The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-26
THE BEST FARM.
Letter From the Hon. w. ~ CalhHun-
III Which He Makes Statement of


also note your criticism CT my conduct in
the matter
that Won will come 10 the conclusion that
am not ut all in fault in this matter. The
land deal is OF considerable Importance 10
the parties interested as well as To the County
Of Abbcville and especially to the township
of Magnolia.
! | did write you asking that nothing he said
| in the Press and Banner about the matteras J,
might interfere with our arrangements. ana !
stated at the same time that would see ',i". ,mn
it appeared in the Press and Banner at l',., m
anne time that II did in the Ati"h,' -
papers. | had conversation with Mf. i. Ia
Horton managing editor about that liiiir ,''S' i,
requested him that nothing be Sad ABOUT =,
in his paper for the same reasons ln;'I J. NV.
Won and he promised that ii should not APP
pear until gave him the notice. ,o,r Nv
Mr.. CabanisS heard OF the iacts ;'iiw Iii % nini
Hartman and had q conversation "i'i Ai'ii
Mr.. Hartman informs me that at tiie 'iIiic In
of the conversation he also Icques!eu wi
(,abaniSS to say nothing about inc iI"'..i ".u
,"ncn il nppparcd next day in the Atlanta
Jnnrnal no one was more greatly surprises
Ihrn Mr. Hartman and myself were from inc
.;n,nlr fact that the men who are putting
,nnir money in this enterprise did not wish
,o ,nulIc any blow about the deal until every
thiuu was in ship-shapc and they felt that
ihcy could show their intentions by their
works.
II was not in any way my fault that the
matter got into the paper here as l was ut
terly ignorant of the intention of the paper to
publish il, and would have preferred that II
Should have been in more denpite and
business like form. Ever since saw the ar
ticle have intended to write to you and eN.
plain, but | have been expecting since last
Friday to go over to Abhevile andto explain
il in person and give you the particulars.
Writing from hearsay without in tending to
do anybody an injustice you have missed the
mark considerably and l herewith give you
First | have never been employed as at
torney for the syndicate who bought the land
and propose establishing colony AT tiart-
man. l have no legal connection with the
parties whatever.
For the last two years and a half | have
been advertising southern farm lands for sale.
cspecially those in Magnolia township, Ab-
neville county, and at different times have
carried a good many people over there for the
purpose of showing them these lands have
made many trips over to Calhoun Fails Tor
this purpose in quiet way, telling no one OF
nv intentions or what / expected to do and
nothing deflnite was known until within the
past two weeks.
The first tract of land that we sold was the
Norwood place. 1t is bona fide sale on a
basis of cash payments. You state that the
eXchange was made for certain Atlanta pro.
perty this was declined and an outright sale
Of the premises made.
The suit for partition filed is spit for the
purpose OF perfecling titles. There is no def
cheney in the titles TO the property OF any de-
Scription with the exception OF slight over
sight in the court OF probate which IS easily
rem ed led This whole transaction has passed
through my hands and am representing the
land owners in Magnolia and not the syndi-
cate. | have no interest in the syndicate
whatever, other than selling them the land on
which have obtained options.
Personally, have made II my business Ia
took after the interest of the parties to whom
the land belongs.
stances lands in that section sell for very lit
tie, and it has been through my efforts that
they were able TO obtain Il fair price for their
| farm lands.
This matter is no fake and the Atlanta men
back of il have money and they have parties
outside who are interested with them that
| consider this the best opportunity that the
| people of Magnolia township will ever have
to sell, even if they have to give options on
their lands.
The amount Of land that they propose tc
| purchase is 10000 AT SS.Oo per acre which would
| would amount to 100000, large sum o
| money TO be invested in one body OF land and
| II is not reasonable 10 suppose that these mer
| would plank down that money in one lumI
| Tor the lands. Their position is this; they
porpose to aid the land owners in disposing o
| The land at Il reasonable price, not only
| reasonable but a fair price.
| None of the land so far purchased, II put ur
and sold in Abbeville, would bring more than
- 90 or 5000 per acre. 1t seems TO me that the
| land owners should be willing to place theil
lands in my hands for the space OF twelve
|
| That is what the option means 10 the lhnC
| owners and nothing more. There Will be nc
| trouble about taking up the options held by
me within twelve months and perhaps sooner
| If the aims OF the company are carried out as
| they in tend to have them carried out.
| OF course l represent the plainti1lS il the
suit for partition Of the Norwood estate and
| it would not become me as their attorney tC
saw ANYTHING about the matter.
| / will say briefly that the company expects
| TO eXpend on the land about Sl0OOD In i'm
| provements, and being business men, they
would not put that amount into an enter
prise unless they meant business and intend
| I'd to carry out their contract TO the las
letter.
| The company as organized proposes to set
lie I'D these lands in 40 or 80 acre tracts or
| more If the parties desire. They propose, not
TO sell these lands TO paupers but to well to dc
| farmers who have money and who are eN
| pertS in the sugar beet culture.
| Mr.. Hartman, for whom the new town vii
| he named, leaves in a few days for Germany
for the purpose of bringing over lot of sugar
| beet experts who, II is expected, vii! reach
here about the first OF October. he does mol
20 over for the purpose of securing these mel
| us he has already made arrangements with
| them to come He is simply going over &c
perfect these arrangements and also to make
arrangements for the importation OF large
number of sugar beet farmers at an early
date In addition to this the company eX
| poets great many immigrants from the no: III
| and northwest to settle up this section OF the
country where there are now SO few white
men.
| IL the land owners around the Norwood es
tate will aid the company in this, they vii
make money out OF II by the fact that 1T will
enable them to get twice as much for thciI
| land as they can now get. | have tried tC
| show them that IL is TO their interest to join
with us In obtaining options. This Is done
for the protection of both parties. | have to
say to these men to whom am 10 sell these
lands that can let you have SO much land al
II specified price and they will then ask to see
my authority for making that offer. AS you
| we'll know all contracts in regard the sale o.
real estate must be in writing.
| If were to 20 over there and ask Mr.. \. tC
sell me his land at SSOO per acre and he would
agree to let me have the land at any time
within the next twelve months at that price
and the contract should be only verbal there
would be nothing to prevent him from back
| ing out of the trade If should go to him in
three months he might then demand higher
price or absolutely refuse TO sell the land tc
| me OH any terms. Now in obtaining the
option wish to place myself in a position
where l can legally trade with the men In
terested in the Hartman company.
| The syndicate has sent no other agent over
there to obtain options. Mr.. Woodward who
is with the surveying party has attempted tC
secure some options which had already been
prom sed to me in my name and for Inc auL
not for the company.
| Not Il sale has been made nor an option
signed in any other name than my own
| I do this as Il guarantee TO the parties that
will protect their interests. SO careful of this
was | that | will protect their Interests. So
careful of this was | that | inserted in the
option scausc allowing the land owners tC
withdraw the option upon giving me from
| thirty TO sixty days written notice. This pre-
vents them being bound too closely by the con
tract and its work ing to their detrlment
The article i'm the Atlanta journal Is sub
Stantially correct in regard to the factory.
| am very sorry that have been forced tt
| go into thi matter in detail but your article
has made it necessary in order to place my
self and the syndicate in Il proper light be
| lore the people OF Abbeville county.
| | wish 1t to be distinctly understood that
am not the attorney for the syndicate, anC
! that the syndicate has never sent me TO OK