Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-06-30

and builder of Canal CarOndllet, by
which vessels are admitted into the heart
Of the CITY from Lake POuchartrain. He
was one Of the first merchants of the city,
and his commercial relations extended all
| over this country, and his name was re-
spected, and his ships were known in all
| the important cities of Europe. De bad
a passion for acquiring land, and owned
vast districts.
HIS land sPECULATIoNs.
Remarkable instances of his foresight
and judgment are given in the location Of
many of his purchases. in many places
where these are now, the finest sugar and
cotton plantations, when purchased by
hlm, We're impeuetrable zane brakes and
sWamps. Neither the quantity, the price,
nor the location deferred him from buy
ing he bought one grant Of over two
hundred thousand acres on Ouachita
river, which then had not been seen b7
twenty white men, a large portion Of
winch Is now under cultivation. and
valued az from ten to forty dollars
per acre. He was one Of three part
ners who purchased the Indian title
to the Bayou RUeuf country, a
district extending from near the
city of Alexandria to Cbieuville, a dis
tance Of about thirty-ive miles, embrac-
ing at this day many of the very best and
most valuable cotton and sugar planta-
tOns in the State. When he purchased
it, it was q dense Canebrake and the ad-
joining country inhabited by Indians
only.
THE GREAT UGA ESTATE.
Many other remote grants were pur-
chased by him which are now covered
with cities, towns aud plantations. His
transactions in city property and i'm
proved plantations Were also immense.
In 1872 he sold to General Wade Hamp-
ton, OF South Carolina, a plantation and
slaves for ire hundred thousand dollars.
This property was known as the HOumas
plantations, and is now owned by Mr..
John Burnside, of New Orleans, IN
largest producer Of sugar in the world.
Mr.. Clark was one Of the most noted
and influential politicians of his state.
lie vas United States Consul at New Or
leans before Louisiana was Ceded to our
Government, and was the first RaDreSent-
alive from that State in the Coug3W - of
the United States. There are bug DIV, if
any, living who can give any personal ac-
count of him, Int the written history of
the times represent him to be a man of
great popularity and influence among all
classes of his people. He was successful
in everything he attempted, and n
JUeutly made a very large fortune, OF
which he gave freely and cheerfuIly to all
benevolent and charitable purposes and
INSTITUTIONS,
CLARR's EXECUTORS ~ THEIR TREASON.
In 1911 Mr.. Clark made a viii in which
he named as his executors Chen and Ref,
his former partners in business. In
.sl3 he made another Will, but hay
ing los confidence in Chen and Ref, he
appointed three other friends as his aX-
eCutOrs. In the Will Of 1878 Myra, uOw
Mrs. Gaines, was acknowledged to be his
legitimate child, and by the terms Of the
will made his universal heir and legatee.
Mr.. Clark died in August, 1913. His last
win is supposed to rave been destroyed
in a very few minutes after his death, by
parties who were Interested in the prOvi-
siOus of the n Of 1911.
The viii Of 1913 had been shown and
read by Clark to his friends who were
named as his executors, and to others, by
whom its contents were proven, and the
viii admitted to probate by the Supreme
Court of the State Of Louisiana. Under
this viii the decision of the Supreme
Court Of the United States has been
made in favor Of Mrs. Gaines.