A CURIOUS AND ROMANTIC BIT OF HISTORY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4966, 21 February 1877, Page 3

A CURIOUS AND ROMANTIC BIT OF HISTORY.

The New York World of October 5 published the following : —“ ‘ Like a glance through a window into a fair garden comes an episode about one of Washington's love affairs —into a case on trial before the Supreme Court. Mary Phillipse is the name of the lady, who a century ago and more missed the opportunity of having her picture hung up on the walls of every well-regulated American home from Maine to Texas. In this instance not Mary but Martha chose the better part.’ The case above referred to is that of Thaddeus B. Ganung against the Mayor, &c. The action was brought to recover damages for raising the water of Lake Mahopac to such a height as to produce malaria fever, with which the plaintiff was prostrated. The title to the property upon the shore of the lake was traced as far back as 1697. In that year William 111. granted to one Adolph Phillipse a large tract of land in the then province of New York, including the present County of Putnam. The property then passed down through the Phillipse family until the year 1754, when it was the property of Mary Phillipse, This is the young lady for whose hand George Washington was a suitor on his return from Braddook’s expedition, but his addresses were not favorably met, and he retired from the suit, and she married Colonel Roger Morris. Naturally, on the breaking out of the revolution, she and her family espoused the cause of the King, and their great property was forfeited to the State of New York. In 1874 the Commissioners of Forfeiture for the State sold the land in question to one William Smith. Subsequently the heirs of Mary Morris claimed the property, it being discovered that she, before marriage, had effected a marriage settlement, by which she and her husband took only a life estate, remainder to her children, and of course the act of attainder did not affect them. That claim came into the hands of John Jacob Astor for 60,000d015. This enterprising capitalist so pushed the matcer that in 1809 he obtained a decree in his favor, and the State was compelled to pay the sum of 50,000d015. for a release, thus confirming the title in the purchasers,from the State. The jury gave Mr. Ganung 6J cents damages for his malaria. They had the following definition from a medical witness before them :—Malaria effects the cerebrum and cerebellum. The corpuscles and sporadic fungi evaporate moisture, and heat will, by capillary attraction, superinduce an inflammation of tiscular formation, followed by remission and relapse.’ ”