The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1909-01-15
FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS.
John c. c. Mayo, of PaintsyilIe,
Talks of Old Land Grants,

The following from lhe LeAlhB-
ton Leader an interview with vne
OF the most prominent citizens Of
the Big Sandy Valley. will be Of
interest TO our readers;
John c. c. Mayo, of Paintsyille,
the millionaire coal timber and land
owner, who has been the bulwalk Of
the people In the eastern part Of
the State In the fight through the
Kentucky courts in which n number
OF eastern lawyers and capitalists
are seeking TO gain possession Of a
portion OF the mountain districts I'M
Ger ancient grants by the State
Of Virginia, arrived in the city
Tuesday from Louisville. Speaking
Of the move OF the eastern men
In taking the case to the United
States Supreme Court, Mr.. Mayo TO
Leader reporter said:
"'The whole thing resolves Itself
into n simple cae of number OF
lawyers OF this State and OF New
York, who are getting substantial
living giving time to large pieces of
property for few cents an are
The matter can be favorably com
Jared with the Indian, who q
number OK years ago went to New
York and laid claim 10 the title to
Long Island and IN fact all Of
Greater New York He claimed he
owned all q the property, as The sale
or trade was made as II was really,
was made illegally because he got
only few pounds of tobacco and
did not get his moneys worth
/ He found plenty OF lawyers who
were willing and anxious to take up
the case.
"The people up in the country
affected are not afraid Of the case
OF all. All OF the decisions Of
the Kentucky courts have been IA
yorable 20 them, and they knew
they would be before the case came
into the courts. ! suppose that
these lawyers who are trying to
I get possession under old Virginia
and West Virginia patents will fin
ally try TO dig up the ancestors OF
Daniel Boone, claiming that ne had
first claim 70 the land. as he dis
cover Il while on his hunting
and fishing tours, There is Just
about as much ense TO this sort
of a move as TO the arguments
they are putting up now,
"we. who are in possession Of
the land, which consists of about
forty counties and probable acre
age Of five million, and with n pop
ulation Of between five anrd eight
hundred thousand are not worrying
about the case at all. In the ilrst
rlace we have been on the prop
erty over Is years, which is time
enough under the laws Of Kentucky,
&c give a title, provided no one
questions our right of occupancy
Again the title TO thsi property
has been handed down from genera
ton TO generation
"The case when summed up In
few words, amounts to this:
Has the State of Kentucky the right
t. forfeit the title of these noun
tain lands because their owners fail
ed to pay taxes. and by their failure
to pay the taxes, has the State the
right to give clear title and sell
them as the State sees fitG The
original owners, those that secured
the patents to them from the State
of Virginia, have never paid the
State, any taxes and under the
State laws have forfeited their
ClAlmb' luhJ ID dh thViO 10 w -
Again, we have occupied this land
as | said before, for 10 years with
out anybody questioning our right
OF title. This throws the case back
upon the State of Kentucky and th'
State will have to protect our In.
terests.
"These lawyers have based theii
right to carry the case to the
United States Supreme Court on
the dissenting opinion handed dowr
by Judge Hobson of the Kentucky
Court Of Appeals, and they have
rot a very fat chance of getting
either the people of the State OF
the State itself. The large Interests
of mining, numbering and manufac'
turing companies who are conduct
ing their business on these lands ar
we'll convinced that their titles arr
good and prove 1t by constantly
improving their property. Wher
any man or company acquires
piece Of land, the first thing ht
does is to examine the title, This
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