USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan > Part 30
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The first county-farm was purchased of Simeon Mills and wife, the deed bearing date March 10, 1847. It consisted of the east half of the southeast quarter of section 23, eighty acres; a part of the west half of the northeast quar- ter of section 25, twenty acres; and a part of the west half of the northeast quarter of section 25, eleven acres,-making a total of one hundred and eleven acres, all in Richland township. The consideration paid was thirteen hundred dollars.
On the 19th of February, 1849, the county sold this property to L. Van Dewalker for fifteen hundred dollars, and on the same day purchased of him the farm now owned by it on section 23, Comstock township, containing one hundred and seventy-three acres, for which he was paid three thousand dollars. This farm had formerly belonged to a society known as the "Alphadelphian Society," for an account of which see history of Comstock township, in this volume.
The building now used for a dwelling was erected by the Alphadelphian Society. It is of wood, two stories in height, and in the form of an L. The county erected, in 1872, a new barn, costing seven hundred dollars. The old
# See notice of Col. Orcutt in another part of this volume.
t The $200 accrued from premiums on the county bonds, which sold above par.
112
HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
granary and horse-barn were also moved back from the road, new foundations built under them, and general re- pairs made, at a cost approximating two hundred and fifty dollars. A new corn-house and hog-house were built, at an expense of about one hundred and fifty dollars each, and a separate infirmary building for the sick has been added, costing two hundred and fifty dollars. Also a wash-house, costing about one hundred dollars. About one thousand dollars have been expended on new roofs and other repairs, and recently a new heating-furnace has been put in at a cost of about two hundred and fifty dollars. Over a mile of new fence has been built, and all the fences are now in excellent order. A young apple-orchard has also been planted, which is in a very thrifty condition.
For many years the incurably insane paupers were main- tained by the county, but under a recent act of the Legisla- ture they go to the State Asylum. The county supports them at the asylum for the first two years, but after that they are supported by the State. ' The children mostly go to the State Public School, at Coldwater, which receives those between the ages of three and twelve years.
The main building, occupied for a dwelling, is not suffi- ciently roomy and convenient for the purposes to which it is dedicated, though it is utilized to the best possible advan- tage; and it will be necessary for the county authorities to enlarge the facilities before many years. The total amount invested in the property at this time approximates seven thousand dollars, though this does not indicate the actual value of the property, as the original purchase was made at a very low rate.
In 1854 the committee appointed to visit the farm re- ported the number of paupers, then supported by the county at the farm, at thirty-one,-sixteen adults and fifteen chil- dren. Five of the adults were insane. A school was at that time in operation, under the management of a lady teacher, who received one dollar and fifty cents per week for her services. Twelve of the children were in attendance, the remaining ones being under school age.
A comparison of the amounts expended by the county in this connection for various years is herewith appended : 1839, $50; 1840, $800; 1839 to 1842, total, $1067.56; 1847, $1000; 1850, on account of poor fund, $3383.35 ;* 1856, on account of poor fund, $5899.63 ;* 1860, on ac- count of poor fund, $+500 ;* 1870, on account of poor fund, $10,000 ;* 1878, on account of poor fund, $5500.
OVERSEERS.
The overseers of the county poor-farm since its purchase, in 1847, have been : McFarlane, from 1847 to 1851; Andrew Crumb, from 1851 to 1855 ; John Kenyon, from 1855 to 1858; Isaac Mason, from 1858 to 1870; Peter S. Carmer, from 1870, still in office.
The position is by no means a sinecure, and the salary is far from being large, but these officers have very gen- erally discharged their duties promptly and efficiently ; in several instances their wives coming in for a full share of the credit in the management of the institution.
ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION.
The following statements show the comparative valuation and assessments at various periods since 1857. We preface them with the earliest tax-list we can find-1837 :
" TO THE TREASURER OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY.
"The following is a true statement of the amount of tax-bills deliv- ered to the several collectors of the county, to wit :
TOWNSHIPS.
COLLECTORS.
State Tax.
County Tax.
Town Tax.
Kalamazoo.
Ira Burdick.
$259.25
$259.25
$862.00
Pavilion
Chester Crook.
118.84
118.84
237.69
Brady
Charles Fisher.
233.20
233.20
414.57
Prairie Ronde.
