B67 P5 opy 1 REPORT FROM THE Superintendent of Crusts, IN RELATION TO THE BOUDINOT LANDS, SITUATED ON THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, IN Burnside Township Centre County, Pa. CONTAINING 13,185 ACRES. AND Report of the Re-Survey of the Same, ' BY JOS. F. QUAY. hi PHILADELPHIA: HUFTY, STATIONER. 1860. 6 A CONTENT OF THE SEVERAL TEACTS OF LAND, CONTAINED ON THIS MAP. AOBES 1. ThomaB Hamilton, 531 140 2. William Gray 531 140 3. Robert Gray, 531 140 4. William Brady 531 140 5. John Brady 531 140 6. Alexander Fullerton, 531 140 7. Joseph Wallace, 560 100 8. Jeremiah Jackson, 560 100 9. Thomas Reese, 560 100 10. Daniel Reese, ...560 100 11. Samuel Ewing, 244 60 12. Ann Ewing 278 13. John Ewing, 460 14. Hannah Ewing, 460 15. William Ewing, 425 16. Washington Hall, 460 17. Henry Hall, 460 18. Samuel Chew, 466 19. ElishaJ. Hall 508 80 20. John Ewing, 21. Francis Johnston, 635 115 22. Thomas Grant, ,23. John Barron, 165 24. William Wallace, 455 25. James Davidson 471 '26. William Davidson, 528 27. John Davidson, 453 28. Robert Davidson , 299 118 29. James Ewing, 354 Acres 13,185. ..P. 13 Thirteen thousand one hundred and eighty-five Acres and thirteen Perches. BEHJ/!f/IIN ;7V/ '/ REPORT FROM THE Siiperintenhitt 0f Crusts, IN RELATION TO THE BOUDINOT LANDS, SITUATED ON THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, IN Burnside Township Centre County, Pa. *- CONTAINING 13,185 ACRES. AND Report of the Re-Survey of the Same. BY JOS. F. QUAY. .. _- •'% PHILADELPHIA: HUFTY, STATIONER 18 6 0. / -J I ■~BL1T6 I Philadelphia, Sept. 18, 1860. To President and Members ) of Common Council. J ■Gentlemen z I now proceed to give you all the information in my possession as to the lands situated in Burnside Township, Centre Co., Pa., bequeath- ed to the City of Philadelphia, in trust by Dr. Elias Boudinot. Until about two years since these lands have possessed but little real value, in consequence of the region of country being in such a wild state, although there were many persons who believed that Coal and Iron were there in considerable quantities : about that time a company was incorporated for the purpose of making a rail road from Tyrone, a town ■situated on the line of the Pennsylvania Bail Boad, and passing near Ballefonte and Lockhaven on the w est branch of the Susquehanna Biver. After this company was organized and progressing by having the line •of road surveyed and contracts entered into there was a company of gentlemen, among whom were some residents of Bellefonte of great experience and excellent judgment, who purchased a large tract of land, say about forty thousand jacres, within about two miles of the southern boundary of the land held in trust by the City, and obtained an act •of incorporation entitled the " Snowshoe Improvement Company," and have built a rail road from Bellefonte to Dear the further portion of their lands, and opened two bituminous coal veins, one six and the other six and one half feet deep, of excellent quality, and also one Iron vein of excellent quality, about four miles from the land held in trust by the City, and on the same level, and I am informed it is the intention of the company to extend their road about two miles further in the direction of the Boudinot land, thus bringing them to within about two miles of direct communication with the City of Philadelphia by rail road to Bellfonte, thence by canal to Lock Haven, and thence by either canal or the Sunbury and Erie Bail Boad to the City. By some mismanagement this cross rail road company from Tyrone to Lock Haven have been obliged to suspend operations for the present, I am, however, informed that directors have been elected who are alto- gether satisfactory, and they express their entire confidence in being able to put the affairs of the company in such a condition as to enable them to finish the road next year, which will then give to within about two miles of the Boudinot lands two direct rail road communications with the City of Philadelphia, viz. ; the Pennsylvania and the Sunbury and Erie, the importance of which you are able to judge. In obedience to an ordinance of the City I have had these lands survey ed by Joseph F. Quay, Esq., whose very full and excellent report accom- panies this, and which I cannot too highly commend to your attentive perusal, and also a lithographic plan of his survey. The ejectment suits have been entered, and I am happy to have it in my power to say from recent information that the greater number of the squattors will not contest the right of the City to these lands but leave, whilst some two or three wish to purchase. At present there is but one who intends to resist the City's claim. The replevin suits are also in progress, and it is expected will come to trial this fall or winter, which I shall urge to a speedy conclusion. There are a number of persons who are desirous of purchasing timber leave, as well as several who wish to purchase particular tracts, and now with this information, I would respectfully suggest : 1st. — That timber leave should be sold to such persons as can give ample security for the fulfillment of contracts, drawn with especial reference to the entire security of the trust. 