- March 18, 1929 – Alexander MacDonald (Arthur Hopkins) to Hilda Loines –
Dear Miss Loines:
Your letter of March 15 to the Commissioner has been referred to me.
You are quite correct in your recollection that Mr. Morehouse attempted to get all the owners of lot 11 into agreement as to price and at one time he stated that they had all agreed except Mr. Prindle. The reason for this was that on account of the indefiniteness of the various descriptions, the Attorney General’s office was precluded from approving any of the titles east of Northwest Bay Brook individually. He, however, informed us that he would approve title to the area if all of the interests were merged into one individual.
If I am correct in my recollection, Mr. Morehouse had this matter under consideration for at least a year. The offer made to Mr. Morehouse is still open. If all the owners can now agree, the matter can probably be settled without recourse to the Court of Claims. It will, however, still be necessary for all of the interests to be merged into one individual. I believe this can be done by each one assigning his claim for compensation for the lands taken.
In regard to the camp and filling station located on Sabbath Day Point Road, this building was erected on lot No. 30, Tongue Mountain Tract, which at the time of erection, was under contract from Andrew McCabe of Silver Bay, N,Y. who claimed to own the land. This contract was executed in 1925 but McCabe’s attorney had not been able to secure the necessary papers required by the Attorney General before the title could be approved.
Last November, this office was informed that a road stand was being constructed by Albert McCabe on the land under contract, and on November 20, 1928 we recommended to the Board of Commissioners of the Land Office the appropriation of this lot. Our recommendation was approved on December 13, 1928 and notice served on Mr. McCabe shortly thereafter, so that this lot is now the property of the People of the State of New York and there will be no further developments upon it.
If this letter does not fully answer your questions, I will be glad to write you further.
Very truly yours,
Alexander MacDonald, Commissioner
by Arthur S. Hopkins, Asst. Supt. Lands and Forests