David Bates.
87.14
87.14
66.25
Comstock
Wm. McAllister.
242.48
242.48
323.92
Richland
Timothy Mills
152.39
152.39
304.00
Cooper
Luther Follett.
94.39
94.39
251.78
Barry
Ambrose Mills ..
547.14
547.14
364.00
Total.
$1754.83
$1754.83
$2824.21
"Dated at Kalamazoo, Nov. 14, 1837.
"SAMUEL HACKET, LYMAN TUBBS,
H. B. HUSTON,
MUMFORD ELDRED, JR.,
MOSES AUSTIN."
The total tax by townships for 1838 was as follows :
Cooper.
$137.87
Comstock.
200.00
Hastingst
266.30
Johnstownt.
286.65
Barryf ..
330.75
Thornapplet
150.00
Pavilion
110.55
Climax
212.76
Portage
266.11
Prairie Ronde
63.38
Brady
255.90
Texas
74.64
Alamo ..
85.33
Richland
640.00
Kalamazoo.
797.35
Charleston
171.84
Total
$4049.43
The first regular valuation which we find is for the year 1839, and is as follows, by townships :
Townships.
Real Estate. Personal Property. Aggregate.
Comstock
$104,752
$12,104
$116,856
Charleston
90,126
13,470
103,596
Climax
71,471
5,685
77,156
Ross
61,785
5,801
67,586
Pavilion
48,974
6,724
55,698
Oshtemo.
100,171
9,623
129,794
Richland
122,107
22,135
144,242
Kalamazoo
223,685
30,184
253,869
Brady
211,534
36,772
248,306
Prairie Ronde
123,553
15,035
138,588
Texas.
72,293
9,493
88,786
Portage.
97,850
8,764
106,614
Total.
$1,483,308
$183,912
$1,669,220
The State and county tax for 1842 was as follows :
State tax.
$1,968.34
County tax.
3,936.68
Total
$5,905.02
The expenses of the county for 1850 were :
State tax.
$3,856.63
County tax :
Poor fund
$3,382.35
Current expenses.
2,450.00
Salaries ..
1,560.00
Agricultural Society
100.00
Interest.
448.00
Overdrawn by poor-fund.
478.02
8,418.37
$12,275.00
*The larger sums include money expended for all purposes in con- nection with the county poor.
t Now in Barry County.
Alamo ...
63,362
2,482
65,844
Cooper ..
86,645
5,640
92,285
113
COUNTY CIVIL LIST.
For 1856 the estimated assessments for the year's. expenses :
State tax.
$1,406.59
Interest on county loan.
448.00
County poor purposes
5,899.63
Salaries of county officers.
1,900.00
Agricultural Society
300.00
Repairs of county buildings.
450.00
Supervisors.
2,897.67
Incidentals
1,603.58
Jurors' fees.
500.00
$15,405.47
In 1858 the outstanding indebtedness of the county, principally on account of the court-house, was $8067. Assessment valuation in 1860, by townships :
Alamo ..
$144,424
Brady.
139,723
Charleston ..
256,953
Comstock
366,293
Climax.
185,456
Cooper ..
246,437
Kalamazoo.
1,223,233
Oshtemo
243,384
Portage.
228,075
Pavilion.
145,669
Prairie Ronde
278,204
Richland
284,185
Ross
205,600
Schoolcraft
405,069
Texas ..
175,303
Wakeshma.
88,114
$4,616,122
TAXES FOR 1860.
State tax.
$5,618.70
County poor.
4,500.00
Agricultural Society.
125.00
Jury fees.
1,000.00
County canvassers.
70.00
Supervisors
400.00
Salaries
2,750.00
Orders drawn
3,000.00
County House.
1,280.00
$18,743.70
The valuation of the county for 1864, according to the assessments, was $4,796,092.61. The taxes levied were as follows :
State tax.
$14,805.99
Salaries
2,990.00
County orders.
3,002.15
Jurors' fees.
1,800.00
Interest.
210.00
Supervisors.
1,000.00
Bonds issued for relief of soldiers' families ..
12,700.00
County farm
4,000.00
Court-house debt.
1,000.00
Repairs county buildings ..
500.00
$42,008.14
In 1867 the total assessed valuation was $5,987,010, and the total expenses for the year were $68,536.28.