2nd. — That some person of mining experience and known capacity should be employed to proceed to the lands and make the requisite openings, and furnish a full and correct report of any Coal and Iron that may be found, both as regards quantity and quality. As there can be no continuous rail road communication from within a few miles of these Boudinot lands until, the Tyrone and Lock Haven road is finished, I should not think it advisable to sell the land, either whole or in part, until the road was completed, which will afford ample time to have the examination made as above suggested, all of which is respectfully submitted by Your obedient servent, CHARLES OAT, JSujp't. of Trusts. REPORT. To CHARLES OAT, Esq., ) Superintendent of Trusts, Philadelphia. ) Sir : — Under the agreement existing between the City and myself for the re-survey of the tract known as the Boudinot Lands, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna, in Centre County — I herewith forward you a diagram of the re-survey made of this body of lands, and also, a report of such examinations as I was able to make of timber, soil, waters, &c. In the first place, the official draft which was furnished to me of the body of lands in question, included three several adjoining tracts originally surveyed on warrants, granted to Charles Hall, 434 acres, James Hall, 388 acres, 96 perches, John Hall, 396 acres, which tracts I re-surveyed, but at the time of finishing I found a clever farm opened on the east end of John Hall, and in the occupancy of one Dixon, who informed me the three tracts in question belonged to Henry Brokerhoff, Esq., a merchant residing in Bellefonte. I at once sent a message to him asking for the facts. Mr. Brokerhoff at once sent me his deed for the three tracts, dated January, 1855, executed by the Sheriff of Centre County, and sold as the property of Jacob Rothrock. This deed recites a deed dated June 12, 1844, from A. Reed, administrator of Peter A. Karthaus to William Iddings for the three tracts in question, also a deed from Iddings to Jacob Rothrock for the same lands ; therefore, we performed a great deal of hard labor for no good purpose : I shall therefore say nothing further about those tracts, and in order to fix the exact position and location of the lands in question on their southern boundary, I began at the north west corner of an old survey of 1192, and which survey I was familiar with, having surveyed it in 1840 for Mr. Gratz, the owner,then by division of M. O'Briaa and William McPherson tracts, 6 N" 2° E found the old line well marked at 320 perches, old pointers, then by old line of the John Irvin and Matthew Irvin tracts east, at 230 old corner, then by old line of Charles Petitt and Matthew Irvin north, 320 perches old corner, then went to an old corner of the John Irvin and Matthew Irvin surveys, then by the Irvin tract and along the William Bell tract by an old line of 1792 north, at 320 perches found a corner, then along the line of William Bell and the Washington Hall tract west, at 156 perches, old north and south line of 1792. I then run east along the division of Matthew Irvin, Charles Petitt, Andrew Petitt, Blair McClanahan and George McClanahan, old surveys of 1192, and the four city tracts in the names of Washington Hall, John Ewing, Joseph Wallace and Thomas Hamilton, and when we intersected the old N. and S. line on the eastern boundary, we had 120 perches surplus measurement, which I divided between the two eastern tier of tracts, not equally, but adding 70 perches to the Wallace tract, which makes that block 390 perches and the other block 370 perches east and west, and I there, for the first time, discovered that the city tract throughout would lack a full tract or more, (according to the various windings of the river,) from the southern to the northern terminus of the entire body of tracts ; because according to draft, the Thomas Hamilton tract should have intersected the south west corner of Robert Brady tract, instead of which we intersected the division corner of the Brady and Donnel tracts which I was familiar with, having been on the ground and surveyed 28 tracts east of the city lands in 1855. We immediately went to the corner apine of Wash- ington Hall, and chained north to the river, and found the distance sufficient for two tracts only, and 117 perches between Samuel Chew and William Ewing. We then began at a hemlock corner, 35 perches above the mouth of Miles Run, and took the courses and distances of the river down to the Robert Davidson tract at the mouth of Burns Run, a distance over 14 miles, and after the most careful examination I could make, and comparing my work with the map from the Land Office, I am satisfied to a certainty that no survey of the river was originally made /or the city tract • but on the contrary, the courses and distances taken and made in 1792, of the north side of the river for the Keating lands, was adopted and made to apply to the city tract by whoever had the work in charge in 1795. The survey of John Barron and Sarah Hall proves it. Barron, when properly surveyed and laid down is reduced to nothing, and as to Sarah Hall, there is not an inch of ground left for her, and many of the tracts along there are