The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-11-27
The Love Story Of a Beautiful
Young Pennsylvania Girl and
Her Valiant Lover.
THE END OF A FEUD
nv WILLIAM LINCOLN sHEARER

Those familiar with Pennsylyani:
history will recall that the charter o
the Connecticut colony gave her a ter
ritory extending through its entir'
breadth, From Charles river TO IN
Pacific ocea except where occupfet
by some other Christian prince o
state E
The territory subsequently granted Il
William Penn Tapped up on his gran
more than the width of n degree o
latitude across the entire northern
part OF Pennsylvania. Connection
claimed this on the ground that hel
charter was 10 years 1older thar
PENIS.
Accordingly, In I754, the Connection
colony assigned to certain freernen ant
their association, known as the Sus'
Quehanna company, that portion of hel
territory from ten miles east OF tn
northeast branch Of the S~usquehanna
river, westward through the whole
breadth OF latitude two degrees OF
longitude, .s.%a 4
The same territory being included in
the Penn grant led to confiicting titles
which disturbed the whole of northern
Pennsylvania for fifty years. In speak
ing OF this clash, Browns History oil
| Tioga County" QS97) says: ~.
"'The strifes, conflicts, captures, re-
| prisals, destruction of property, spe
clal legislation, compromises and law
suits growing out Of these conflicting
claims disturbed the Su~sQuehanna val
ley for a half century.
"The New England settlers, believing
the Pennsylvania government had
taken unfair advantage Of the Decree
of Trenton made December 80, 1852,
which conceded to Pennsylvania the
Jurisdiction and presumption OF the dis
puted strip, by Oppressive, u~nreason-
able and tyrannical legislation, which
had been harshly enforced against
them, a meeting was held at Hartford,
Conn, July 13, 1785, at which 1t was
resolved that the company would sup
port It's claims to the purchase. pro-
tect the settlers and give as a gratu-
fly q large number of rights to such as
would come pon the ground and
maintain by force and arms, IL need
be, their possessions against the en-
croaching Pennsylvania grantees.
This resolution was scattered broad
cast throughout New England, and
mostly young men, or relatives of old
settlers, rushed upon the disputed ter
ritory. Immediately after the pur-
chase OF the Indian claim by Pennsyf-
vania to the northwestern portion OF
her territory, a land office was opened,
| the land surveyed and offered for sale
at q price which was soon reduced ia
Va "a W pSA H @1A
wild. Philadelphia merchants, bank
ers, men holding public office and
others invested to the utmost limit OF
| money and credit. AS early as May,
1875, warrants of surve were laid, and
patents werc granted on some of them
as early as 1892.
"Great efforts were made to sell these
warrants to settlers, but the great un-
certainty about title, on account of the
prior grant to the Connecticut colony,
| led them to hesitate about making IN
vestments. Men who had embarked In
these speculations o found them
selves greatly embarrassed and unable
to make their payments. Their lands
were sold by sheriffs and United States
marshals for taxes and warrant fees,
and many Philadelphians were hope
lessly ruined thereby.
1In the meanwhile, after pursuing a
vacillating course toward the Connec-
ticut people for more than sixteen
years, the Pennsylvania legislature
reached a settled policy in its dealings
with them. The confirming law passed
In 1873, with its various supplements,
made O distinction between the Sus-
quehanna company's Connecticut
charter) settlers prior to the Decree
of Trenton and those who came later,
half-share men, confirming the titles
or the former to the lands they oc-
CuPNcQS anu, ublNk the lang udBS vi dH
eminent Judge, cutting up the pre-
tended titles OF the half-share men by
the roots .2a
"The question OF titles being settled,
Iandholders, In 1906, of the Pennsyl-
vania company latter trying several
others who failed) appointed as their
agent Thomas oyerton, OF Ulster,
Bradford county, who travelled through
northern Pennsylvania, commencing
that year, and with great tact and per-
Bausion prevailed upon most of the
settlers to abandon their worthless
Connecticut titles and buy of the
Pennsylvania owners.
THE people had no money. The lit
tie they once had had been expended
on the purchase or their Connecticut
rights and the improvement OF their
farms. MI. Overton, however, arranged
easy terms OF payment, which was Sc
cured by bond and mortgage upo the
holdings. &a
'sThe first volumes of records in the
| Northern Tier counties are mostly
filled with mortgages given to secure
the payment OF h purchase money OF
this disputed claim, and many OF the
deeds contain a warranty which car
only be understood by remembering
that to q part or a whole OF the LAND
conveyed there was an adverse title
from another state" "
I The sun was SeII1ng on an early
April day Of the year 1872, In northern
Pennsylvania, lear where the village
Of Lawrenceville now stands. Its re.
Election from the window of Adam
lHarts hotel, with its attendant distil.
lery, made that modest hosiery a blaz,
OF glory, resembling published account
of New Jerusalem streets. Along tn,
Williamson road, the one Travelled high.
way. wherever there was space, wer,
4 blossoming shade trees and dogwood
which with the dark pines and hem.
locks for a background, stood out II
bold relief. There were convivia
spirits at the hotel, with ribald laugh
ter, cheer and jeer. " G
Higher up on the hillside, where
pne-story log cabin stood In q littl,
cleared spot by q marvelously gushing
spring, the sunlight fell aslant a pale
Of marsh hay on which q pioneer lay
breathing his last from the ravages o
typhoid fever. The rays which glori
ded hill, stream, distillery, only serve,
to bring out his wan, worn, pale
strained, burning features,
The pioneer physician had done hi
best. He had bled his patient till hi
heart from the loss OF blood had almos
ceased TO beat. He had given the SUI
ferer calomel till his eyeballs ha
turned blue and his teeth loosened. III
had denied water to the sick man VIII
was literally being burned up. And, not