The total valuation in 1871 was $11,523,570. Total tax, $69,572.00. Tax of 1870, $76,103.26.
The State tax for 1873 was heavy, amounting to $39,- 289.22, divided for various purposes as follows :
State Agricultural College $1,495.92
Asylum for Insane, at Kalamazoo 6,760.00
General purposes.
12,000.00
Deaf, dumb, and blind.
1,840.00
Military fund.
1,335.30
New State Capitol
8,000.00
State Prison building.
2,000.00
State Public School.
1,720.00
State Reform School
1,358.00
University
2,780.00
$39,289.22
The total receipts of the county treasurer's office for 1877, from all sources, were $107,171.38.
The following table shows the equalized assessment for 15
1879 of real and personal property, the total valuation, and the State and county tax :
Townships.
Real Estate. Personal. Total Value. State Tax.
Tax.
Alamo.
$501,616
$71,400
$573,016
$1,307.53
$1,021.87
Brady
547,060
108,110
655,170
1,495.00
1,168.38
Cooper.
741,963
120,700
862,663
1,968.46
1,538.42
Comstock
1,013,359
137,610
1,150,969
2,626.42
2,052.63
Charleston ..
752,146
109,040
861,186
1,965.10
1,535.77
Climax
693,046
81,015
774,061
1,766.29
1,380.41
Kalamazoo
4,563,196
1,213,690
5,776,886
13,181.99
10,302.12
Oshtema
750,720
117,280
868,000
1,980.64
1,547.93
Prairie Ronde.
708,349
60,630
768,979
1,754.70
1,371.24
Pavilion.
548,920
109,140
658,060
1,501.59
1,173.54
Portage.
678,215
103,810
782,025
1,784.47
1,394.61
Richland.
900,640
280,510
1,181,150
2,695.21
2,106.38
Ross.
746,625
137,190
883,815
2,016.73
1,576.13
Schoolcraft
1,158,811
186,240
1,345,051
3,069.25
2,398.68
Texas
617,787
60,370
678,157
1,547.45
1,209.27
Wakeshma.
578,482
50,980
629,462
1,436.33
1,122.52
$15,500,935 $2,947,715 $18,448,650 $42,097.16 $32,899.90
CHAPTER XVIII.
COUNTY CIVIL LIST.
Officers from 1830-80.
JUDGES OF PROBATE.
Isaac Barnes, 1832-34; Mitchell Hinsdell, 1834-44; David B. Web- ster, 1844-48 ; John Sleeper, 1848-60; Marsh Giddings, 1860-68; Henry C. Briggs, 1868-76 ; George M. Buck, 1876-80.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS.
Cyrus Lovell, 1831-38 ;# Mitchell Hinsdell, 1838-40; David B. Web- ster, 1840-42 ; Nathaniel A. Balch, 1842-44 ; Joseph Miller, Jr., 1844-54; Dwight May, 1854-60; Charles S. May, 1860-62; Henry C. Briggs, 1862-66; Julius C. Burrows (resigned), 1866- 67; Charles A. Thompson (appointed), 1867-68; George M. Buck, 1868-75; Edwin M. Irish, 1875-81.
SHERIFFS.
Delamore Duncan, 1830-34; Hosea B. Huston, 1834-36; Lawrence Vandewalker, 1836-38; Joseph Hutchings, 1838-40; John Par- ker, 1840-42; Caleb Sweetland, 1842-44; Alfred Thomas, 1844- 46; George W. Rice, 1846-50 ; George Rix, 1850-54 ; Benjamin F. Orcutt, 1854-58; William E. White, 1858-62; John Baker, 1862-66; Benjamin F. Orcutt, 1866 to December, 1867 ;+ John H. Wells, December, 1867-71 ; Lyman M. Gates, 1871-75; Charles Gibbs, 1875-77 ; Lyman M. Gates, 1877-80.
TREASURERS.