crowded, and the river made to yield so as to admit whole tracts when there is not room for small lots. I have carefully surveyed and so disposed those river tracts, that each one has all the land they can possibly have by following the original surveys as far as possible, and after all the crowding and errors committed in the original work, the difference between the former survey in IT 95 and my work is only 298 acres. I shall now proceed to that part of my duty which relates to soil, timber, &c, &c, of each separate tract, beginning with the survey highest up the river, surveyed in the name of Elisha John Hall. EL1SHA JOHN HALL, 508 acres. This tract, adjoins the river on the north and includes a large run known as Miles Run ; some 90 perches below the mouth of the run the mountain recedes from the river in a semi-circular form, leaving about 50 acres of land which is level enough for farming, but of poor barren soil and very stony ; that part of this tract above the run is mountainous for the first 1 50 perches south from the river, but when on the top of the mountain the soil is good: about 50 acres of this flat would do well for plow land, and had the timber been left, would have been very valuable ; all the large white oak and pine is cut and taken off; there is still a considerable quantity of both white oak and whit pine of middling size remaining, which can be hauled to the river without much expense. That part of the tract in the vicinity of the run has an abundance of good hemlock^timber, which can be taken to the river at a small expense, but most of the white pine has been stolen which stood in the vicinity of the run. This stream is large enough for driving saw-mills, and if this tract with one or two ad- joining tracts were in the hands of enterprising lumbermen, it could be rendered of great value, in the erection of a saw-mill and transpor- tation of the saw-mill lumber down the Susquehanna River to market. THE WILLIAM CHEW TRACT, 466 acres. This tract adjoins E. J. Hall on the east, and is bounded by the river on the north, a distance of 497 perches ; a flat piece of land about the middle of the tract on the river side, say 60 acres, will do for farming, although the soil is barren and partakes of sand. A small corner of this tract where the run passes through it, is well timbered with white pine and hemlock, say 40 acres ; the balance is stony, very mountainous, and has, like all the lands in the vicinity of the river, suffered by burning the woods, a practice which has been kept up annually since hunters and trappers first discovered the country. THE WILLIAM EWING TRACT, 425 acres. This tract fronts on the river 161 perches, and is broken up by mountains, occasioned by the Spruce Ruu with its numerous branches passing through it ; along the river the mountain is high and rugged, and very bare of timber ; but on the main run and branches, there is an immense quantity of hemlock of large size and good quality with some white pine yet remaining, notwithstanding the great amount which has been stolen off and taken down the river to market. I saw on this tract, near the forks of the run, the remains of a log house and stabling, which I am told was built by one Jacob Lebo for the ac- commodation of his workmen, whilst engaged in making and hauling timber from this tract, about 13 or 14 years ago. There is no part of this tract fit for tillage, nor is the run large enough in quantity of water to drive saw-mills. I shall have occasion to speak of this run hereafter. THE JAMES EWINO TRACT, 354 acres. This tract bounds on the river 505 perches, the mountains put into the river the first 300 perches below the mouth of Spruce Run very bold, then a flat of some 50 acres of land extends along the river 130 perches, which might be farmed, although the soil partakes of sand, and besides, is stony. The timber on this flat has suffered from the burning of the woods, to a very great extent : from this flat the mountain puts in steep and very rocky to Bagher's Run. There is on the interior of this tract, a great quantity of yellow pine timber which is well calculated for sawing into boards, and brings a price equal in market to white pine. THE ANN EWING TRACT, 2? 8 acres. This tract extends along the river 355 perches, and is occupied by George Bearfield, who has a small log house and some land cleared, but I could see no fencing ; he has resided there some 5 years, with ' no title but that of a squatter. Some 40 acres might be cultivated on this flat, where Bearfield lives, of middling good soil. A great quantity of lumber is on this tract, such as white pine and hemlock, along Bagher's Run, all of which can be taken' down the run to the river ; on the mountain, between the river and Bagher's Run, the land js very stony and barren, unfit for cultivation, and timber destroyed by fire. THE SAMUEL EWING TRACT, 244 acres, 60 perches. This tract is bounded on the north-west by the river, at the north west corner of the tract only, and is therefore entirely located on the mountain ; it is level on the mountain, but the soil is very poor and stony, with considerable yellow pine timber ; but along Bagher's Run, the hemlock and white pine timber is abundant and of