Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-18

Elephant and How She Got Rid o
If-A "Reminiscences of Bullock = Cor
ruPt Rule.
Savannah Correspondence Of the New YOrI
SUM-
The Atlantic Constitution of a recent
date, commenting upon the immense tim
Der resources of Georgia, and abiding L
the various companies organized for The
deyelopmt mt Of these interests, has thi:
paragraph:
Another company, with Mr.. Dodge, one
of the merchant princes of New York, at its
head, holds nearly five hundred Thousand
acres Of yellow pine lands in a compact
body, about hundred miles north of the
OkeefenOkee plains.
The company Of which Mr.. Dodge is the
head, and Of which mention is made i'm the
foregoing extract, is known to fame in these
parts as the Georgia Land and Lumber
Company, and its history is interesting.
But it may be as well to state, before | 20
into the history of the company, that in the
counties Of Dodge and Telfair, where its
possessions lei is looked upOna as one Ofthe
worst swindles of the age, on level with
the Credit Mobilier business. A prominent
citizen of Telfair told me recently that if
the Georgia Land and Lumber Company
was successful in the test suits which are
now pending or about to be brought before
the courts, hundreds of people would be
driven from homes which they have had in
possession for many years. The same citi
zen gave me the history Of the origin of
the company, together with some Of its
subsequent transactions.
THE ENTERING WEDGE
In the year 1884, or Whereabouts, a COM
pany of New EnglaLders, led thither BY
that spirit Of restless enterprise which
eharacterizes the race, bought a mill az
Lumber City, Telfair co Inty, and brought
a large number of wOrkmen. They were
thrifty and energetic. An extensive saw
mill was soon established, improved ma
chinery placed therein, and every arrange
ment made TO meet the demands Of large
business.
In the meantime, Peter J. Williams, a
wealthy and liberal land owner, granted to
the company all the land contiguous TO the
mill and the water-cOuTses leading thereto
at the rate IF about five cents an acre. This
was cheaper than dirt, and the company
took about three hundred thousand acres.
The mil was apparently paying insti-
tuition, but only apparently. IL was doubt
less well managed, but the facilities for
transporting the lumber to a suitable mar
ket were lacking, and the company found
itself SHAKING money very rapidly.
SOMETHING HAD To BE- DONE.
ana various rejects were tested. Here was
100000 acres Of valuable land which could
be .nOrtga-et, aud an agent was sent "a
Europe for that purpose, bit his aegOtia-
tons were unsuccessful. FINALLY, however
the company-ever fertile in resource, and
no. slow 10 see good thinC-mortgaSed
the land 10 the State of Indiana for the
sum Of Sj90, GOO for ten wears, with interest
at seven per cent, leased their 5000 mil
to another party, and then packed up thel
traps and returned 10 their native heaths
pocketins, with all their losses, the pretty
little sum Of 10000.
The State Of Indiana was in a quandary.
She was $4,000 ont of pocket, with an
elephant on her hands. The Legislature
discussed the mailer for several years, un-
I'll finally member from some obscure
precinct rose and remarked that no sOyer-
eign State could own, hold or exercise juris-
dictiOn over land living within the limits OF
another sovereign State. This settled the
matter so far as Indiana was concerned.
and that State gave quit claim deed for
the whole of her Georgia possessions fOI
$1,000. In the meantime the taxes on
these lands fell due, and 10 one came for
ward to give them in.
SOLD FOR TAXES.
In 1874 Gov. Crawford ordered the tax
collector 10 advertise and expose the lands
for sale. and this was accordingly done
Every acre was purchased by the citizens OF
Telfair and adjoining counties, and thesC
purchasers remained in quiet possession
for number Of wears. The laws of GeOrgis
provide that land sold for taxes may be re-
deemed by the original owner within a Ger
tain specified time, but no one came for
ward within double the required time q
redeem these lands. In this manner thC
purchasers OF the tax sale in 1874 acquired
what they ere advised are valid titles.
Some wears af,erward, Morton Z. Green
the person 10 whom the State Of Indiana
sold the quit claim deed, disposed Of his
claim % parties in New York These pur
chasers served WriLs upon 4 number Of citi
zens Of Telfair and adjoining counties, cit
ing them to appear before the District
Court in this city The citizens held {
meeting. employed counsel, and authorized
three Of their number TO represent their in
tereStS. These agents Of the tax sale pyr-
chashers attended each term Of the cnurt
here for several years, but could never bring
the New York purchasers to q hearing, anC
the case was finally struck from the docket
of the court.
PIOUS FRAUD.
Shortly thereafter reverend adventurel
named Griffin dropped down upon the TN
fortunate landhOldeTs- lie came in the
guiSe Of a preacher, and varied his apostolic
duties by acting as the agent Of the New
York claimants. Il is asserted that he sig
nalized his mission 10 Georgia by making
titles TO land which those he repre-
scented had never claimed, and then gath
cred his robes about him and went back
to his employers. About this time the
New York owners Of the quit claim deed
began giving in the lands for taxes, the real
owners doing the same. Then came the
war. which prevented the New York claim
ants from setting on foot any further
movement TO possess themselves Of the
lands.
Thus matters stood at the close Of the
war. Shortly after that event Mr.. William
Pitt Eastman visited the section in which
tn coveted lands lie, and after freely dis
cussing the matter with the citizens, Ne
turned to New Y Orf. he had an idea. He
thought he saw his way clear TO com
Portable little sum Of money, and he
fixed his tricks accordingly. He wen;
to New York, formed a oOpartner
ship with the Hon. William +
Dodge, and purchased tie question
able titles Of the owners Of the Indiana
quit claim deed. The owners gave the
Eastman-DOdse combination a genuine
quit claim 10 their interest, which was
easy enough to do, when it is remembered
upon what that interest was based. Will
remarkable shTewdnesS, however, the own.
erS of the Indiana deed placed a clause in
the transfer decd stating that they would
in no wise warrant or defend il.
qULLOCK'S LEGISLATURE.
When all this was cOnsummated, Mr.
Eastman returned TO Georgia. The time:
were propitiOus. Il was the hey-day o.
carpet-bag rascality and corruption. Bul-
lock ruled the roast and mad a venal Legis
lature at his command. The honest citizen:
Of Georgia, who had never before had az
opportunity of behOlding the defOrmities d
bad government, were puzzled anJ
confused, and this confusion extended L
all classes. They were deharred from tax
ing part in the framing of laws BY Whicl
they were governed, and they doubted
whether they had any rights which the new
dispensation was bound to respect. Mr.
Eastman and his cOadjutOrs saw their Op
pOrtunity and improved il.