A history of Lewis County, in the state of New York, from the beginning of its settlement to the present time, Part 8

Author: Hough, Franklin Benjamin, 1822-1885. dn
Publication date: 1860
Publisher: Albany : Munsell & Rowland
Number of Pages: 422


USA > New York > Lewis County > A history of Lewis County, in the state of New York, from the beginning of its settlement to the present time > Part 8


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35


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hard to give an adequate idea to a person who has not been a witness to a similar undertaking, of the magnitude and full force of the obstacles to be surmounted, and which R. Tillier had to encounter with. If the holders of shares will carefully examine his correspondence, his journal and accounts, they will therein see the use he has made of his time and of his means. If the interest of Chassanis has induced him to conceal that knowledge from the holders of shares, it is the interest of Tillier that these papers should be made public, as they afford nnequivocal proof of his zeal, trouble and attention. They will there sec the pains he took to ascertain the lands, his steps to secure a valid title, his activity in causing an exact survey to be made, and to obtain a topographical map, they will there see what he has done, what he has attempted, the lands which he has settled, the roads which he has opened, the journeys he has made, the arrangements which he has entered into with different families to establish themselves upon his lands, and by these means to give them a value. They will finally see the prospect of suc- cess which he might naturally flatter himself with, and which would undoubtedly in time have succeeded, if he had not been obstructed in his proceedings by the wrong measures of the director.


" Let them once again ascertain the truth of these facts, and have recourse to the testimony of the neighbors, consider the times and means, examine with attention his correspondence and journal which shew what he has done, and they will be con- vinced that his administration has been able, good and regular. He does not pretend to say, that no other person would have acted as well, perhaps even his administration may not be totally free from faults; for mistakes are almost inevitable in in every undertaking which requires so many details, in which the objects are not specifically traced, nor the plans fixed, but where, on the contrary, he had in fact, to determine on the first principles of this extensive concern, he can with the utmost truth declare, that no person could have exerted himself with more pains and application than he did, and he thinks that it would not have been found that he was deficient in the neces- sary experience and knowledge to insure the success of the undertaking, if he had been permitted to wait the event of his designs.


" His plans were well formed and conceived, and he wanted no- thing to accomplish them but to be aided by the necessary funds which always came to hand too late, and indeed were under- sufficient at any time. He was also injured in his plans by the measures of the director of the company at Paris, who far from executing what was necessary for such an establishment, took such steps as were adverse to its success, and who has uniformly by his actions opposed the views and measures of the agent at New York. The main object of the undertaking was, to give a value to the lands of Castorland, for which purpose they


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should have cultivated the confidence of the natives of the country, in order to entice them to settle upon places; they should have seen on the part of the company a regular and uniform plan of improving the lands, and to secure the benefit the property of those who were inclined to become purchasers; but instead of that how have the Company of New York acted ? Mr. Pharoux the first agent sent, was a well informed and honest man, and he gained the esteem of the Americans, but he was ignorant of their language and therefore he could with difficulty treat with them. He lost his life by an excess of zeal and temerity. Mr. Desjardines succeeded him, but he was also ignorant of the English language, which being joined with a haughty character, drove the inhabitants from him, although he expended much of the company's money he did nothing useful for it. He was replaced by Rodolphe Tillier, who thinks he understood well the object of the undertaking, and that he made effort to accomplish it. His being chosen a justice of the peace, is a sufficient proof that he had gained the confidence of the inhabitants.


" Some time after, several Frenchmen came to settle upon the lands, in pursuance to an agreement made with the com- pany at Paris. They had scarcely arrived when disgust, mis- understanding and hatred took place, tranquility was destroyed and they left the land abusing it. Soon after Mr. Blake, a new envoy appeared, whose powers are mysteriously concealed ex- cept when he can promote discord and utter calumnies. After him Pierre Joulin, an ancient priest came, who imitated the example of his predecessor and loaded Tiller with injustice and defamation. At length Mr. Governeur Morris, the late American Ambassador to France arrived, who charged with the powers of Pierre Chassanis, revokes Tillier the only agent who had displayed activity and the only one whose zeal and experience had extricated the establishment from confusion and disorder. And to aggravate all these changes and imprudencies, a suit is commenced against Tiller, who offered, and still offers, to render his accounts, and submit them to arbitrators. Much noise and clamor is raised and it is rendered more scandalous as it ap- pears to be designed to annul the titles given by Tiller to the purchasers of lands, although he granted them in virtue of acknowledged and approved powers; they would thus destroy those acts which are legal, and dispossess and ruin the pro- prietors.