good quality, and which can all be hauled down the run to the river. THE JOHN EWING TRACT, 168 acres. This tract bounds on the river 266 perches, -the mountain along the river is high, rocky and steep, without timber of value, the fires from year to year having quite destroyed it. There is a deep ravine and run, which is now dry, running from the river through this tract south west) along which there is some white pine timber, and on the north side of the tract, where it touches Moore's Run, there is good hemlock timber which can be conveyed to the river cheap, as the distance is short. Upon the whole, this tract is of small value. THE FRANCIS JOHNSTON TRACT, 635 acres, 115 perches. This tract is opposite Birch Island, and extends along the river 481 perches ; there is a narrow bottom of good soil extending along the river near the whole length of this tract, but not sufficiently large to admit of farming ; the remainder of the tract is mountain, and 10 mostly level, with considerable white pine timber, also chestnut, oak and yellow pine. The south end of this tract abounds with good hemlock timber, along Moore's Run, which runs through it; there is also quite a quantity of white pine on this tract. I (hid where great waste has been committed many years ago, by the timber hawks, in cutting and carrying off white timber ; there is a quantity now hewed and remaining on the ground, almost rotten from age ; there might be some land farmed ou the mountain, but not in quantity sufficient to justify expense. THE JOHN BARRON TRACT, 165 acres. This tract is 402 perches along the river, and the line dividing this tract from the William Wallace survey, runs along the side of the mountain, which is both steep and rocky. There is, perhaps, 30 acres of this tract along the river, level enough to farm, but the soil is barren and poor, besides being covered with large stones ; the timber on this level part has been destroyed by fire ; but the side of the mountain affords some white pine and yellow pine timber.; the largest and best is cut off and gone. THE WILLIAM WALLACE TRACT, 455 acres. This tract fronts on the river 352 perches, and has a large scope of land or flat next the river ; and was it less barren and stony, would make a good farm. A squatter named James Potter, a colored man, has a cabin house below the mouth of Field's Run, a few acres cleared, and claims under the improvement of George Gains, who he alleges, settled here 24 years ago ; he has no survey, nor have any of those parties paid taxes for this property ; ail the lumber of value has been stolen from the property. There is a lumber road up Field's Run from the river, entirely above the grant tract, and no timber of value remains. Even on the mountain, the pine timber has been cut away, so that the tract is of little value, except the water power and depot for the lumber and coal of all the back tracts, which must all centre at the river here. 11 THE THOMAS GRANT, TRACT, 460 acres. This tract is on the mountain, and on Field's Run it is generally leve'> except where Field's Kun passes through it ; there is no part of it adapt- ed to farming; the timber such as white pine and hemlock of good has been stolen long since, and therefore but little remains of value on this tract ; there is still some hemlock worth attention along Field's Run, and a good deal of white oak and yellow pine ; the stream (Field's Run) is large enough for mills, and besides a point of general deposit must centre at the mouth of Field's Run for the coal and lumber of all the country many miles south and west of the River, which makes the point now occupied by Potter on the Wallace tract of great value. THE JAMES DAVIDSON TRACT, 471 acres. This tract fronts on the river 112 perches, and extends back on to the mountains. There is no white pine of any consequence on this tract, but a large amount of yellow pine, and about 40 acres of it next the river is well set with chesnut, white oak and sugar tree, of good quality. Some 30 acres can be cultivated to advantage along the river. THE WILLIAM DAVIDSON TRACT, 428 acres. This tract fronts on the river 526 perches, and is occupied by Rich, ard Reed, who has a cabin, and two or three acres cleared on it; he claims under an improvement by one Thomas Smoke, who claims in right of George Gains, a squatter; none of them ever paid taxes for their claims. This tract is very mountainous, with the exception of some 40 acres in and above the run and along the river. There is a great deal of valuable hemlock timber, on and near Yost's Run, but the most valua- ble timber has disappeared long since by the hand of timber thieves who have been on this property over twenty years ; one Perry, whose cabin is on the John Davidson tract, and not over 8 rods from the division line of those tracts, has (as he stated to me) been in possession of the premises he occupies about 24 years ; his improvement includes the mouth of the Run, and not over 8 to 10 acres cleared land, all told. The mouth 12 of thi? run and vicinity will, like the one above where Potter lives, become of great importance within a very few years. The stream called Yost's Run is large enough for mills, and a vast territory lying south of