The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-07
THE HAsKIN LETTERs
LAND TITLES. TX. The Kentuckey Contest
BY Frederick J. Haslxiii.

1
y
Romance. adventure and an in
domltable determination to achieve
Independent control Of the domain
tney had wrested from nature and
from the hostile sayages marked the
early history Of the state OF Ken
lucky.
me contest for independence was
not aimed at political seuf-govern-
Ment, since this was secured at an
early date. but toward freeing the
lands OF the state from the tram
mels OF absentee ownership under
grants made by the parent stare OF
virginia.
The first settlements were made in
Kentucky when 1t was separated
from the Old Dominion Of Virginia
by vast expanse of primeyal for
est. The first. settlers were prevent
ed from taking the water route to
their new homes by the fact that the
Ohio river was commanded by hos
title tribes Of Indians and with tre-
mendous toll they struck out on an
overland route which has since be-
come famous under the name Of the
Wilderness Trail. :"
At the close of the Revolution.
the settlements in Kentucky were
beyond practical government nv the
state Of Virginia and were coded to
the United States with the proyiso
that they,should be erected into one
of the states of the Union. There
were vast existing interests and
claims Of citizens of, yirginial In and
Il to lands In Kentucky. and these
could only be projected by the as
under the terms OF the federal con-
stitution. BY these terms, questions
Of rights between the citizens of two
states. would be a6iudicated nv the
supreme court OF the United States
land the DEGREES enforced sby the fed
eraI power and citizens Of Virginia
depended upon this protection1 based
on the enforcemennt Of comnact
made between Kentcucky and
Virginia that tho stafus of lana +,tIea
under former yirginia laws should
NOT he disturbed
The history Of land TILES IN KEN
tucky nav be taken al tvnica1 ~ the
contests which arose IN several new
states between actual settlers az re-
mote lands and the owners of naner
titles In the early davs those who
we're nnah1e or nnw;lline IN Fnurchase
hand within easv reach ~ tI,e older
settlemants nnshad IN IN, connner
q new cnuntrv FOR tha,nselves
This was esneciailv true NJ Ken
Etucky. whose settlers. careless Of the
lTndian titles asfa hjished. fhemselves
| nv force ~ n rms and having "a
cnred neace nv conquest sat them
selves Ia accnmuiate fine comforts NJ
life Nv ardnors- labor when they
had created a va,na FIR tho lands nm
Which theS wara sattied h saamed
hard IN tham that +hev shon1d he
disIossessad at tho ;nsfs nos ~ q man
! of ryhono thay l,od raya,. moo nd who
had waitad at ease IN a. ciy,lized
com,n,,nitv mil II waa worth while
IN assort ths M nor title witch Nod
~ assert the napsr t;tis which had
nr;ca - y y
frta i,,,, ~, 80 ~. ;ss,,a5 ~, +he
stale of Vir,ini. Ito iii tba sa.ri lv
,and NO ,.,.an3s ,,,ara tha snh;ao+ II
snecu,ation 1arga ersn+s ~ land
wsra ,naSa IN tI,a sronnd ~ n,i,;tarv
sar,,;oe., ma ~, No &c. O. Ms renrasant;ne
+tasn 80 .e.,t. So o. .s1s ~, s,,,a1I
900 w. $500. ~ - :, :, 4
innrovsmsn+s IN orSar ~ nsrfect
tba warranfs INTO natants was In
,,anv " c ~, havand +ba raans ~ .ha
indiy,dmais ~ gs wbon, the .sorr,nts
n,ars ;ss,,ed ~ onS ronr,a -. 90 &C
ma haan SaSai o by nv me t a.on-,, os
1at;on int faw snds % iaree
amomnts ~ thase ,,nnarssc+ed tiles
Ias;s I had p haan aFactsd
,,,,a,, ,,na i,,ta,5eS rrs,,t 80
s I ~ "a; ;ndin,duaI, thr pn sorfait-
smra as -, ~ Ianss ~ Sarra,,+.u .yh;ob ran.
rasentad naIia comsidara Ton an.i tbis
,esisiation worEad IN the aSvantape