The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-08-30
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Foreign Land-Buyers and What May Re
sult-Frauds in Public Lands
Death of an Esteemed
Official, Etc.
WASHINGTON, D.

WASHINGTON, d. c., August 25th, 1884.
Messrs. Editors :-Fora good while past foreign
capitalists, corporations and others have been buy
ing up large tracts of land in this country located
mostly in the South and West These tracts often
embrace from hundred to several hundred thous-
and acres each. They are purchased at very small
cost, mere stipend per acre, in such large tracts,
and yet they are held tenaciously by the foreign
purchasers, knowing that they will become more
valuable as the purchases become more frequent
and land scarcer But latterly the socitous at
tention of the country has begun to be attracted
to these purchases, because, first, it is wrong in
principle that the land of the country should be
owned by foreigners and American citizens be
robbed of their birthrght, when in the future they
shall desire these lands for homesteads; and
secondly, because so large portion of the real
estate of tho oopptrv. which these tracts of La IL,
if their purchase is not prevented will soon amount
to in the hands of foreigners, will be menace to
our country and all our free political institutions
1t was with a view to checking this Gland grab
bling" by foreigners in our country that a plank
on that subject was inserted in the Republican
platform at Chicago. Being acquainted with an
agent in this city of one of these foreign Gland
grabbing" corporations I called upon him the
other day to get his views with regard to the COM
ing Presidential election. He told me plainly
that though in other respects he is Republican
he is heartily in favor of Cleveands election and
of the Democracy in this campaign, because he
tions in land with foreigners will cease. The last
purchase made by him was for an English compa-
ny OF 100000 acres in Eastern Tennessee for 80
cents per acre, he having purchased portions from
several different persons to make up the tract.
Great frauds have also been known for a long
time by the Commissioners of the General Land
Office here to exist in number of the Western
States and Territories, where the public lands are
located, amounting to millions of acres by means
of "illegal fencing in" of the public lands and
fraudulent (homestead) entries" in the interest
of immense cattle companies, some of which are
English and others Scotch, and the driving out of
the actual settlers; and the Interior Department
is about to proceed against the companies by suits
at law. One of these companies is the Prairie
Cattle Company, 100000 acres another the
Arkansas Valley Company, 1000, 900 acres, and
others ranging from 10000 to 200, 900 acres. In
Kansas whole counties reported to be "ilIegal-
ly fenced in" and in Wyoming more than 100
companies are engaged in the fraudulent transac-
tons. The Republican party has not spoken out
any too soon on this matter, before foreigners
shall get possession of 80 much of our public do
main and such foothold in our country and in
huence over political institutions that we shall
not be able to shake them off.
The employees of the Sixth Auditors Office were
shocked last Thursday by the sudden announce
ment of the serious illness and afterwards the
death Of Hon. j. Ii. Ella, the head of the Office,
from facial erysipelas. Mr.. Ella, Auditor of the
Treasury for the Postofice Department, had
charge of and audited all the accounts of post
masters, mail contractors and of the Postmaster
General. The office is located in the Postoffce
Department building. There were about three
hundred clerks and other employees under the
late Auditor, all of whom had the highest respect
and regard for him. The colored messenger of
the Book-keepers' Division, who likes occasional
ly to make oratorical splurges and did so on this
occasion, in announcing Judge Elias death said
the office was established in 1886, had had twelve
heads but none of whom before had died in office |
Judge Ella had previously been Representative
in Congress from New Hampshire, and then Fifth
Auditor of the Treasury before being transferred
to his late position. He was about Ga years of
age, man of great probity, wide intelligence and
profound knowledge of public affairs. He was
said to be one of the best auditing and most eff
Gent officers every way of the Government. His |
remains were taken to New Hampshire (his home)
for interment. Judge Crowell, Deputy Auditor,
is now acting in the late Auditors place, and will
probably be appointed to succeed him, ANON