The Big Sandy news., 1910-11-04
land GRANT
Cases Now In the Hands Of
U. S. Supreme Court.
Most Important Suit Ever Brought in
EaslSm kentucky viii Soon
be Settled.

Washington. D, C.. Oct. 29,-An
empire larger than the State nf
Delaware or the island of Porto
Rico, lying In the State OF Ken
tucky. is the prize at stake today
In the Supreme Court OF the Unit
cd States Presentation Of the
controversy to the Supreme Court
today In oral arguments will re-
veal an unusual story In the West
ern advance OF civilization.
Owing to the carelessness with
which Virginia is said to have is
sued grants Just after the Reyolu-
uonary War to the unsurveyed
and little known lands in what is
now Eastern Kentucky great
confusion has resulted as to the
true owners OF land in the twenty
eastern counties of that common
wealth.
To add to this confusion, 1t is
said Kentucky did little better
than Virginia. in the first year OF
her history As a result. addition
al blanket" grants. made by the
new state. are now challenged.
In all. about $500, 900 acres OF
land are said to lie under the doubt
ful title OF these blanket grants.
OF this amount the Eastern Ken
lucky Coal Land corporation, OF
which c. d, Hillhouse is accredit-
ed with being the chief stockhold-
er. claims title to a half million
acres.
On the other hand, 100000 citi-
Eens OF the State OF Kenucky
have entered these lands. Claim
ants under the blankets" grants
call them "squatters The At
torney General OF the common
wealth OF Kentucky has appeared
in Ae supreme court to assist in
defense OF their claim of tile that
they are the people who have built
up the State and erected com
monwealth, with its court houses
and school houses. It's municipali-
ties and internal improvements.
They have, for years, the Attor-
ney General has said in brief
filed with the court, paid taxes on
the land, while search OF the
records, where such information
would be found, he says that the
sum total OF all taxes paid by the
claimants under the Virginia
grants In litigation since the or
ganiEation OF Kentucky in 1892 to
the present time, does not exceed
S75.
Recent legislation in Kentucky
resulted in decisions by the State
courts, which practically took
away the title which claimants un-
der the blanket" grants might
have had. These claimants now
come to the Supreme Court in a
final appeal. denonucing the leg
islation as "spoilation" and
lawless .confiscation, reyolutionry
and subversive of a II constitution
al and orderly government.
In the background OF the legal
contest are many stories of con-
fllct and suffering resulting from
the confusion of ownership. Not
only have there been conflicts be-
tween the claimants by virtue of
the blanket" grants and of pos
session, but hundreds Of innocent
purchasers OF fictitious titles to
the land are said to have spent
their entire fortune in going to
Kentucky, only TO find someone al
ready in possession of the land
for which they had paid their
money.
Prominent as counsel against the
claimants under these blanket
claims are John f. Hager and j.
". NJ. Stewart, Of Ashland, and z.
I. vinson, OF Huntington. These
eminent lawyers, all Big sandians,
have won much reputation during
the legal battle now nearly closed