have ir The sale OF these lands. This
market must be extended. and tho casr
is the place the extension must De made
10 is nay intention 90 establish En-,ish
and European agencies and 20 place SAFE
agents in some of the eastern centers of
population. Tho opportunity fs the
greatest that VIII ever come 90 you"
There was 90 dissent from this state
ment on the part ofthe other. His man
ner sugEcsel an evident desire 20 learn
more OF tne plan under discussion. The
point iu the negotiations between the
two where there might be any danger I'm
freedom OF speech had already been
passed. There was no exhibition ON
either side OF troublesome oualrns over
the moral phase of the business IN hand
and the conversation turned on nothing
but the prospects OF carrying out Tie
scheme with safety and profit
You must bear IA mind" said The
master spirit % the conference. that
this is nothing new. A smart chan con
ceived The possibilities % the plan when
he was with Gen. Prices Riding army
IN southwest Missouri during the war
This chap wac one That happened 20 b.
turned loose Ia the land once At Iron
ton and grabbed 500 patents. each 10 s2o
acres Of land. lie woult probably have
taken more. but that Was all he could
carry. He pla-tsd them 90 the time and
resurrocted then after the uar-ir re-S
While De had general idea q their
value be had ittlo ingenuity In realiz-
ing or them.
Finally Dee met friend With q quick
or brain. and this friend sugsssted SCI
curing the services 90 rotary 90 take
the ackuowiedF emcnts necessary % so
curing land under The patents. They
came to ST. Louis and found the man
they wanted notary who liked his
liquor oit TOO we'll 90 ask too many
questions The deeds based on tho nat-
ents were made and a good BUSH ness was
done In the sale OF the lands until the
stock OF patents ran out. This pair dis
continued operations but they opened a
great field. 7 saw that thousands OF
these patents we're avauable-nover
mind how-and am ready 20 carry on
BUSINESS on big scale"
But how can deed be made IA 1877
or later so that 10 viii look like II was
made dozen years before. when the pat
ents were issued." cautiously asked tue
other
Take my word FOR Il, the deeds issued
from these patents are az good Is wheat
for commercial purposes. have a
process that gives them a semblanoe OF
age that no one has ever questioned. In
short. it's market We wa1t-uothinE
elze."
Might not the signatures 20 these
deeds be construed as forgeries?"
Possibly although 10 one has cues
toned them so far. But in order 20 pre-
vent any complication from that source
we can provide for the signing OF the
documents In another state. They can't
force witnesses across the state line"
Numerous other objections. designed
70 test the security of tho scheme rather
than 70 discourage the execution OF Il
were onered by the visitor. Zach was
met with comprehensive and plausible
answer, indicating that In all It's details
the plot had been subjected 10 tks
scrutiny OF a bright mind trained 20 the
consideration OF legal technicalities
Before the men LETT the ofsoa they had
entered into hard and fast agreement
TO carry out the plan proposed by the
MisSOurian.
Robert L. Lindsay, the preeident OF
the Real Estate Loan and Trust com
pany OF st. Louis. and the leader OF the
conversation 10 his private ofHce on the
night In question. was a man OF in
creRsing prominence in his state. He
was the son OF James Lindsay. who had
located In St. Louis In 1894.
Lindsay Sr. became the editor OF the
lhrst free soil' paper published In Mis-
souri,, and was later sent TO the legisIa-
ture as Benton democrat" During
the early days OF tho war, while Ulysses
s. Grant was recruiting the regiment
at the head Of which be made his frat
leaps toward military greatness he
went 70 Iron county. Mo. in the south
east part OF the state. and became ae-
quainted with James Lindsay. making
the latter's log house his headquarters
in the county.
Because am held TO the dead level OF
history in these narratives and not per
mitted 20 indulge in the temptations to
Nights OF romance that constantly pre-
sent themselves. am here forced to call
attention 20 a trait in the character Of
Grant that was in a great measure re-
sponsible for the Missouri land thefts.
In his sojournings at the Lindsay
home Grant conceived a strong personal
liking for his host and after he Yves
elected president he appointed rs