The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-12-29
PAGE THREE

own the island or did the island squat
ter? That case wasn't decided until
the intervening space filled up and
solved the problem in favor of the
mainland's owner.
Or, while on tragic subjects, take
the melancholy case of an ancient
Maryland family which had been pay
ing taxes of so much per acre contin-
uously from 1929 to 1926 on what was
Regarded as 1000 acres of farmland.
Last year it was resurveyed and found
to be only 1900 acres. The missing
800 acres seems to have been sold to
another ancient Maryland family back
in 1912. Does that mean that the
Borrowing estate can get back the
taxes paid in duplicate from 1912 to
1926? Let 'em try it. And this tract
is half hours drive from Baltimore
or from the National Capital.
Sometimes searchers after title
come to Mr.. Trader in desperation be-
cause llo lHueAeS w ilot lCFooi Whdt
is desired about title to land, say
in Garrett county. They complain
bitterly of the indexes.
"Maybe you didn't look in the right
indexes" he suggests.
81 looked in Garrett county," is the
answer.
"Did you look in Allegany county,"
he inquiries casually. "You know
Garrett was carved out of Allegany
county back in 1872"
And the applicant founces off to
study Allegany county instead of ask
ing the patient chief clerk to help him.
Soon he returns.
"Not in there either" he says in
triumph.
"Did you look in Frederick coun-
ty?" asks Mr.. Trader. "You know
those western counties were all carv-
ed out of the mother county Frederick
back in 1776, and Frederick was cary
ed out of Prince Georges back in
1748. Maybe I'd better help you"
And with a few magic passes he pro-
duces the precise record which the de-
spairing claimant has long sought in
vain.
New patents taken out perpetuate
the quaint old names In those Of the
last years we find "Shiela's Nook" in
Allegany; or "Second Thought" in
Montgomery; or "Willey's Right" and
"Tribulation" in Dorchester, and
"Purnelps lump" whatever lump
may be, in Worcester, to say nothing
of Democrats Choice and "Hep-
burns Harbor' and "Brittingham's
Good Luck" in that distant stretch
of the Eastern Shore. What memory
is evoked by "The Marsh" in Anne
Arundel, or "Aaron's Claim" in Caro-
line, or "Haney's Discovery" in Cecil?
These are the entertaining features
of the Land Office, but it's prime pur-
pose is not entertainment. Not least
important is its possession Of indexes
to the local land records contained
in the several counties. The Importance
of this lies in the fact that irreparable
damage will no longer be caused by
fires in the county offices-such as
stripped both Calvert and St. Mary's
of their ancient records years ago,
or by accidents such as in the war Of
1912 caused the loss of many of Co.
cil's records.
| When will serious, studious atten-
tion be paid the old records? No one
can tell, for certainly there is not
widespread information about treas
ures already brought from the Land
Office fpr display by the Maryland
Historical Society. These include the
Assembly proceedings from 1857 to
1774, correspondence of Lord Balti-
more with the crown officers, three
score letters from General Washing
ton and great amount of other in
valuable material, which, it may be
hazarded is rarely looked at today.
What price history in Maryland?