the river at this point must pour in immense quantities of lumber and coal at the river here, therefore no pains should be spared nor time lost, in ousting those squatters, to wit ; Perry, Huling and Potter from these lands. THE JOHN DAVIDSON TRACT, 453 acres. This tract fronts onthe River 238 perches, one Hewling already noted lives on it. There might be in all 50 acres cleared on this tract of pretty good land ;. the timber along and near Yost's Run is all stolen that was worth taking. Thomas Perry has a snug iuprovement of some 20 acres cleared, a cabin house, &c. ; this improvement is on both the Robert and John Davidson tracts ; no person on the premises at present ; I saw a field of com, with hay and grain in store on the premises ; this property was first inproved over 40 years ago, by Isaac Herrington, who sold his claim to George Yost, who then went to Dr. Boudinot, and bought a part of the tract. Yost never paid any thing, but sold out to Thomas Perry, the present claimant, who is too poor to pay, the most of this tract extends on and over the mountains, and is of little value. THE ROBERT DAVIDSON TRACT, 299 acres. 118 perches. This tract extends. along the river 412 perches, and has nothing that is worth notice upon it, excepting that a part of the cleared land of the improvement in possession of Thomas Perry is on this tract, and a snug little farm is opened up with between 30 and 40 acres, under fence, with house, barn and orchard ; it is claimed by James Moore, in right of James Hill, who improved it over 40 years ago — he has neither warrant nor survey, the remainder of the tract is a high steep mountain of no value that I can judge of, except some yellow pine on the top which could with great difficulty be brought to the river ; the claim of Moore is at the lower end of this tract joining the William Wilson tract. 13 WASHINGTON HALL, 460 acres. This tract adjoins the old surveys of 1792, formerly owned by Mr. Gratz of Philadelphia, who also owned all the adjoining tracts on the south of the Boudinot lands, but sold them to the present owners, Rhodes, Smith & Co., who had a large lumbering establishment about two miles west of Washington Hall, which was destroyed by fire last Spring. In the remainder of this report, I shall not say anything about farm lands on either of the tracts ; because the country is too barren, stony and rough, with a. poor soil to admit of cultivation to any advantage; and therefore any advantages derived from it, must be from coal, iron ore and timber, of which I have no doubt, there is enough of these articles. The Hall tract is well timbered with white pine, on the western and middle portions of the tract, all of which can be taken to the river down Miles Run ; the tract is generally level except along and near the runs, and these do not afford hills of any magnitude ; there is also a great deal of yellow pine on the tract, and which is easy of access. HENRY HALL TRACT, 460 acres. This tract is also comparatively level, with the exception of some hilla along Miles run ; the white pine and hemlock timber on the western part of this tract is abundant and of good quality, and can be taken to the river at small ccst ; there is also plenty of yellow pine on it. JOHN EWING TRACT, 460 acres. This tract adjoins the Charles Petitt tract, now in part under culti- vation as a snug farm. The Ewing survey is generally level, and although on parts of it timber is scarce, still along its eastern part where the branches of Spruce Run pass through it, the white pine timber is plenty and of good quality ; besides there is much yellow pine on this tract generally — roadways can be made in any direction through this tract if necessary. 14 THE HANNAH EWING TRACT, 460 acres. This tract abounds with first rate white pine and hemlock timber along Spruce Run and its branches ; with a good deal of yellow pine generally over the whole tract ; it is easy and convenient of access from the south, the timber on it must go down Spruce Run to the river ; in fact all the timber on this tract as well as the adjoining surveys, can be hauled very cheap to the river down Spruce Run. THE JOSEPH WALLACE TRACT, 560 acres, 100 perches. This tract adjoins the old surveys of Petitt and McClanahan of 1792 and i3 generally rolling land; the measurement from the pine corner, of John E. Ewing east to the line of Henry Donnel is 120 perches over the distance given on the office draft ; I therefore divided it by giving the Wallace tract 70 perches, which makes this 390 ; and to the next tier of tracts I added the other 50 perches; so that we thereby ob- tained great increase in acres. This tract has good and plenty white pine timber along and near the branches of Spruce Bun; with a considerable quantity of yellow pine scattered over it generally ; it is easy of access from any quarter ; there is a wagon road from the Snow Shoe turnpike to the farm of Peter Etter, noted on the Charles Petitt survey ; and a tolerable foot-way from the Etter House to our camp. THE JEREMIAH JACKSON TRACT, 560 acres 100 perches. This tract may be called rolling land, and because of two branches of Spruce Run passing through it, there is a large quantity of good white pine and also