Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-03-03

met % wars after this bout with Cupid Cen George
Washington, commandments OIL ue rnnaonOr
army occunied the Roger Morris mansion as heaoquai-
ters tbe occunants having fled. 1t was washington VIZ
formally con1scated the property ana turheu II o''i "
the state of New York as contraband o u wal
The Morris estate of about $4,000 acres was parceeu
ou+ and sold nv the state of New York to settlers.
It seems. however, that Roger Morris had only a NE
interest in the estate and this was a legal polno > ny
that if was entirely overlooked in the joy OF connscatlon.
John Jacob Astor accidentally ascertalned the lacts.
He was convinced that the heirs could not be ropped Oh
their rights through the acts of a leaseholder' wncn'
legally, was the status of Roger Morris. Astor was a
good real estate lawyer himself, but he referred the polnt
to the best counsel he could find. They agreed with
him He next hunted up the heirs and bought tner quiz
claims for 100000.
He then notified the parties who had purchased the
land and they in turn made claim upon the state for
protection.
After much legal parleying the case was tried accord
ing to stipulation, with the state OF New YORK olrecuy
as defendant and Astor and the occupants as plalntlns
Daniel Webster and Martin Van Buren, appeared TOT the
state and an array of lesser legal lights for Aston me
case was narrowed down to the plain and simple pont
that Roger Morris was not the legal owner Oh the estate
and that the rightful heirs could not De mace 10 suner
for the "treason, contumacy and contravention" OF an
other. Astor won and as a compromise the state issued
him 2O-year bonds bearing six per cent. interest Tor the
neat sum of ~$5OO,OOO.
Astor took a deep interest in the Lewis and Clark
expedition. He went to Washington to see Lewis and
questioned him at great length about the northwest.
Washington Irving has told the story of Astoria at
length. 1t was the one nnanclal plunge tdheH Wy 1ohn
Jacob Astor.
And in spite of the fact that it failed the whole affair
does credit to the prophetic brain of Astor.
'"This country will see a chain of growing and pros
porous cities straight from New York to Astoria, Ore-
gon," said this man in reply to a doubling quesuoner.
He laid his plans before congress, urging a line Oh
army posts, 40 miles apart, from the western extremity
of Lake Superior to the Pacific. "These forts or army
posts will evolve into cities" said Astor, when he called
on Thomas Jefferson, who was then president OF the
United States. Jefferson was interested, but non-com'
initial. Astor exhibited maps of the great lakes and the
country beyond. He urged with a prescience then mol
possessed by any living man that at the western extrem
in 1875 Duluth was ridiculed by the caustic tongue o
Proctor Knott, who asked, What will become OF Dulutf
when the lumber crop Is cut?"
Then Aston proceeded to say that another great cit!
would grow UP at the southern extremity of Lake Mich
gan. Gen. Dearborn, secretary OF war under JEFFERSON
had lust established Fort Dearborn on the present sit
of Chicago. Astor commended this and said, From
fort YOU get a trading post and from a trading post yo'
will get a city"
He pointed out to Jefferson on his map OF the sit
the Falls of St. Anthony. There you will have a fol-
some day, for, wherever there is water power there WI
1 grow UP mills for grinding grain and sawmills as wei
Y This place Of power will have to be protected and $
8 YOU will have there a post, which will eventually b
t replaced by a city" Yet Fort Smelling was nearly B
years in the future and st. Paul and Minneapolis wer
l. dreams undreamed.
9 Jefferson took time to think about 1t and then wro'
/ Aston: "Your beginning of a city on the western coast
o a great acquisition and l look forward to a time VINE
our population will spread itself up and down along u