"This true statement, which faithfully points out the actual state of things, is sufficient to excite, and accounts for the astonishment with which the Americans view the capricious, irresolute and ridiculous administration of the Company of New York, which is increased when they compare it with the wise, enlightened and uniform administration of the Dutch Company in the vicinity of Castorland, and to the large concern under Captain Williamson's charge, not far from thence, of which last


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an able writer (Mr. La Rochefoucault-Liancourt) gives so flat- tering an account, in his travels through America. Let the holders of shares coolly reflect on the consequences resulting from this multitude of imprudent actions, and they will form some conception of the great injury which they have sustained in the minds of the inhabitants of America by such an incon- siderate series of imprudent, false, impolitic and inconsistent measures. Let them change their plans-let them adopt uniform ones and pursue them-let them trust their interests to honest and well informed men, attached by ties of confidence and esteem-let them give to their agent in America very extensive powers. It is in vain to imagine a great design and a large establishment can be governed at a distance without it. The per- son actually on the spot can only attain just ideas on the subject. In the execution, his experience will enable him immediately to rectify any mistake that may happen. Let them renounce the idea of selling lands in France, because the execution of such contracts is always attended with some difficulties as to the places and portions of land to be given, which inconvenience can not take place when the purchaser sees before he purchases the proposed property. Let them renounce the idea of selling their lands half divided and half undivided, because a confusion results from it which endangers all the operations of the pur- chasers, and that plan so fine in speculation, is in fact very bad in execution. Let them always provide funds beforehand, that the managing commissary may be able without delay to accom- plish his plans, and that he may with confidence undertake them under the certainty of having it in his power to discharge in time, the engagements which he may enter into. Let them abstain from making any agreement in France, and from engag- ing people either from France or Switzerland, as they have done, for the lands of Castorland can never be cultivated but by the natives of the country. These will not even settle on the land, without they have an easy access to an agreeable abode, and until they are convinced of the authenticity of their titles to secure them in their possessions.


"In adopting such maxims, the holders of shares may reason- ably hope to reap a profit, and that time will give value and credit to the lands of Castorland, and that they may see the settlement flourish and increase to that degree to which the position of the land justly entitles them to expect. Without such measures, it may be, that the design of the holders of lands will totally fail, and ruin be inevitable. They also run another danger, which R. Tillier thinks he ought to warn them of; they are exposed to lose their property-perhaps it is already out of their hands. P. Chassanis has given his new powers-not as director and agent of the company, but in his own name. Mr. G. Morris, who is the bearer of it, has instituted the suit against Tillier, for the purpose of proving Pierre Chassanis to be acknowledged as individual proprietor of the 220,500 acres of