considerable yellow pine timber on it, with a good portion of hemlock ; but some of the higher parts of this survey has suffered much from burning of the woods ; this fatality attaches to all the mountain lands in our country. THE THOMAS REESE TRACT, 560 acres, 100 perches. This tract is so situated on the high ridges and out of the reach of 15 streams as to be without much white pine timber, except at the west end; there is some white pine with hemlock timber, near and along the run; here we discovered a great deal of old cutting and plundering by the timber thieves. There is a very considerable amount of yellow pine on this tract, which can be taken easily to the river. THE DANIEL REESE TRACT, 560 acres, 100 perches. This tract like the one south of it, is on high dry ridges, and has not much timber of value upon its middle or southern boundary ; but along the side joining Ann and Samuel Ewing, there is a great deal of pine and hemlock, with a general growth of yellow pine timber over the whole tract ; all this timber can be taken to the river down Bagher run- THE THOMAS HAMILTON TRACT, 531 acres, 140 perches. This tract adjoins the old survey of George and Ann Mc Clanahan on the south ; and is the only tract of our re-survey which includes any waters running into Beach creek ; this tract is rolling land, easly of access, and has no timber of value, except along the small run marked Beech creek, there the white pine is first rate, but] in small quantity ; this tract has suffered from firing the woods very much. THE WILLIAM GRAY TRACT, 531 acres, 140 perches. This tract is rolling land throughout; the east end of it has a good share of yellow pine; the west end along a branch of Spruce Run has excel, lent white pine, which can all be taken down spruce Run to the river. ROBERT GRAY, 531 acres, 140 perches. This tract is just rolling enough to be accessible with ease, and abounds with white pine on its north side ; also plenty of hemlock, and the middle and soathern parts has a good growth of yellow pine; all of which must go down Ba3her run ; there is no other way to approach the river with a road, and one cartway will answer for the transportation of all the timber in a space of three or four miles round. 16 THE WILLIAM BRADY TRACT, 531 acres, UO perches. This tract abounds with white pine, hemlock, and yellow pine throuchout, and is therefore very valuable ; the timber has been pre- served from fire by the runs passing through it ; it is quite accessible from the east, the country being level every way east of this" tract, with few or no stones on the land in the immediate vicinity of the white pine corner. THE JOHN BRADY TRACT, 531 acres, 140 perches. This tract is middling well timbered throughout with white pine, hemlock and yellow pine of good quality; the surface of this tract is middling level, with the exception of the south side, next Bagher's Run; it is easy of access from east or north ; the run, as already stated, must be the course down which all the timber must be conveyed from both the Brady's tracts to the river. THE ALEXANDER FULERTON TRACT, 531 acres, 140 perches This tract is not well timbered with white pine, still there is consid arable on the streams which rise in this tract. One called Moore's Run, which runs into and through Francis Johnston ; but the east half of it is well set with yellow pine, and the tract is mostly level and easy of access from the south; in fact there is no difficulty in making a road from this tract through the whole block to Etter's farm, and there is but one mountain (and that a low one) to descend, in order to have a good wagon road from Snow Shoe Turnpike to the river, at the mouth of Field's Run. ALEXANDER J. DALLAS. This tract, owing to the intentional wrong doing of whomsoever had the location of these lands in charge in 1795, is so put forth on the re- turn that it must come on the William P. Brady tract, which I re sur- veyed in 1855 for parties in Philadelphia — you will see at once, if the Dallas tract was placed adjoining the Fulerton tract, that it must crowd Brady on to Thomas Grant, and Grant on to William Wallace, thereby 17 pushing "Wallace into the river. Therefore there is no other way to dispose of and settle the location of the whole than to drop the Dallas tract entirely, because the want of ground is at the south side of the city block, from east to west, and one full tract or more from north to south, for instance : begin at the very lower end, at Burns' Run, and lay off the tract from the river as they are laid down officially, until the whole block is run out fully , proceeding south from the river till the whole number of tracts is included, then the Washington Hall, John Ewing, Jos. Wallace, and Thos. Hamilton tracts, with some parts of other tracts will be made to crowd over on the Charles Petitt, Andrew Petitt, Matthew Irwin, and William Bell, and the McClanahan tracts. It is better therefore to preserve the adjoiners on the south unbroken, and as the river tracts are very mountainous and of little value, to have the loss on the side of the least value. George Hall and Sarah Hall are entirely lost, together with parts of several other tracts. I ha^e care- fully calculated each