The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1890-01-12
CAMDEN COUNTY
Three Western Gentlemen Claiming
a Big Tract of Land.
surveyor Broome Gives Times Reporter
an Interesting SGory Dating Back More
Than a Century-The Claimants to an
Enormous Acreage.

Camden COunty's surveyor, Mr.. h. A.
BrOome, in is Brunswick on Il mission of
40 little importance.
Mr.. BroOme is here to meet three gen
tlemen from the West, who are laying
claim to not less than 10000 acres Of
land in Camden and Charlton counties,
and who will attempt to induce Mr..
BrOome to make survey of the property
The case is one Of most intricate ma
ture and the final outcome is looked for
ward to with much interest.
a TINES reporter saw Mr.. Broome yes.
terday afternoon and obtained al inter
view from him. In the course of his
remarks Mr.. Broome said:
Il came to Brunswick this morning to
meet
THREE WESTERN GENTLEMEN,
Messrs. j. c. Pike, of Iowa; 0. ID. Peck,
| OF Wisconsin, and a representative of
| the Missouri Valley Land Company.
These gentlemen have in their posses
sion the claims on three OF four enor-
nous. s.tracts of land in Camden and Charl-
ton. The property is in such a state
that the claimants may never realize
anything from it. l could give you the
whole story, but it would be rather
long"
The reporter said he would like to
hear the story, and SO Mr.. Broome be-
ga.
The first rooi7o, is Of Camden c0un-
fy. ana | refer to old Camden, as con
s.s,ing of its present area together with
that of Charlton and Wayne and part
Of Glynn, were the Middlctons, Bry-
ants, Weeds, SeagrOves and Jacksons.
Some of these families held property
under grants issued by George III of
England, while others held property
under grants issued by the State Of
Georgia. These families owned the
whole of the county and it was impossi-
sible for anyone to become an owner of
property in the county save by pur-
chasing from the owners, who seemed
to realize that fact and placed
LsUCH A FICTITIOUS VALUE
on the land as to exclude purchasers.
| Together with this, the owners failed
to pay any taAes, i1ho4 ~ lhe cJ,ja.t
or State. 1t really seemed that the
vast area included in Camden county
was destined to be comparatively unin-
habited.
Taking all these things into con-
sideratiOn, Nathan Atkinson introduced
bill in the Legislature providing that a
tenant could lawfully retain a piece Of
property when he had lived on the same
for term of seven years in undisputed
possession. That bill finally became Il
law and no sooner was the Governors
signature affixed than people began
pouring into Camden and took posses
sion of as much property as the law
would allow.
about this time the Mddetons.
Bryants and Jacksons disposed of their
claim to the property to these parties
IN the West. The then owners paid no
pretty soon number Of people owned
property in Camden by virtue of the
seven years undisputed possession.
When that fact became known, Il man
named Primrose was sent down there
from Philadelphia to
MAKE A COMPLETE SURVEY
Of the claimed lands. He didn't stay
there long, however. The citizens didn't
care to have their rights tramped on
and four men were accordingly detailed
| to escort Mr.. Primrose out of the county,
dead or alive. Those four men started
out on their errand but they didn't find
Mr.. Primrose-he had gotten scent of
what was awaiting him and had made
his exit Now the claimants want to get
hold of that pr perty and set up two or
three tremendous mills and they wa1t
me to show them the property"
"Do you expect to accommodate
them?"
"Well, on two conditions: First, |
must be insured against any danger that
may befall me at the hands of the cit-
zens; and second, must be insured
fair sum from the claimants" ="
"Do you npprehend any trouble from
the ctizens?'
"Why, man, if those people over
there thought | was in with the claim.
ants and was attempting to get hold of
the property, they would cut me into
mince meat. Oh, I'll tell you the case
is fearfully involved and there's no tell
ing how it will terminate"
Prescriptions filled with neatness and
despatch at the drug store of L. McC.