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land, whilst by the constitution of the company, he has trans- ferred them in the most formal manner to the bearers of shares. Does not this manner of acting announce on the part of Pierre Chassanis a desire to dispose of that property as belonging to ยท himself, to the prejudice of the holders of shares ? They will be ready to believe it, when they learn that Chassanis has already disposed of 130,000 acres of these same lands in favor of J. Le Ray, either on a deed of sale, bond or mortgage. These acts have, by chance, passed under the eyes of R. Tillier, to whom they had not an intention of showing them. One of these contracts of alienation is for 90,000, the second of 22,000, and the third of 18,000 acres. Let them add 80,000 acres which had been mortgaged to Carrare & Co., of Lausanne, for what they have lent to the company. It appears, then, that at this moment there are 210,000 shares sold or engaged. These are positive facts which perhaps, may give reason to believe that it is at length time to look into, and take their concerns into their own hands, and watch to their own interests, and let them get pos- session again of their property, if it is not yet too late to do it; for it is clear, that if P. Chassanis appears to be the only pro- prietor of all the lands of Castorland, he will have the right of selling them, and that if these sales are once completed in a legal manner, it will be in vain for the holders of the shares to reclaim any portion whatsoever. This danger has appeared to R. Tillier to be of too high importance to the holders of shares to leave them ignorant of it. Tillier still owes them the inform- ation of a fact which, in the midst of many others, will give them an idea of the character of P. Chassanis and Le Ray de Chaumont, whose interests appear to be joined and confounded together. Some time before the arrival of P. Joulin, Chassanis sent a bill of exchange to Tillier for $3,772, to provide for the expenses of the Company. It was drawn by that Chaumont, on that same Mr. Joulin. Immediately , after his arrival, Tillier took the first opportunity to present it to him for acceptance, but he did nothing therein, Chaumont having previously ordered him not to pay it. What can be said or thought of such an action? One may judge of Chassanis' administration from his conduct. R. Tillier will not extend his reflections further. His object is not at present to throw blame on any particular person; he therefore confines himself to a statement of facts, and bring- ing them to the view of the holders of the lands, in order to let them ascertain them, and that they may thereby convince them- selves whether their director in Paris is worthy or not of their confidence, and whether his connections in the affairs and inter- ests of Chaumont are not injurious to the interests of the com- pany. Tillier's object is fulfilled if he has been enabled to persuade them that his administration has been pure and free from reproach. If he has convinced them of the causes which the want of success in the undertaking ought to be attributed, and if he has pointed out to them the means of accomplishing


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their purpose better in the future, he does not seek to maintain himself in their confidence. He is satisfied in knowing that he has always been worthy of it. He wishes to render his account, and to discharge himself from a trust which he has executed with fidelity and honor; but before he does this, it is just that he should be reimbursed for his advances, and guaranteed from all the engagements which he has entered into in the name of the company. He should not have been forced to suffer a law suit, if the new agent had agreed to this fair proposition, which indeed is only an act of justice and of universal usage in similar cases."


To this memorial Chassanis published the following reply :


" Without doubt one who has been charged with the interests of a company, owes it to himself to justify his conduct; for the same reason the Company of New York two years ago, in vain recalled Mr. Tillier. But instead of justifying his conduct, this agent feared to expose himself to the light, he opposed difficult- ies, and the course he has taken will only postpone the shame of his condemnation. Tillier would wish, in throwing suspicion upon the direction of citizen Chassanis, to gain the interest of the shareholders, and thus cover his own disorders by a hypo- critical zeal; but every shareholder knows, that their director has never written or done anything but in accordance with the deliberations of the company. It would be important could Tillier prove the contrary; but citizen Chassanis defies him to produce a single fact to impair this assertion.


" The company finding but very little result coming from so great expenses, and failing to obtain from Tillier any thing but vague information, took a decisive part against this agent him- self. It was impossible for the commissaries and director in Paris to learn exactly the state of things in America, to remedy seasonably and effectually the abuses which were introduced, and this led the company to a precautionary measure upon which depended the fate of Castorland. It authorized its di- rector at its session of May 1, 1798, to confer upon Mr. G. Morris, minister plenipotentiary of the United States to the French government, the 'powers necessary to investigate, re- form and settle the accounts of Tillier, acting commissary of the company in America; to take cognizance of the details of the administration of Castorland, its actual condition, the ability and conduct of its chief and subordinate agents employed in its service, to suspend or discharge those who might have com- promised the interests of the company, or shown themselves incapable of filling the places they occupied; and lastly, power in advance, of removing Tillier in case his functions ought to cease.' This appointment was demanded by circumstances, and although of the highest importance, Tillier terms it the


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recklessness of director Chassanis, and that by the scandalous scenes which it occasioned, it had ruined the shareholders. But if it had pro- duced these scandalous scenes, were they not caused by Tillier, who, under the false pretext of serving the shareholders, had rejected the deliberations of the company, and ignored the sig- nature of Pierre Chassanis until now recognized?


