The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-24
AFTER A WHOLE COUNTY
a CLAIM FOR $4,000 ACRES OF
LAND IN EMANUEL.

| PORTION OF the IOulLy as IreSpd5SerS.
The Suit Based on Grants Alleged
to Gave Been Made Just After the
Revolution.
An interesting case, involving the titles to
the greater portion Of the land Of Emanuel
county, was brought before Judge Speer
in tho United States court last night by
Hon. p W. Meldriul. The petitioner is an
old gentleman, Col. H. ii. Smart, repre-
sentlug Mr.. Watson. who claims to be the
owner OF 65, COO acres Of land in Emanuel
which he wants to recover from the present
holders, whom be alleges are tresspassers.
Mr. Watsons claim Is based on certain
grants which, it is alleged, were made by
the state just after the revolutionary war.
| The bill Is something like the famous Dodge
| county case. Mr.. Medium applied for the
appointment Of a surveyor to locate and
identify the lands, the boundaries having
been destroyed.
| EVIDENCE OF TITLE WANTED.
Judge Speer said he was willing to grant
the application II Mr.. Meldrim could show
a prima facie case Of title in Mr.. Watson,
but as he understood it, the grants Of his
deeds depended on the grants Of l 900 acres,
and as far as the investigation had gone
the court was informed there was no act
he thought it would be an unnecessary hard
ship on the people occupying the lands TO
grant the order asked for without having
| the act examined into.
Mr.. Meldrim said he didn't think the
order he asked would be a hardship, as he
didn't care for an injunction. AL he
wanted was that the surveyor be clothed
with the power to 60 and make the survey.
Nobody, he thought, could have any objec-
tons to the survey being made.
Judge Speer replied that he would not
authorize a surveyor go upon lands unless
the plaintiff showed a prima facie case of
title In order to do that, when the title
depends on grants, the grant should be
shown, and the act of the general assembly
authorizing it.
TO LOOK INTO THE ACTS.
Judge Speer suggested to Mr.. Meldrim
that the safer course would be to look into
the act authorizing the grants before press
ing the question, which Mr.. Meldrim agreed
to do He added that in view of certain
threats made he simply wanted the sur
veyor clothed with authority so as to be
| protected.
These grants on which the Emanuel
county claim is based also involve Bryan,
Tattnall, Montgomery and other neighbour
ing counties, and fully $4,000 people are in
terested In the outcome Of the case which
has been brought into the courts. 1t has
all grown out of the liberal method by
which Georgia lands were distrib-
uted Immediately after the revolu-
| ton. Any one who wanted l. 900
acres could have them for the asking. This
led to abuses of most serious character
The names OF fictitious parties were some-
times used, and in this way an enormous
acreage was obtained At other times bona
hde parties permitted the use of their names
TOR pecuniary consideration.
BLOCKS OF 1000 ACRES.
Surveys for 600 acre blocks were also &C.
casionally made so that the tract granted
would actually embrace considerably more
Sometimes, of course, erything was fair
and square. OF such was the undoubtedly
bona fide gram Of 20. 900 acres in Emanuel
and Montgomery counties to Peter J. WILL
lama he was q native Georgian, but
never occupied or made use of but a
minute proportion OF this vast area
His heir, P. a. Loud, went off to New York
and mortgaged the princely domain for q
song. The country was gradually cleared
and brought under cultivation. The
land that could hardly have brought a
shilling an acre when granted, rose gradu-
ally in value until some of the smaller
plantations alone were rated at thousands
of dollars.
WORTHLESS TITLE.
Parties in the north and west have been
selling titles to Georgia lands based on old
grants, and the following letter was
received recently from one OF the pur-
chasers OF bogus title by the treasurer of
Montgomery county:
| Mr.. Treasurer MONTGOMERY County, Ca:
DEAR SRI write to you for information in
regard to taxes on lands in your county de-
scribed as grant No. is, containing 1000 acres,
aud icing portion Of grant by the governor
| OF Georgia to Francis Tennell, recorded in the
office of the secretary of state in book 1888. folio
l79; decided to Edward Fox, John NJ. Whitel
head to Charles Ford Meggs d. Wolf to r. D.
Miller, TO Collins Pindell by warranty deed re-
corded at Mount Vernon, etc. My deed calls for
24716 acres. II any taxes are due please notify
ine. II not Que, When 90 they become due and
when delinquent? Any Information to the
quality and value of said land will be appre-
ciated. Very truly, COLLINS PINDELL,
Box 1914, Elkhart, Ind.
Pindelrs claim to the land was seen at
once to be absolutely worthless, and he was
so notified, the county treasurer telling
him: "Your titles show very well on
, paper but when brought to the real test
they are yalueless or are considered 30 in
this section of the country"
THE oARNEs SURVEY.
The Carnes survey In Emanuel county is
a source Of much annoyance to the resi-
dents and of profit elsewhere. 1t was
granted about 1895 and embraced about
IS 900 acres. The grant was sold and resold
| uIiA ~ lnSO tuS puACpdSoES began TO worry
. the actual owners a little. 1t did
a them no good. The claimants
were probably sincere in the belief
that the land was justly theirs. Like north.
ern purchasers Of to-day, they had been
duped into paying pretty good sum for a
7 claim that would not hold In the courts
: Once, when they were told that the Geor-
gia supreme court would decide that their
claims had long since been invalidated, one
Of them remarked: "Wel, how about the
| United States supreme courtr
The implied threat has never been acted
on, from the simple fact that they are in nc
position to locate the boundaries or other
wise establish o ground for suit for the re-
covery of the land
$4,000 PEOPLE INTERESTED.
There are several other similar claims, in
volving the entire country from the Ogee-
chez to the Oconee river, and between 50,
5 600 and 100000 people are interested il
. everything that affects them. The passage
of a century has pretty well obliterated all
Of the marks by which the limits of the
tracts were originally indicated, aad there
? is no one living who either could or would
give auy OF the claimants reliable informa
ton in this respect.
A few years ago DR.. Bell Of London
representing an English syndicate. into
i