survey separately, and noted the contents on my draft, together with a full account of timber, waters and water courses, and everything that I deemed of importance to the sale or final dispo- sition of this body of land. In relation to the Minerals which may be contained in these lands, I have made what observations the survey of the several tracts afforded, and although I make no pretensions to geology, still I know and then venture an opinion, which may go for what it is worth. First I closely examined a circular hill on the Joseph Wallis tract, near the run where our camp is marked, and from its appearance, size and form have no doubt of its containing coal and iron ; also, a circular hill on the south east part of the Thomas Hamilton tract ; I feel satis- fied that coal can be found on that tract, and also iron ore ; I mean white ore, such as is found in the Tangascootac Valley, lying east of these lands about 12 miles. There are also mounds or circular ridges on many of the tracts, such as I have discovered at the Tangascootac mines and Clinton County mines, east of this block of tracts, particularly the Jeremiah Jackson tract, the John Ewing tract joining Wallace on the west, and William and Robert Gray, north of the Thomas Hamilton ; all these tracts I have no doubt will turn out coal and iron, if properly searched for, be- cause these minerals are found in abundance a short distance west of 18 these tracts at the Karthaus' property on the river ; also south about 6 miles there is a large business done at the Snow Shoe coal mines, where a rail road is in full operation from Bellefonte to that point. I saw, and talked with George Graham, a practical miner of note and character, who lives at Snow Shoe ; he says there is no doubt of coal and iron on those lands, and his opinion is worth a hundred per cent, more than all the books and maps put forth by Rogers on the subject of coal fossils, &c, Graham said he would be willing to make an examination during this fall and winter, if the parties owning would employ him ; I would strongly urge operations in that way, because should coal and iron be discovered, turned out and exposed to open view, the credit of the lands is established, and the sale of them made certain. And as to the mode of operating which should be pursued, in order to protect in some measure this property from the constant waste which is almost daily committed by a worthless tribe of vagrants who reside upon those tracts, and in the neighborhood, whilst along the river sur- veying we discovered large quantities of rail road ties made on the lands and ready for market, and hands busy making every day. I charged the Perrys and also one Huling and Sips who were operating on the Robert Davidson and William Wallace tracts to desist, but nothing will cause these depredations to stop, but the power of "Law," and how is this to be done ? why in no other way can it be effected than by the employment of an agent living on or near those lands ; the bare keeping an attorney at law at Bellefonte or Lock Haven to look after the tim- ber will not do — because the river tract, where the trespass is gen- erally committed, are from 30 to 40 miles from Bellefonte by the ordinary mode of travel, and the nearest tract 42, and upper one about •56 miles from Lock Haven ; now how can any attorney residing these distances from property protect them, or even take a passing glance at them. The only way is keeping a reliable man constantly employed, who resides near enough to be in constant watchfulness ; that very per- son you can have by giving Seth Nelson a regular power of Attorney, to see after the lands; he is a strictly upright and sober man, living north of the river, some three miles from Birch Island. I saw Nelson when I was surveying, and had a talk with him on this subject. He is willing to take the agency under a power of attorney, but not other- 19 wise. You may suppose the cost of keeping an agent under pay would be burthensome. I venture to say the whole expense of Nelson would not be fifty dollars a year, whilst the loss sustained in the want of a watcher is several hundred dollars annually. I could not convey to you any conception of the loss this property has sustained from inroads made by trespassers — Actions of ejectment should be instituted at once against the squatters, with writs of Estreponeut to stay waste. — I have now given all the information in my power respecting the surveying, waters, timber, &c, &c, in and about the city lands. JOSEPH F. QUAY. 20 No. 11. DR. ELIAS BOUDINOT'S LEGACY. Extract from the Will of Elias Boudinot, Esq., dated 3d July, 1821 — Proved and Eecorded at Mount Holly, N. J., November 3, 1821. ,( As to all the rest and residue of my estate, real, personal, and mixed, wherever it may be, I give, devise and bequeath the same, and every part thereof, to my beloved daughter, Susan V. Bradford, my nephew, Doctor Richard Stockton, of Princeton ; Lucius H. Stockton, of Trenton ; Elias E. Boudinot, son of my late beloved brother, Elisha Boudinot ; Samuel Bayard, Esquires, and the survivors and survivor of them, his heirs and assigns in fee simple, as joint tenants and not as tenants in common, in trust nevertheless, and to