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Sparks, William Henry, 1800-1882

"The Memories of Fifty Years Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent i"


By agreement of all parties, this batture was surveyed into squares
and lots, and sold at public auction, and the money deposited in the
Bank of Louisiana, to the credit of the Supreme Court of the United
States, to abide the decision of that tribunal as to the rightful
ownership. The decision gave it to the city. Grymes, as attorney for
the city, by order of the court, received a check for the money. The
bank paid the check, and Grymes appropriated one hundred thousand
dollars of it, as a fee for his services, and then deposited the
balance to the credit of the mayor and council of the city. This was a
large fee, but was not really what he was entitled to, under the
custom of chancery for collecting money. He had agreed to pay Daniel
Webster for assistance rendered; but Mr. Webster, some years after,
informed me that he had never received a cent, and I am sure he never
did, after that.
Grymes was well aware, if the city fathers got their hands upon the
money, it would be years before he got this amount, if ever. With a
portion of this money he liquidated all claims not antiquated and
forgotten by him, and the balance was intrusted to the hands of a
friend to invest for his benefit.


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