" In Tillier's memorial, there is a grave accusation against citizen Chassanis, which appears specious, and must be refuted; for all the rest are only the declamation of a justly suspected servant, who defends himself with words, but has nothing to show in his favor. He distinctly charges Chassanis with having sold or bargained 210,000 acres of land without the consent of the shareholders. The fact, says he, is positive; and he invites them (page 17) to take their concerns into their own hands and watch to their own interests, and let them get possession again of their pro- perty if it is not already too late to do it. How can Tillier know this fact without knowing the cause? and knowing the cause, how can he dare to utter a calumny so easily refuted? Can he flatter himself that by misconstruing a fact consigned to the record he can prove his end without challenge? However it may be, the abuse of trust with which Tillier reproaches citizen Chassanis, is only an imaginary phantom to tarnish his reputa- tion, and the apprehensions with which he would inspire the shareholders, have not the slightest foundation. They can regain their property, or rather they have never been deprived of it, for in this operation it has been as in all others. It was at a general assembly held May 14, 1798, that the conveyance of 90,000 acres to Le Ray was decreed. The first article of that deliberation read as follows:


" 'Art. 1. The commissaries at Paris and the director, are authorized to transfer to the name of Mr. Le Ray, citizen of the United States of America, all their real and personal estate of the company in the state of New York, in the name of citizen Chassanis its director.'


" This conveyance did not dispossess the company of its pro- perty, but it was a measure required by the circumstances, which had no other end than to consolidate the rights of the shareholders and their creditors, as evidently appears in the next article.


" 'Art. 2. The assembly charges the commissaries and the director, to take all proper measures to the end that in this conveyance the rights of the company be preserved, and that they may be maintained in the enjoyment and improvement of their actual possessions, according to the mode established by the act of the society of June 28, 1793.'


"As to the 40,000 acres for which the director has given bonds and mortgages, and which completes the 130,000 acres that Tillier pretends to have been alienated, it was not a sale, but


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simply a security to a loan ordered by the general assembly of March 16, 1798, and which the director was authorized to exe- s cute.


" Nor was this all. Tillier thought he still owed the share- holders information of a fact which will give them an idea of the character of citizen Chassanis. It is stated in the memorial, that the director sent a bill of exchange to Tillier to serve the wants of the company, and that Mr. Le Ray the drawer of the letter, caused its payment so be suspended. Upon this Tillier ex- claims: What can be said or thought of such an action? One may judge of Chassanis' administration from his conduct!


"But whom does this transaction compromise? We can see only its very obvious bearing, and it was exceedingly bad taste in Tillier to allude to it. It is natural when an agent is charged with having abused the confidence of a company, that he should remove the pretext of further censure, and to this the director will limit himself. Tillier had provoked this by his conduct, and it saved the company $3,772. It is certain that citizen Chassanis ought to appear blame-worthy in the eyes of Tillier, for being knowing to Le Ray's opposition to the payment of the draft. It is a very bad turn that both have shown him, and and he can scarcely pardon them. Thus we may regard the refusal of payment as one of the sources of trouble which ex- cited Tillier to the calumnies which defile his memorial. Had it not been for this fatal counter-order which deprived Tillier, for the moment, of his salary, it is to be presumed that the director would have appeared as showing better management, and above all, greater justice.


"If Mr. Tillier wished to prove that his administration, as he says, has been pure, and that it was free from reproach, he has failed to show the result. It is from the fruit that we judge the tree. We will render him justice, if, by the establishments formed and his model accounts, he can show a good employment of his time and of the funds which he has received. His obsti- nate refusal upon these points, forces upon us the suspicion that he can not report an honest administration. It is not by telling us that his affairs have been well administered that he can per- suade us of the fact; it is not by addressing a memorial full of absurd and calumnious accusations, founded rather upon igno- rance of facts rather than upon facts themselves, that Mr. Tillier can conciliate our esteem. The only means of justifying his administration is to render his accounts in a proper manner, with vouchers of their correctness."


