The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-01-06
HE GETS THE LAND
Major Hugh Carlisle Is Owner Of Seventy
Thousand Acres.
WAS INVOLVED IN LITIGATION
A Large Portion of Sand Mountain in
Possession of n Pioneer
of Alabama

Rome. Ca. December -(Special.) The
most gigantic land case that has been be-
fore n southern court in many years mas
just been settled by the awarding by the
federal courts of 10000 acres of land 10
Major Hush Carlisle. promoter and builder
OF the Tennessee and Cooaa railroad.
What makes the decision of large impor-
lance To Gaorgians is the fact that mere
are so many OF them vitality Interested IN
the result Of the suit. The case Is one OF
long standing and dates back to the year
1885, when congress passed an act granting
a large area of public lands as "A bonus
for the construction OF a railroad from the
Coosa river acrcss Sand mountain TO the
Tennessee river.
The terminal points were to he Gadsden.
on the Coosa and Guntersville. on the
1 Tennessee. both OF which points were on
naVigabie waters. The line was less than
/ one hundred miles long. but the rough and
/ rugscd nature or the country through
1 winch Il was projected moro than made
I MP for double the distance and cost or
. construction. Tie proViso attached to
IN" grant was that tic road was TO be
completed ana IN operation within ten
/ years Of The grant
The Line Surveyed.
As railroad building had not reached the
( present degree OF perfection, in those days,
! the surveyors found IL a very difficult mat
I tor to locate an available line up the steep
sioN.7 81 Hdiu mountain "nVh I'7V9 -,
Tuptly from the Coosa valley to a height
/ OF over 1000 feet. forms "A plateau twenty
20 twenty-five miles wide. and then &c
sccnds as abruptly to the valley OF the
{ Tennessee
/ Notwithstanding these difficulties how
i ever, "A Inc was located atoms The winding
Aurse OF l.He creek and graded across the
Il...,tu, forty Years ago. Then came the
i Wsg and the project WIS temporarily abaH-
1b, country at that time was very sparse
+ j. s.l-!.d aud thu sand mountain plateau
I was N""tug wilderness, q paradise Tor
toe hunter ca account OF the abundance
I al Same.
Aii'f ih@ war me country was impoF,
..'I 'i',r.irr.,.s.d 50 th.t +. Mas M mil
I l>>2 thar Major rush Carlisle. one ii tho
lho,. 'iiAi = eht' p. saw MS iohaea1 nopes
J" lne OH"il'iy ',.l ,l tl'e 'ili H.,
ross I'M, forest chad nl,tl.,il az the noun
! ,liY
With the completion of the road there
1 WIS ou inuux of settlers from Georgia
ard aim exodus oT the Eiual squattera
aid hunters 81 that Wild rc-luu. Many
thrifty farmers from about Covneton,
( tuEyers aLI the adjacent section OF Md
0le Gcpr- ia. with T. sharp slirnKl.nS 81
uiuuElaiu' .rs nom north Ccor,ia, Hooked
il" and settled ua tn" "noccupird lanes
"e 4u. ioh ~ a'tulfhs Naii 'lle
WAS a serious On. ana many mon cleared
lh l'Iih+ anu lai.e1 tahliu"S W'l4ah, i"1-
lE purchase money, RENAL or taud tax
A"Jor carlisle was f"ttlatacd from max
jag tides les 3; bll introduced to declare
all the iangs included ina the OF giuai grant
forfeit 90 Tho government become Of nom
cotnpiiance WITH The provisions Of The act
Tile read had not been completed WITHIN
ne ten Years sp, cited in the act. Al
a.. S-.4l I'M ,,,.er...,,ti,'. H. .o.a ana
eia...e milo 81 Which ,nsf SimQ.n 40 con-
st~uct. hc stood 4 hi. .c4a.,c IS lose Tao
uuS graut OBS. tua ru.arum, ut .uu.e
FAD Hr- g.. .N'i oh ;'. laiie waited '.i.-
,..., ,.. -.'Ha.
''''''" &C.,. '"ls N'i'''.
.i .l.,...... ID i..,.1 e.. ,.....,t,,.s
us.aa piI,s uI None, varsire taum Thr
farr.ne ilua~ ON tie ueli-nupwn watcr.d
plantation itN.d 'Ne",d H-lE p'"ourltN',
.tt -,i'. ~ l". H',7' ."iI 'E ~ '.' -
io.