The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-12-29
CROOKED LETTER.
THE ROC US LAND COMPANY OF
NORTH TEXAS
4 Cheeky etfer to Commissioner Walsh
"A SeathiRg Reply.

1t Will be remembered that few days
1 ago the STATESMAN published. in detail.
/ a letter from Mr.. Ford. OF Worth county
Georgia, to Commissioner Walsh. of The
! general land office, making inquiries
relative to the reliability of "a certain so.
called land association. with headquar-
| tiers ut Gainesville, Texas. At the same
! time we gave extracts from a circular,
which extracts embraced the salient
| points of the document. issued by this
western Land Brokers' Agency" The
reply of captain Walsh to Mr.. Ford was
| also published, and the latter is what
/ brought forth the letter subioined below.
1t isvery evident this concern is doing a
business which will not in any degree
stand airing.
LETTER TO CAPTAIN WALSH.
| TEXts LAND WARRANT BROKERS Agency.
| GAINESVILLE, COOKE Co TEXAS.
December -. 1881
". c. Walsh, S. C of Lands:
DEAR sIR-We have replied to the let
ter published in various papers, detri-
mental to us as well as to yourself. pur-
porting to have been signed by yourself.
We don't believe you have sent out such
letter, and so state in our answer. In
directly we have placed big money in
your pocket through your best friends
who are our friends, and all we ask of
be mentioned in the press that would
gre you array. We are doing nothing but
IA fair square business, for which the
roads pay us, and when we do ANYTHING
not square then IL will be time TO squeal
Respectfully,
BE. LOWER.
COMMISSIONER wALSH'S REPLY.
AUSTIN, December 81, 1881.
Mr.. i. E. Lower, Gainesville, Texas
SIR Il have your letter, marked "per-
sOnal, ," of the 23d inst, relative 10 a letter
written by ME to w. ii. Ford, OF Georgia,
on the 10Th inst, and which letter has
been eXtensivelypublished in the papers
in and out of Texas. If there is the faint
est suspicion in your mind that the pub
lished letter is Il forgery, dismiss it at
once. wrote the letter, and had an
ticipated its publication it would have
been much fuller. There was one error
in the letter, based on information re-
ceived by me while writing it !; that is, l
quoted alternate railroad certificates at
$50 each, when l should have written 1913
each, the latter being the price at which
they are held by dealers here. In the
letter before me you say "'in-
directly we have placed big
nancy in your pocket through
yOur beet friends, who are our friends,
and all we ask of you is to let us alOan,
ami nothing will be said In the press that
would give you away" The above sem
tence contains as much rascality. think,
as could be condensed in the same num-
Der OF words by any one between
here and Huntsville. Ifyou have been
placing money in my pocket, as you as
sert, you have been guilty of bribery and
conspiracy TO defraud the state, and
should be paying the penalty. with all
your co-cOnspiraIOrs, at Huntsville, in
stead Of being at large to commit other
frauds. If your statement IS false, your
letter can only be construed into an effort
to bulldoZe or frighten Il public officer
from the discharge of a plain duty, by
hoping, through vague threats, to reach
some vulnerable part. Take either
horn of the dilemma, and you will under
stand that you are not one of the men to
be let "aloan" II suppose you spell by
ear, and mean alone), but exactly one OF
those 1 stand pledged to keep after. l
shall expect you at once to furnish the
names and addresses of our mutual
friends who have been assisting you to
put "blg money in my pocket" They
have not yet reported here, and shall
probably have occasion to communicate
with them soon. L have just read your
reply to my letter, as published IN the
the HesperaGn, and find it SIM
pie confession of the charge made in
my letter of the 10Th to Ford-that is,
that your circular No. sos, was SO worded
as to mislead non-residents, while verbal
technicalitIes left you a Ioophole through
which to escape the Indignation of those
who are victimized. In conclusion, / will
do all in my power to assist honest deal
ers who honestly advertise their certifi-
Gates and lands for sale, but l will not,
while L am in charge of this department,
remain quiet and see innocent parties de.
frauded through circulars and advertise
ments calculated to m:slead. You are
invited most cordially to .'give away"
whatever you have detrimental to me as
au officer, and give all the names of
those you denominate "our friends"
Respectfully,
w, G, WALSH