and for the sole uses and purposes hereinafter mentioned, and to no other, to wit : " And on this further trust that my said trustees shall hold all that certain tract of woodland, situate, lying, and being on the river Susque- hanna, in the State of Pennsylvania, a little above the Sinnemahoning Creek, on the opposite side of the Susquehanna, containing a little more than thirteen thousand acres, and which I hold under Cadwalader Evans, Esq., by deeds dated the sixth day of April, 1797, and 2d of April, 1802, recorded at Williamsport, in Lib. A. 471, and in Centre County, in Lib. A. 190, and is contained in about thirty-two tracts or lots into which the same is now divided, as will appear by the patents for the same in my possession, having sold three of them, the original lots containing fourteen thousand seven hundred acres, to and for the use and behoof of the Mayor and Corporation of the City of Philadel- phia, by whatever name they ought to be called by their charter, and their successors and assigns for ever. This tract on its first appearance is mountainous and rough, yet lying on a navigable river, and as I am told by hunters who have gone over it that is well covered with large timber of every kind, and that in the midst of the tract there are many hundred acres of extraordinary rich level soil, covered with the finest chestnut timber in the country, and from which the largest rafts can 21 be navigated down the west branch of that fine river — and it is in con- templation to unite this river by a canal with the Delaware. I have thought it no bad foundation for the following purposes — and there- fore I do direct that the same shall be conveyed by my said Trustees in fee simple to the said Mayor and Corporation accordingly. The rents, issues, and profits of which to be applied by the said Mayor and Corpo- ration to and for the beginning of a fund, or in aid of any one already begun, for the supplying the poor inhabitants of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, with the householders (not able to provide it for them- selves) at a price duriDg the winter season not in any case exceeding the moderate average price of wood during the preceding summer (and that in small quantities) with fuel of such kind and sorts as to the said Mayor and Corporation may seem more likely to answer the pur- poses aforesaid ; and all moneys received for such wood or other fuel, shall from time to time be added to this fund, so as to increase the same for a more generous and ample supply as aforesaid ; and I hope and trust that in the execution and superintendence of this trust, persons of generous and tender feelings for the distresses of their fellow creatures, may be found, who will gratuitously and generously undertake this heavenly employment under the Corporation in favor .of the poorer class of society, free from pecuniary compensation. And I hereby request that in such case a silver medal of the value of ten dollars may faithfully serve in this humane undertaking out of the net proceeds of this devise." The first action of Councils in relation to this Trust, is contained in the following resolution, presented by a committee to whom the subject was referred. Resolved, hy the Select and Common Councils, That Joseph Reed, Esquire, the recorder of the City of Philadelphia, be authorized and requested, and he is hereby authorized and requested, to receive for the use of this corporation the title-papers of a body of land on the river Susquehanna, devised to the said corporation by the late Dr. Elias Boudinot, of Burlington, New Jersey, from his executors, and to give an acknowledgment to them of the receipt thereof. Passed January 22, 1822. 22 No further action was had upon this bequest until the passage of the following Act of Assembly : Act of Assembly authorizing the Sale of the above Lands. 11 Sect. 2. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the Mayor? Aldermen, and Citizens of Philadelphia, are hereby authorized to grant, bargain, sell and convey, by deed or otherwise, all and every part of the lands in the Centre county, devised to them by the late Elias Boudinot, free from all liability of the trust contained in said devise, and the proceeds of such sale shall be appropriated, under the authority of the said Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens, in the manner and for the uses intended by the devisee." Passed March 18, 1834. INDEX. Page Boudinot Lands, communication in relation to 3 Report, 5 Hall, Elisha John, Tract, 7 Chew, William, " 7 Ewing, William, " 8 Ewing, James, " 8 Ewing, Ann, " 9 Ewing, Samuel, " 9 Ewing, John, " 9 Johnston, Francis, " 9 Barron, John, " 10 Wallace, William, " 10 Grant, Thomas, " 11 Davidson, James, " - 11 Davidson, William, " 11 Davidson, John, " 12 Davidson, Robert, " 12 Hall, Washington, " 13 Hall, Henry, " 13 Ewing, John, " 13 Ewing, Hannah, " 14 Wallace, Joseph, " 14 Jackson, Jeremiah, " 14 Reese, Thomas, " 14 Reese, Daniel, " 15 Hamilton Thomas, " 15 Gray, William, " • 15 Gray, Robert, " 15 Brady, William, " 16 Brady, John, " 16 Fulerton, Alexander, " 16 Dallas, Alexander J., " • 16 Boudinot's, Dr. Elias, Legacy No. 11, 20 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 313 242