Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-26
LANDS OF BATH COUNTY.
Some Reasons Why Their Average As
sessed Value Appears Low.
yV,pu Sppruca V. r,

LANDS OF BATH COUNTY.
Some Reasons Why Their Average As
sessed Value Appears Low.
WARM SPRINGS. Va, February 10, 1893.
To ne Editor Of he Dispatch:
In your issue of Sunday. February 9Th
Mr.. j. n. Stubs sets out two lists OF coun
ties for tho purpose Of comparing thell
average assessments of lands, and thu:
showing the taxes paid by each. his pur
pose being TO show that taxes are not uni
| form throughout the State.
The first list comprises those counties
which are most especially devoted TO th'
! oyster industry (his argument being tn'
unfairness of the burden imposed upor
| the biyalve), while the second list com
prises those counties which ARE" rs he
| saws, noted tor agricultural purposes, OF
| for minerals or coal"
List No. l embraces Accomac. Eliza
beth City, Gloucester, Isle of Wight. Ian
caster, Matthews, Middlesex, Nansemend
Norfolk, Northampton, Princess Anne
Warwick. and York. while List No. 2 IN
| cludes the counties of Amherst, Grayson
Wise, Bath. Scott. Franklin. Russell
Bland. AlbeHarle. Patrick. Smyth, Rock
bridge. and Nottoway.
He shows by the Auditors report tina,
I
| is SlO.95. while that of the second list Il
| only $50. 80, in which list Bath county shows
al average assessment per acre OF only
| S1.S5.
have no disposition to 90 into the
merits of the oyster taxation. which he
discusses, but do wish TO offer few fact:
which may show why the valuation placed
on our lands is not too low and that we
are not more favored in the matter of tax
alton thau thQ ovcfar pOuptIpG
THE coUNTY's ACREAGE.
The total acreage of this county, a'
shown by the assessors books, amounts &c
499,695 acres. OF this 2}9, 956 is embraced
in what are called Big Surveys" wild
land The "Douthat Survey" has within
| this county 81 900 acres, the Finley Sur
vey" 24.0OO. the "Strong Survey" $4,000.
The "BriscOe Survey" of 2i.00l lies large
ly within this county, as does the Jarvis
SURVEY" Of $4,000 the Thomas Survey
of IL 600, besides other small surveys. The
"Orr Survey" of 100000 acres now off OF
the assessors books has about seventy
five thousand acres within her boundaries.
so we see that nearly one half OF the
whole area is covered by these large grants.
Little, If any of this land is in state OF
cultivation or fit to cultivate. OF the
other half. which Is owned by our county
people, a very great part il the same cha.
racter of land-wild and useful only for the
timber that is on il. In fact. 1t is only
along the streams that We lind the land II
q state of cultivation.
CLOUDED TITLES.
It is true that some of these lands arc
well timbered and that some of the hills
are rich with minerals. but it is only
within the past two years that market
has been opened for our timber. and the
iron and other minerals must await better
transportation to render them Of value.
These lands bring their owners no reve-
nue.. These Wild lands are assessed, Q
small part at 81 Der acre, and the remain
der, with one exception hereinafter men,
toned, at about 80 cents per acre.
70 insist that these lands shall be taxed
heavily because they are held tor specula-
ton is to forget that the claimants &c
lands take much risk in their title and are
necessarily put to much expense and loss
Of time in clearing up these titles. This Is
thing which is unknown IN the eastern
counties cited by Mr.. Stubs. How often
is the action of ejectment brought in the
counties he cites In List 2 Firm.
ness of title is an element of value. To APP
preciate this one has but TO notice how the
suggestion of "a cloud on the title" Will
drive capital away. People don't want &
buy lawsuits. A Washington man, who
owned one of the best pieces of land II
the county aud whose title was perfectly
good sent party of New Workers. out
here some months ago TO look at the place
BY some chance they heard O rumOr that
one OF the large surveys claimed part OF
the tract. Without even going To the
place. although within q few miles OF II,
they turned their faces homeward.
FARMING LAND.
The farming land is assessed at figures
which will bear comparison with any ot
the eastern counties, but these immense
tracts of land are necessarily assessed very
low, and this brings the average value pei
acre very low.
Again great deal of this wild land ap
pears on the assessors books twice. II j:
well known that the whole of one OF the
1900 tracts is assessed twice-once IN the
name of the claimants to the whole, anC
again in the names Of parties claiming
parts OF 1t. This increases our acreage al
the lowest rate and brings down the
average value per acre.
Until the title is cleared up q sale oil
these lands Is almost impossible, or Il
made it must be at figure not out of pro
portion to assessed value.
THE DoUTHAT SURVEY.
To illustrate this we have the history Of
the "Douthat Survey" For many year.
this was assessed at 10 cents per acre. The
whole grant amounted TO l02, 900 acres
and was during the time OF this assessment
sold for merely nominal figure. The pur
chasers spent an immense amount oil
money in surveying. IN settling disputed
titles, IN compromising with adverse
claimants. and IN fighting the title
through the courts. They finally estab
llshed title TO something over $4,000 acres
OF land, the most desirable portions having
been released to adverse claimants, whose
possession was legally sufficient to entitlC
them TO hold under their color of title
Meanwhile the assessed value had in
creased on the land books from 10 to 3:
cents per acre. Within the past three
years the whole tract was sold for $780,.
900, and now the assessed value on Bath
county land books Is at the rate of 81 pei
acre.
PRICES ADVANCING.
In his estimates Mr.. Stubs excludes
town lots. but he necessarily included
lands whose value is increased by then
nearness TO such places. When we remem.
Der that there Is no incorporation in tins
county and scarcely collection of houses
in its boundaries worthy of the name of a
village he must see that, taking into con.
sideration the above facts. Bath county
LANDS bear as large part Of taxes as anv oil
tne cOuullcS pldCcu ny ulul III LILO 1lS'
NJ. /.
With the introduction of the branch
road from Covlngton to the Hot Springs
and the expenditure of money by the Vir.
GINA Hot-Springs Company in TINS valley
the prices of land have advanced and are
still likely to advance. But until the title
TO these large land grants become more
settled 1t is not likely that the average
acreage assessment will advance very
much. j. 4. McALIIsTEE.
Our Roads and the Coiu mbIsn Exposition.
RICHMOND, February %, 1898.
To the Editor of he Dispatch.
Much has recently been said about the
Importance of making q credItable exhibit
at the Chicago Exposition. Is it not
equally important that we should present
pleasing appearance at home to the thou
sands of visitors we expect to attract tC
our city and State during the Columbian
year? Richmond having perhaps as great
historic interest as any city in the
Union, aud being so near the national
capital aud So accessible TO foreigners
going to or returning from the fair
ma nruht IN apttr,natinu IF tbatr ootptp0