A CURIOUS AND ROMANTIC BIT OF HISTORY.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2552, 12 March 1877, Page 2

A CURIOUS AND ROMANTIC BIT OF HISTORY.

Ihe New York World of October 5 published the following:—"'Like a glance through a window into'a fair garden comes au episode about one of Washington's love affairs—in a case .on trial, before the Supreme Court. Mary PhiHipse 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 Texts. In this instance not Mary but Martha chose the better part.' The case above referred to is .that of. Th.ad- rdeus R. Gaming, against the Mayor <fee. The action was brought to recover damages for raising the water of Lake Mahopae 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 track'of land in the then province of New York, including the present County of Putnam, i The property then passed down through. , the Phillipse family until the year 1754, when it was the property of Mary .Phil, lipse. This is the young lady for whose hand George Washington was a suitor on his return from Braddock'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 csv poused the -cause of the King, and their great property was forfeited to ttfe'Stwte of New York. In 1874 'he Commissioners of Forfeiture for the State- sold the laiu} in question to one William Smith. Subsequently the; heirs of Mirjr 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 30,000 dols. This enterprising "capitalist so pushed the matter that in 180 Dhe obtained a decree in his'favor, and the State was compelled to pay the sum of 50,C00dols. for a release, thus confirming the title in the purchasers from .the State. The jury gave" M> Ganung 6|- cents damage for his malarja. They had the following definition from a • medical witness before them ; —' Maltria effects the cerebrum and cerebellum^. The porpuseles and sporadic fungi evaporate moisture,, and heat will, by papiljary attraction; superinduce an inflammatiqo. of tispular formation, followed by remission and relapse,''' - •