The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-06-30
Charges Refuted.


of the State immigration Assocla.
ton, was called on this morning by
a States reporter aud asked con
cerniug an article in the Anseracan,
of Lake Charles, Calcasieu parish,
which is being rapidly settled up by
people from the West, which took
exception to his letter addressed to
congress recommending hal public
lands be Withdrawn from sale and
held subject TO homestead entries.
The article also hiuted that the
Colonel was in come way or another
connected with land syndicates and
mentioned the Red River Land
Company as one of them Some in.
tcrcsting information was also CLEAN.
cd concerning the immigration
movement in this State. The ques-
ton vas asked Arc you in any
way connected with the Red River
Land Company"
Colonel Mourman replied Il AN
not, nor never have heen, nor do l
own any Of this company's stock"
do you own stock in any land
syndicate or company Of this State??"
Il DO not, nor never did. But |
ain the secretary OF two land com
panics in this State. One Of these
companies own lands in several par
ishes in North Louisiana, and the
lands Of the other company are in
South Louisiana. | do not own
stock in either of them"
! What reason can you attribute
to your motives being questioned in
recommending the withdrawal Of
public lands from sale?"
II haven't the slightest idea Why
any particular section of the State
should take issue with me on this
question, because I have had the IN.
qualified support Of the press in ell
other sections, and for the further
reason that it seemed to DO the al
most unanimous wish of the people
of Louisiana, who ought to know.
what they want, as expressed
through their accredited delegates
at the State Agricultural Conven.
ton held at Shreveport last Janu.
ary 25th, also at the great immigra-
ton convention held in New Or.
leans on the 5th Of March, at the
immigration convention held at
Baton Rouge on the 22d of last
May, aud at the State Democratic
convention held on the 26th OF May.
Added to these reasons are the facts
that it has been considered wise to
pursue this course in the States Of
Alabama, Mississippi aud Arkansas,
and also by q concurrent resolution
introduced in our legislature by
Hon. Joseph St. Armant, which has
already passed one house, instruct
ing representatives and senators in
congress to make every effort to at
once withdraw the unsold public
lands from sale. 4 bill to that ef.
feet has just been introduced by
Congressman Robinson, and there is
every probability that it will be
done at once. Ny action in this
matter is in q measure mandatory,
it being my duty to write q letter
conveying the wishes of the body
over whom | have the honor to pre-
side to our representatives 10 con.
gress."
ut is true that nearly all Of the
available lands for homestead pur.
poses have been already entered?"
1T is not. Most of the solid tracts
Of timbered lands in the State, where
large bodies could be collected, have
been purchased already, but by ap.
plying at the different United States
Land Offices you will see that solid
sections and fractions of sections are
unentered, and in many cases these
very lands have been passed over by
the experts who are only seeking for
the best pine timber for the reason
that the timber growth was too
greatly interspersed with oak, hick.
DRY aud other hard woods which in
reality are the indication of strong
soil which is the best for farming
land. l know this to be the fac:
from personal investigation"
DO you have many applications
from parties desiring to make home
stead entries? 2"