This collection contains two letters written by Benjamin F. Holland during the late 1890s. Both letters revolved around a court case, called the Pharr Case, which involved Captain George Alexander LeMaister. Captain LeMaister was born around 1840 and died on January 7, 1897. He worked as a superintendent for many years for Walton, Whann & Co., phosphate manufacturers in Wilmington, Maryland. He also worked as a superintendent for the Etiwan Phosphate Co., located in Charleston, and the Keystone Chemical Co.

During this period, LeMaister was involved with two court cases, although there is no indication if these relate directly to the Pharr Case. The first case, Richardson v. Walton et al, occurred sometime in 1891-1892 since a decision was made on January 28, 1892. In theis case, it was stated that LeMaister, along with a man named Albanis L. Anderson, entered into a secret arrangement with Walton, one of the owners of Walton and Whann & Co., while acting as superintendent in Wilmington. The arrangement was that these two men would enter into the service of the Wando Phosphate Co., located in Charleston, South Carolina, and take an interest in it. Furthermore, they would do this after Walton had purchased his own private stock in the company. This case was dismissed.

The second case, Bartol v. Walton and Whann Co. et al, occurred on February 7, 1899. In this case, it was stated that “Capt Lemaister” determined a valuation bid on Keystone Chemical Co. for the Walton and Whann Co., which was a bid included in the valuation of the Etiwan Phosphate Company and that it had been valued as worth less money by Walton and Whann than it had been previously. Therefore, in both of these court cases, LeMaister was implicated in differing fraud scheme.

There is little known about the Pharr Case. Based on the letters, it most likely had something to do with the phosphate business and the Walton and Whann Co. since there was a Pharr Phosphate plant located south of Bartow, Florida. We also know that LeMaister was ill in 1896 when B. F. Holland was writing about the case in the first letter and had passed away by the writing of the second in 1897. Based on LeMaister’s death record, it is shown that he was ill from February 15, 1896, to January 7, 1897, when he passed away. His cause of death was listed as influenza, with the most immediate cause being an “adema pulminural” which can be speculated to be a pulmonary edema, an abnormal buildup of fluid in the lungs.

Holland addressed the first letter, written in 1896, to a Richard S. Garrett. Based on the title Holland provides, it appears that Garrett was an esquire or a lawyer in Wellford, South Carolina. Furthermore, based on the contents of the letter, it appears Garrett was directly involved with the Pharr Case on the side of LeMaister.

Holland addressed the second letter, written in 1897, to Misters Simons, Singling, and Cappelman. Based on the information provided in the letter, these men were most likely lawyers in Charleston, South Carolina, where LeMaister remained until his death shortly before this letter was written. Also, as in the first letter, it appears that these men were directly involved in the Pharr Case and had asked Holland for any information he or his lawyer had obtained.