The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-01-01
A MICHIGAN LIAR ON SOUTHERN
PINE LANDS,

note from MI. sidney Is. Dixon, OF
Detroit, Michigan, who, he says,
owns alarge tract of pine land IN
his county
December Z. 1891.
Mr.. Thos. Il. Ramsay:
Dear Sir: l enclose you a clipping from
one of our daily papers. After you have
read it will you please inform me If there
is any truth in it. l don't think there is.
would think that law and order prevails
as well in Harrison county, Miss, as in
Wayne county Of Michigan.
l am yours, respectfully,
SIDNEY b. Dixon,
Detroit, Michigan.
There is nothing to indicate
from what paper the clipping was
taken, but it reads as follows, after
a double head, Southern Pine
Land. Experience of a Michigan
Man With Timber Thieves"
Talking about Southern timber steals,
a prominent lumberman was telling his
experience yesterday:
"Two years ago." said lie, "two or
three other gentlemen and myself in
vested in Mississippi pine land, which
promised to be a good business venture.
Some time after returning North l heard
rumors that parties were cutting timber
on our land. AT first nothing was thought
OF it, but later reports caused some feel.
ing of uneasiness, so l determined to in
yestigate in company with several others
Interested.
"Upon our arrival South the rumors
were confirmed and affairs were much
worse than we apprehended. The timber
was being cut and no pretensiop to
secrecy was made. 1t was either u bare
faced steal or a case of ignorance on the
part of those cutting the timber in not
knowing whose land they were IN. We
gave them the benefit of the doubt, and
after securing the county surveyor and
several other people as witnesses, left for
the woods. We heard the sound of axes
and could see a number of men through
the trees hard at work cutting timber.
A man rode mp to see what was wanted,
and we asked him whose land he was OH.
"-ifI care whose land it 49,
"'Who are you cutting forP
"'None of your--business.'
"Are you aware that we are the own
ers of this property
"1 don't give a--for You nor them
-
"You must know that it is against the
law to cut timber oil other peoples land.
We have brought the surveyor with us
who can testify that you are on our land,
and enough witnesses to prove it co,clu-
sively. If you do not go willingly you
shall go forci5ly.'
"He only said, You try it, and with a
contemptuous smile added, YOU git
"He and his men were armed, and we
being without weapons, decided that dis
c%retlon was the better part OF valor, and
left the thieves in possession.
Determined not to let them have the
best of us, we tried to find a lawyer to
begin legal proceedings. Several were
consulted, each one being very much IN
terested in the case until he asked where
we hailed from. Michigan settled tho
case very quickly, tor he said:
"Gentlemen, l am sorry that | cannot
take your case, but it would be impossible
to get a Southern jury to convict South
crn men of stealing timber from Il North.
ern mans land, and l should have to 90
out Of business os the people here would
not trust their affairs in my hands if l
served YOU
Seeing no way of redress, we conclud.
, ed to cut the timber ourselves and leave
nothing but the land for them to steal, if
} they could devise amy way to do that.
We are much richer in experience, but
much poorer in pocket, aud in the future
will not put any money in Southern pine
/. lands for the purpose of investment. This
has been the experience of many who
have invested in Southern timber, aud il
5 has had the effect of shutting out North
t ern capitalists who otherwise would have
been heavy purchasers, and would yot i
treated justly"
The above seems to have been
sort of newspaper interview. The
"prominent lumberman" is placed
R in the role of a relator of Southern
e adventure, in dealing in the PIN
! lands of Mississippi, but unlortu
a nately is not definite as to locality
s and hence, while we believe tn
entire yarn to be false, we are no
prepared to say positively that II
/ such thing as this special alterca
II ton ever occurred in Mississippi
l. 1t is we'll known that there ar
. hundreds of deeds to our Souther
q timber lands that are mere cloud
upon better titles used by Ian
III sharks for speculation, while til
true owners are cutting away f;
the timber, and would not tolerat
abrupt and summary interference
y But Mr.. Dixon is correct in SUI
70 posing that "law and order prevail
in Harrison county, Miss, as
Wayne county, Mich.," and Il