Stephen Vickery, 1834-36 ;¿ Theodore P. Sheldon, 1836-38; Amos Brownson, 1838-40; Hosea B. Huston, 1840-42; Henry Gilbert, 1842-44 ; Caleb Sweetland, 1844-46; George T. Clark, 1846-52 ; Orrin N. Giddings, 1852-60; Josiah B. Judson, 1860-62; James M. Neasmith, 1862-68 ; Benjamin B. Wilson, 1869-74 ;¿ James B. Cobb (appointed), March, 1874, to January, 1875; Reuben Spencer, 1875-77 ; Enos T. Lovell, 1877-81.
REGISTERS.|
Isaac Sumner, 1830 to May, 1833; Stephen Vickery, May, 1836-38 ; Abraham Cahill, 1838-40; Alexander Buell, 1840-44; Charles A. Sheldon, 1844-48 ; David G. Kendall, 1848-52 ; James Henry, Jr., 1852-60; Ephraim T. Mills, 1860-66; Henry Bush, 1866- 72; Robert J. Williamson, 1872-78; Henry T. Smith, Jan. 1, 1879.
* The first term of the Circuit Court was held at Bronson, in No- vember, 1833.
+ Col. Orcutt was mortally wounded in the discharge of his duty, Dec. 3, 1867.
į Mr. Vickery was undoubtedly the first county treasurer, and may have acted previous to 1834. He died at Schoolcraft, Dec. 11, 1857. ¿ Died in office, March, 1874.
| Dr. Nathan Thomas was the first deputy register, in 1831.
County
114
HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
CLERKS.
William Duncan, Oct. 1, 1830-34; Stephen Vickery, 1834-36 ;* Isaac Vickery, 1836-38 ;; Luther H. Trask, 1838-40; Alexander H. Edwards, 1840-42, William G. Austin, 1842-44; Merritt Cobb, 1844-48; Amos D. Allen, 1848-52; James K. Knight, 1852-54; Isaac Vickery, 1854-56; Amos D. Allen, 1856-60; Daniel Cahill, 1860-66 ; James W. Hopkins, 1866-72; Henry S. Sleeper, 1873- 79; Theron F. Giddings, 1879.
CIRCUIT COURT COMMISSIONERS.
Ebenezer Hoskins, 1853-57; John F. Alley, 1857-61 ; William W. Peck, 1861-65 ; Charles A. Thomson, Jr., Julius C. Burrows, 1865-67; George M. Buck (resigned), 1867-71 ; Rufus H. Gros- venor (appointed), 1871-75 ; Oscar T. Tuthill, 1871-75; J. M. Davis, 1875-79 ; E. M. Clapp, Jr., 1879; Volney H. Lockwood, 1879.
COUNTY SURVEYORS.
We do not find any record of a county surveyor previous to 1838, when the first one appears to have been elected. Stephen Vickery, Jesse Turner, and probably some of the deputy government surveyors, did considerable work for private parties between 1830 and 1838. As we have been able to trace them, from imperfect data, they stand as fol- lows :
Rufus S. Clapp, 1839-40; William R. Watson, 1841-44 ; Amos C. Roberts, 1845-48; Simon Traver, 1849-50; Luther H. Trask, 1851-56 ;¿ Seth Pratt, 1857-58; M. O. Streator, 1859-60; Fan- cher Stimson (resigned), 1861-68 ; Francis Hodgman (appointed), 1868-72; Edward Strong, 1873-74; Francis Hodgman, 1875 to present time.
We have been able to find a majority of these names on official bonds at the treasurer's office. The remainder are given from record and individual information, and are be- lieved to be correct.
CHAPTER XIX. THE PROFESSIONS.
Law and the Legal Profession ?- The Medical Profession, with Lists of Practitioners.
LAW AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION.
IN the history of any portion of our country there is a manifest propriety in giving place to the members of the legal profession. No one will deny that it has had among its numbers, wherever civilization has advanced, a large proportion of active, well-balanced minds, men who have given shape and form to good government, and who were the instrumentalities in laying broad and deep the founda- tions for the welfare of their fellow-men. Law is based on what is true and right. The object of evidence is to find the truth, and, without the legal profession, no other body of men now or heretofore existing would, in all probability, have given to the world such a complete and systematic set of rules of evidence as now exists, by which truth is to be reached and determined. The doctrines and rules of evi-
dence have been laid down in plain and perspicuous lan- guage by an American, who has no superior as a law writer. Simon Greenleaf, as a professor in the Law School of Harvard, at Cambridge, Mass., has given fame to that institution, and has gained for himself position as a law writer in the English as well as American courts. Evi- dence, according to this practically-educated lawyer, in legal acceptation, includes all the means by which any al- leged matter of fact, the truth of which is submitted to investigation, is established or disproved. Without the aid of the legal profession, doubt and uncertainty would have still clouded the moral atmosphere, and mental philosophy would yet be indulging in abstractions that held fast the mind of men before America was discovered.
