Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-01-06

-hhhN Va lOul ltdbNle hlN lANN l'tbhsA
bly, aware of the immense frauds be-
ing perpetrated upon strangers in ref
erence to the sale and transfers OF oui
mountain lands. Many inquiries ait
being made from persons residing In
the Northern States and in the Cana
adas, in reference to these lands
l have had in my possession copies OF
maps, which gave glowing descriptions
Of such property, also abstracts OF
titles which were properly suthenti-
Gated and bore the seal Of the county
in which the lands were supposed tc
be located. These buyers in conse,
ouence Of these maps and authenti-
Gated abstracts of title have been mis-
led. The officials who signed these
abstracts and attached the official seal
fthe county, thought presume, they
had no authority more than to report
the mere fact as stated in their books.
The character OF our land law in
reference to entry and survey, are
very lame, and no one, not even the
State, can be held responsible for this
wholesale issuance of grants.
From the entry down 10 the time
the Governor puts his signature TO the
grant, no responsibility whatever
chRracteriZes the different firms
through which the title passes.
If the county surveyors had been
honest men and good citizens, they
could have prevented a great deal of
these frauds, which are now coming
home to us. In fact they are the re-
sponsible parties, and should be held
as such, and were the laws more
stringent we would probably be able
10 have more efficient and reliable
county surveyors. Many of them, if
the laws were properly executed,
would to-day be in the penitentiary.
Between the years 1886 and 1S40 the
Larger portion of our vacant lands
were taken up, and grants issued-and
these were issued upon sworn certifi-
Gates from county surveyors, and it is
we'll known, by those who have had
the trouble in looking up these claims,
that many of the surveys were never
practically made, and that the same
surveyor, in the same month, and in
some cases, on the same day, recorded
upon his books, surveys that overlap
ped each other, thus showing that be
vas an abomination and swindler.
Why this has been permitted to go on
in this way so long is hard TO coDjec-
ture.
Prior to the year 1872, there had been
granted in one of our mountain counties
over 500, 600 acres, and since that time
little more than one-half million has
been granted, making total of over
fxrrn flliaV, -,
that can only contain within its
boundaries, all told, $50, 900 acres. This
IL pretty good showing for one
county, providing the whole amount
pays taxes. This does not pertain to
one county alone, but there are many
others that have been entered three
and four times the amount contained
within their respective boundaries.
Not many years ago quite number
OF sharks came here from Pittsburgh,
Pa, and preyed upon the honesty of
our mountain officials, and they fell
dupes to the wiley snares of these land
grabbers, and, OF course, through their
assistance, were enabled to enter and
receive grants for thousands of acres,
which are now being hawked over the
world at not less than 50 per acre.
They have beautiful colored maps, ac-
companied with properly authenticated
abstracts of titles, which show that the
property emanated from the State, and
the records of the county show regular
and proper transfers, signed and sealed
by county officials.
One gentleman, whether a dupe or
one of the clang, made inquiries not
long since in reference to nineteen
i've thousand acre grants. which bore
the date of 1872 The title on paper
was all right, but upon the ground it
failed to "pan ont" Another in
stance A man from one of the border
southern States had taken a drove of
horses to the New York market, and
they being q dull sale, he exchanged
them for a second mortgage bond on
Brooklyn property, and afterwards ex-
changed the same for first mortgage
on mountain lands in Tennessee. Be.
fore leaving our city he came TO the
conclusion that the second mortgage
would have been the better invest
ment. There are many estates thai
have loaned money upon these titles
Widows and orphans are thu defraudeC
out of what probably constituted theil
support. Many firms have used these
lands as basis upon which 10 operate
The parties generally engaged in thes'
land sales are persons who are not re
spOnsible for farthing, and In conse'
quence will never be able to own any,
thing or have title in their own name
But few persons are aware that Ten
nessee has no title to portion Of he
boundary There is strip of land ex
tending six miles south OF the presen
Kentucky State Line and running
from Cumberland Gap to the Tennes
see river, the title of which is In Ken
lucky, and not 10 Tennessee a. many
suppose. In consequence Of this sup
position, Tennessee has granted thiI
strip TO parties three and four deep
Kentucky has been doing the same
consequently this strip is pretty vel
covered with land titles.
Can nothing be done TO sto!
this kind of wholesale swindling? On
Legislature coon meets, and it Is hopeC
that some plan may be devised by
which these titles may be perfected
and put a stop to the present system o
entering and surveying vacant lands
The land laws of Kentucky are no
much better, although, there, no on'
ran obtain warrant for Urau 10