Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-25

4 "a DIS ils NDNGilDti 1871 fSDIultTION1i
was run out in 1884 into lots Of about
| 200 9cres each, and ii is believed that
| all of these lots were decided to Revo-
lutionary soldiers or their widows or
heirs for services which were rendered
| i'll the Revolutionary war, with the
| idea that they would settle in that
| country and clear it for farms. But as
| this township was located on a ridge
| north and west of Moosehead lake, far
removed from all means of communi-
| cation with the outside world and
/ naturally a very rocky and rough
country. no effort WAS ever made by
anyone to clear single lot, and they
were sold by the people t. whom they
| We're decided and by their heirs from
time to time, and have remained 20
this day, through great many sue
cessive conveyaEces, as d part of the
wild lands of Maine.
The Totmans and their fathers be-
fore them had owned and numbered
upon the lots we bought for great
many years They would give only
quit claim deeds. The title was difficult
to examine, but their Icing ownership
led us to believe that it was fairly
good They admitted doubt AS to one
lot, No 125, which we We're unable to
trace the title TO, and gave us an
agreement that if the state laid claim
10 1t that they would pay us back a
dollar an acre
In May, 1899, we bought of another
branch of the Totman family. who had
owned in this township equally with
the others, to wit. of Calvin q. and
Arthur Fl. Totman, other lots in the
south east part of the town, said TO
contain S046 "a ceres for $2.25 an acre.
In August, 1899, we bought Of Elias
Milliken other lots on the easterly and
central part of the town, estimated at
2t17 acres, at about the same price.
In october. 1899, we bought of the
M G. Shaw Lumber company lot 80,
containing 300 acres, for which we paid
Sf200 This was a very high price, but
there stood upon it quite an amount of
old growth pine, and probably 1t vas
the cheapest lot we bought on account
of the extra value of the timber upon it.
In October, 1899, we bought of the
M G.. Shaw Lumber company two 9th
er lots, said to contain 403 1-3 acres for
$500
Besides these acres. Edith f. Wood
man of Bangor owned lots in the
northerly and westerly part Of the
town which represented about 4500
acres. which | and my associates never
had any dealings with.
on May 10. 1899. after talk with the
land agent. I became satisfied that the
state might have better title to lots
125. so and 81 which the Totmans had
conveyed to us, and which we had
I xUrntp
the letter asking for a deed from the
state, and offered to give $500 to clear
the cloud from the title on these lots.
The matter was thoroughly talked
over with the governor and council
and the land agent, and they under
stood that we had already bought ana
paid for these lots. and the price was
thought fair under the circumstances
to clear the title to them. As / SAID
In my letter, I'VE do not desire to be
placed in position where we viii have
any trouble with the state as to stump
age. ard for that reason are willing to
give the above sum so as to save any
question which may arise in the fu-
ture."
I did not write this rs attorney gem
eral. | wrote it as an Individual, rep
,esenting myself and other owners oil
"Soldiertown." | proposed to take
the deed for the benefit of us all, as
I did This letter. it seems. happened
to have been written upon my offlcial
paper, but it was signed by me, ana
not as attorney general and there
was no Misrepresentation whatever
in the matter. The deed was given
to us by the land agent under date
of June 5. 1899. This gave us no new
land. We had before bought and paid |
for these lots to the Totmans, as
above stated.
| afterwards learned of the deed |
given by the State iii 1868 to the Euro>
pean & North American railroad or
all the land the State owned within |
the drainage of the Penobscot and ST |
John rivers. and upon further inves-
tigation of "Soldiertown' i made up |
my mind that the Maine Central rail-
road. which had inherited this from |
the European & North American rail-
road by consolidation, owned an inter
est in "Soldiertown" | went to them |
about ii, and they knew nothing of it, |
gave them the numbers of the lots |
that | thought drained in whole or in |
part into the Penobscot and which |
they might own. | offered them $3.50
for it, and after examining the matter
they reported to me an acceptance of
the offer. and said il was just like find |
ing money. as they never knew they |
had any interest there whatever. By
this | got a deed of II lots. perhaps |
over 2500 acres the most |
of which drained into the Penobscot.
But it was evident that a number of |
these lots drained also into the Ken |
nebee. How many acres no one could |
tell without making a careful and very |
expensive Typographical survey. The |
dividing line between the Kennebec |
and Penobscot waters ran irregularly |
through there The land agent asked |
me what | would give for what might |
be on the Kennebec side and for a |
quit claim of whatever possible inter- |
est the State might have left in this |
town. and after considerable discus. |
sion with both the land agent and Cow |
ernor Powers. who represented the |
State, / finally offered them the sum |