The responsibility of the lawyer in every community is recognized, because, as Professor Greenleaf expresses it, " his profession leads him to explore the mazes of falsehood, to detect its artifices, to pierce its thickest veils, to follow and expose its sophistries, to compare the statements of its dif- ferent witnesses with severity, to discover truth and separate it from error. Our fellow-men are well aware of this, and probably they act upon this knowledge more generally and with a more profound respect than we are in the habit of considering. The influence, too, of the legal profession upon the community is unquestionably great, conversant as it daily is with all classes and grades of men in their do- mestic and social relations, and in all the affairs of life, from the cradle to the grave." I need not further attempt an argument to demonstrate the necessity of holding in fair respect and giving prominence to the Bar as a body of men who have greatly aided in sustaining virtuous conduct, in condemning vice, and in making the world better. Without passing from our own nation, whose history is compassed by a little more than a century, names might be mentioned that would be known as the highest type of ability wherever moral excellence or mutual greatness is recognized.
Chief Justice JOHN MARSHALL, Chief Justice ROGER B. TANEY, and Justice JOSEPH STORY, of the Supreme Court of the United States, may be named as the pillars on which the judicial structure of our country rests. Others may imitate, but none surpass them, in originality of thought, power of argument, or clearness of expression. Of practicing lawyers, distinguished in argument to their fellow-men under our jury system, the country has fur- nished a legion ; possibly a score of this number above the others in the ability that enabled them to master the whole science of law and the possibly greater ability to impart their learning to others. What is necessary in the educa- tion of the lawyer ? First, a sound constitution,-" for what," as another has said, " is a lawyer worth to his client, or how can he assist the court, if his digestion is impaired, or his activity of mind or body controlled by excesses ?" A sound mind and a diseased body,-the latter always a hindrance to the former. The cup that intoxicates is not the only enemy to advancement in training the mind of the lawyer to accuracy of thought, the ability to demonstrate, and the power to control the minds of others. There are other vices, fatal always to advancement. Close application, intense study, actual labor to learn, and to learn well and accurately, are always the essentials in reaching eminence
* The duties of clerk, register, and treasurer were combined from 1834-36.
t The duties of clerk and register combined from 1836-38.
į Mr. Trask was elected for two years in 1850, and again in 1852. At the fall election of 1854 there does not appear to have been any person voted for as county surveyor, and Mr. Trask must have served through 1855 and 1856.
¿ Prepared by Hon. Hezekiah G. Wells.
115
THE PROFESSIONS.
at the bar. Much may be learned by the scholar of to- day in reading the biographies of those who have been distinguished as advocates. If the daily work of LUTHER MARTIN, of Maryland, JOHN SARGENT, of Philadelphia, WILLIAM WIRT, of Baltimore, and RUFUS CHOATE, of Boston, could be carefully estimated and studied, the law student would learn that constant, never-ending labor was the price to be paid for eminence at the bar. Not one of these great lawyers reached high position at a single bound. Close, careful study through a series of years, work, and much of it, gave to each that power to reason and the ap- propriate language and line of thought with which they swayed the minds of courts and juries.
