The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-04-07
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SHLOGK.

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LITE RHoooY WIKI CONTRIB
uTE MANY uNlouE5AHp Ms
ToRscAL REIlcs-
NORFOLK. Va, APRIL Judge
Hlodgett, one OF the Commissioners IN
charge of Rhode Islands exhibit In
the approaching jamestown Exposs-
ton, IS receiving Eor day to 5aS
many interesting documents to Sc pu.
on view at that fair. Among all the
instruments that have Been loaned to
him for the purpose mp to this time.
none has quite the historic importance
Of an "indeneure" hat State Record
Commissioner THEY has contributed
The document -Is I'm 3 mannera
granted by Charles Il on July 8. 1863.
Of far less historic value Of course, but
yet Of more personal interest 1t was
drawn up only eight days after that
remarkable paper was signed
John Clarke. the Rhode Island asen,
who was able to secure this grant Of
exceptional powers, was sorety In
need Of. funds as the result OF his
efforts IL the cause of the Colony. To
secure enough money for his per-
soma! needs. he decided 10 make over
his Newport farm as security for a
loan
Richard Dean, of the parish OF Is
linSton county yof NiddleseN. who
wrote Gent after his name. but
viii judging from the outrageously
high interest he charged FOR his as
sis;ance. was Shyiock Of the
necessary money He came forward
with one hundred and thirty-oae
pounds but stipulated that six
months and TWO days later he should
receive one hundred a2d fo-ty-one
pounds and fourteen sbilhngs In re-
TURF In other words. he demande.-
Sixteen per cent interest
The indenscre is the result OF CON
siderable legal ingenuity CLARKE.
evidently. could not give clear IL
tie. or at least. he couldn't give one
that exactly suited Dean
Perhaps Il was thought that the
property could not be transferred IN
less The parties TO the transfer should
come to Newport, where II was stu
ateJ- AT any rate. to avoid all this
doub: and difficulty 1t was decided TO
draw up lease BY ii Clarke leased
his farm with It's many acres and all
its buildings to Dean for 1000 years
The rent charged was -one peper
com only on the feast OF the Nativity
of Saint John tae Baptist
The payment OF the one hundred
and fortS-one pounds and fourteen
shiliings. however. would release
Clarke from his hard bargain. pro-
vided he pair this sum on January l..
1861 "at the dwelling house OF Black
borne in Threaneedle street between
the hours Of ten in the morning and
two N the afternoon Ic those days
everybody was particular about OBJ
Serving an possible forms N money
transactions.
The document Il extremely well
preserved The parchment looks as
fresh rs yesterdays newspaper and
the work upon il could scarcely have
been any clearer the day 1t w2s
drawn. =
When the Rhode Island Conl1ais-
sicners visited the jamestown Expo
sition site ana conferred with tn.
managers. they decided that it would
be eminently proper for their com
monwealth to Install in its State
building an historic exhibit which
would give an idea Of the importance
of the little State in the making OF
the country. and the response to their
views has been sInSularly unanimous
on the part OF Rhode Islanders. num-
hcrs OF whom are sending to the COM
miSsioners either the original relics
and documents or descriptions OF
them, with the promise to lend the
originals TO. the historic collection
when it is installed at the James
town Exposition in 1907.