The necessity for transferring the title to an American citizen, arose from an act of congress, passed July 7, 1798, by which French citizens were deprived of the privileges previously enjoyed. The convention, with the French re- public, dated Sept. 30, 1800, gave that nation no privileges


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beyond others. Tillier's charges upon settlement as pre- sented in 1803, were infamous, including salary six years, personal expenses, commissions of various kinds, as well on lands sold, as lands of which he had been promised the agency, charges for non-enjoyment of his garden, horses and cows, for the non-erection of the pot ashery and distil- lery which he had been prevented from building, &c., &c., amounting to $23,493.92, besides a heavy charge for the trouble he had taken in surveys and similar accounts which have few parallels in our history. The company declared March 13, 1803, that it had never promised a commission on land sales.


Chassanis died in Paris Nov. 28, 1803. In June, 1804, Tillier offered to settle for the Ure farm at Illingworth's, a tract of 450 acres valued at $3,000, and then offered to throw off $1,000. We are not informed of the final terms of his settlement or his subsequent history. He is believed to have gone off to the French settlements in Louisania, where he is said to have held some office under the U. S. government. Morris never came upon the tract. In the summer of 1808, he passed through the county on his way to St. Lawrence county, but made no stop. The amount of lands sold by Pharoux in Castorland, was 6,266 acres ; by the company itself 12,149.8 acres, and by Tillier 3,9454 acres.


In 1800, after contracting a debt of 300,000 livres, the company could only show one saw mill, eighteen log houses, and 82 acres of clearing, as the fruit of this enormous ex- pense. There were besides, upon the tract, 11 log houses and 130 acres cleared, besides what belonged to the com- pany. Several roads had, indeed, been made, but these were rendered impassable by the first gale of wind, and from want of population speedily relapsed into the state of nature.


The name of James Donatianus Le Ray de Chaumont, has been mentioned in connection with this title. He was the brother-in-law of Chassanis, and one of the original share holders of the company. His father's house had been the home of Dr. Franklin, and of many distinguished Ameri- cans during the revolution, and much of their correspondence is dated from Passy, the suburban residence of Chaumont. The elder Le Ray was an ardent friend of the American cause, and in the hour of need had advanced large sums of money, to obtain which, the subject of this notice had visited America, and become well acquainted with many leading persons, and with public affairs generally. He was con-


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joined with Morris in the agency of Castorland in 1801, and subsequently he became principal agent of the French pro- prietors, many of whose rights he purchased. He early became one of the four commissaries at Paris, and induced the company to order the sale of 12,000 acres to an Ameri- can company of which he had the direction. In 1802, the Company of New York having a debt of 360,000 livres to meet, sold 17,000 acres in Beaverland at $2 per acre, and might then have sold the whole at 52 cents per acre, but the shareholders, true to their character as dormant partners, continued to slumber in the quiet anticipation of large dividends ultimately resulting in some mysterious way from enhancement of value by neighboring improvements, or by some happy turn of the wheel of fortune.1


In July, 1814, the term fixed by the company for its ex- istence expired, and a public sale was resolved upon to pay the debt of 561,766 livres, owed to its Swiss creditors, who, as no one else offered to become purchasers, bid it in. Le Ray became the principal American agent of this company and acquired a large interest in it. In 1824 he was com- pelled to apply for the benefit of the insolvent act, and to surrender his estates for the relief of his creditors. The management of affairs passed into the hands of his son, and settlement has since been continued under the name of Vin- cent Le Ray, for the benefit of himself and certain foreign proprietors who have retained from the beginning, or who have since acquired an interest in the lands formerly owned by the Company of New York. Besides Le Ray, the fol- lowing families now own interests in these land : Lambot, Desormeaux, De la Chaume, Franque, Moreau, La Tram- blaye, Weuves, De Loys D'Orsens, and Houst, the latter, it is believed, as trustee of a Swiss company. The Swans- mill company, formerly owned 384 lots or 19,200 acres, but their interests have been nearly or quite canceled.




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