A distinguished member of the bar in Philadelphia thus writes of CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY, a Baltimore lawyer, who spent some years in England as a commis- sioner under Jay's treaty, "That he attained the highest place in the eye of the profession ever reached by any lawyer in the United States." Chief Justice Taney thus speaks of Pinckney : " He came to every case fully pre- pared with his argument and authorities arranged ; and no temptation could induce him to speak in a case, great or small, unless he had time to prepare for it, and he argued each one as carefully as if his reputation depended upon that speech. I have heard almost all the great advocates of the United States, both of the past and present generation, but I have seen none equal to Pinckney." This brief out- line of a great advocate, by so distinguished a jurist as Chief Justice Taney, is well worth the contemplation and study of any one who desires to hold a good position at the bar. I add another name to the list of distinguished advo- cates already mentioned,-REVERDY JOHNSON, of Balti- more. I quote the language of Judge WILLIAM A. POR- TER, of Pennsylvania : " When Great Britain paid to the United States the fifteen and a half millions of dollars awarded at Geneva, Congress created a court of five judges, taken from as many different. States in the Union, for hear- ing and deciding upon the claims to the fund. This court sat in Washington for two years and a half, and entered judgments in two thousand and sixty-eight cases, amount- ing to nine million three hundred and sixteen thousand one hundred and twenty dollars and twenty-five cents. It was an arduous work, but it had one great attraction, that of bringing together in one court-room leading lawyers from many of our seaboard cities,-Portland, New Beford, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and San Francisco. It has seldom, if ever, happened in the history of the country that so many lawyers were convened from so many different points of the Union. Some of the claims involved legal points of sufficient interest to stimulate their advocates to the highest professional exertions. It was specially instructive to observe, from hour to hour, the different styles of speaking : they ranged from the extreme of coldness to the most ardent oratory ; and I must admit that, contrary to all my preconceived theories, it was diffi- cult to tell, when both styles of speaking were displayed in the same case by men of real ability, which told most on the result. One of the ablest arguments was delivered by Mr. Johnson, in opposition to that of Mr. J. A. J. Cres- well, from the same State, who ably represented the United
States. Mr. Johnson was then approaching his eightieth year. The sight of one of his eyes had been impaired by an accident, and that of the other by long-protracted study. His health appeared to be extremely vigorous. He stood erect, and, although rather under the middle size, his pres- ence was very commanding. He spoke without notes ; oc- casionally his son-in-law and colleague read from books and documents passages which the speaker indicated. The whole speech was bold, strong, and manly. Every word seemed to fall naturally into its proper place. The facts were arranged in their most natural order, and stated with admirable clearness. The authorities cited were all perti- nent to the question. The citations from the proceedings at Geneva were all pointed to the question before the court. His delivery was marked by an energy and earnestness more commonly found in the speeches of younger men. Mr. Johnson lost his case, but he lost none of his reputa- tion. This was one of his last efforts. Not long after- ward, while attending the Supreme Court at Annapolis, he died suddenly from the effects of a fall. Thus went out one of the great lights of the American bar."
It is not my province on this occasion to speak especially of the distinguished men who have held judicial position in the District, Supreme, or Chancery Courts, under Terri- torial and State rule, here in Michigan, and who are now dead: Judges WOODWARD, WITHERALL, SIBLEY, MORELL, WILKINS, FLETCHER, RANSOM, WHIPPLE, WING, MILES, MUNDY, PRATT, MARTIN, FARNSWORTH, MANNING, BACON, and LONGYEAR. All of these were suited for their respective positions, and it might with truth be inscribed on a monument to their memories that each had the first quality of a judge, integrity of character. They were learned in the law, and had diligence and appli- cation to fill well the positions assigned them. I pass to the lawyers of the county of Kalamazoo, and note among the pioneers of the profession LYMAN I. DANIELS, JEREMIAH HUMPHREY, JOHN HASCALL, ELISHA BELCHER, and CYRUS LOVELL.
LYMAN I. DANIELS emigrated, at the age of twenty- five years, from Otsego Co., N. Y., and, after a delay of a few weeks in Detroit, ventured West in the fall of 1831, and located in Schoolcraft, the then most important point in the county of Kalamazoo .. Prairie Ronde, in the centre of which this village is located, contained at that time more than one-third of the population of the county. Its people had pioneered into the new country and were possessed of limited means, and the demand for the services of able advocates, wise counselors, and men learned in the law was not as great as at the present day. Few contracts had been made, and little resort to the courts for their vio- lation. Criminal accusations were limited, and the services of the grand jury were frequently compassed in finding a single indictment for the sale of whisky to the Indians, which, if tried, had its ordinary result in a verdict of not guilty. The pioneer lawyers, having then but limited pro- fessional business, found occupation to some extent in ex- amining the lands of the country, and recommending to Eastern capitalists particular localities for investments. Mr. Daniels devoted much time to this business, and his judgment gave profit to many who were fortunate in ob-
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