Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-10
The sq"nndsriIs ..,.S S Of The. the Asricul-

Tho SquanderiDg of the Agrfcul.
| tural College Fund.
| The donation of immense tracts of Gov
ernment lands to the different States. by
act of Congress, as fund to ecdow Agri-
cultural Colleges, was accepted by Ohio,
and the scrip issued by Government, receiv-
able in payment of "Congress land, at the
different Land offices where Government
land was advertised to be sold, passed into
| the hands Of our State officials. This scrip
called for land never sold for less than one
dollar and twenty-five cents per acre.
7 Mr.. GOODMAN, Auditor of State, Mr.. WAR
NER, Treasurer ,ot State (both candidates
for re-election), with Mr.. SMITH, Secretary
of State, acting as Board of Commission
ers for the sale of the land scrip issued to
the State of Ohio, made sale of 12S00 acres
at eighty cents per acre, 1900 acres at
seventy-five cents per acre, 800 acres at
fifty-six cents per acre, and q, 200 at fifty
five cents per acre-in all 54,0S0 acres for
$50, ,690.20. The remainder of this land,
3,599 pieces, each intending one-quarter
section of l6O acres, and in the aggregate
amounting to five hundred and seventy
five thousand eight hundred and forty
acres, the State officers bargained with one
GLEASON F. LEWIS, broker doing small
business in Cleveland, to take off
their: hands at fifty-three cents per
acre, its purchase money to be paid in
instalments.r First LEWIS had one month
before he paid single cent and in that
time if he could not find sale for the land,
at largely advanced price, he was not OBJ
liged to take single acre. If he found, as
no doubt he did, that hecould sell the land
for one dollar to one dollar and twenty-five
cents per acre. and would deposit $1,000
with the Treasurer, as security, he could
have another month to perfect his plans be-
fore he paid for an acre. But all this
time the State was bound not to sell a sin
gle acre of this land to any one else, for
LEWIS and his associates had pre-emptian
right to the whole. r..H elm, ...5.,,Sf .-
This Mr.. LEWIS, it is notorious in the
region where he resides, was not response
BILE for so large an undertaking. His name
alone appears in the contract, and there
must be. others behind him, who have
share in the profits. He is small broker,
residing in Cleveland, and no man in that
community would deem his paper for five
thousand dollars worth its face; and yet,
the Commissioners, acting for the State,
gave him one months refusal of 575,S40
acres of land-the State heing bound to
give hi m the land if he wanted it, while
he was not iatlall bound to take it, unless
he could make a good thing out of it. If
he made his election to take it, he could do
SO in detached parcels, the purchase money
for the whole tract being but $305, 1920,
for land worth, at the lowest estimate, be-
tween six and seven hundred thousand
dollars. n ,st,
These facts are CLEANED from the report
of the Governor to the Legislature, under
date of December 10, 1866, and bv which
it appears that this man, LEWIS, at the
time the report was made, owed the State
SIP 3A. lHA
That in the purchase LEWIS had part
ners, is known from the fact that his credit
was not sufficient to realize the amount
necessary to carry so large a transac-
tion. Who these partners were is not
known, but the presumption is that they
must have been the especial friends OF the
Commissioners, or the interests of the
State would not have been SO wilfully sac
rificed. The selling of over one half mil
lion acres of Government land at fifty
three cents per acre, when the Govern
ment itself sells similar land for 1.25 per
acre, requires no great stretch OF imagina-
ton to arrive at the conclusion that the
College Fund has not, and
will not, realize the amount that Congress
supposed would be sufficient to put it into
successful operation. ..f .-,.
The tabled MIDAS had the power to- turn
every thing he touched into gold. The
Abolition, State officers seem to turn every
hing they touch belonging to the State
into direct loss to the people. SO
IF ever State was cursed with inefficient
financial officers, Ohio unfort unately is in
hat predicameht. II .yl5 ..sa s