The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-19
Effort to Purchase Sac Jacinto Bat
tIefield o Failure.
REPORT OF THE APPRAISERS FILED.
Valuation Of HabermehI Property Is
Fixed at $37. so per Acre.
THE STATE CAN PAY BUT $25
Matter VIII Not BE Appealed mud
No Effort VIII BE Made To Sc
cure Larger Appropriation.

The proposed purchase OF the San Jacinto
battlefield tract is off. To quote the IAN
guags OF Judge S. ]. Hendricks, the conf
missioners met their Waterloo yesterday !
when the appraisers appointed by the coiin-
ty court filed their report, fixing the value
of the Habermehl property, the contention |
concerning which has been the obstacle
which prevented the acquisition of the de-
sired tract The valuation fixed by the
appraisers is $3.50 per acre. The maxi
mum price allowed under the law passed
by the Twenty fifth Legislature was $50 Yer
acre. and there is no doubt whatever that
any effort TO secure an increased approprla-
ton next year would meet with failure
On the other hand, although the State has
the right TO appeal from the figures set by
the appraisers. no action Will be taken. MS
nothing could possibly be accomplished in
this direction.
In addition to the witnesses already *
aminei, Doa"l! all OF whom testified that
the property was worth more than the state
could pay. there would be the evidence Of
the appraisers themselves who having IL
ported the valuation as above stated,
would. Of course. uphold their belief ii the
matter came before the court. There Is no
possible way In which the desired result
can be attained now and the project inau-
gurated by the Daughters Of the Republic
last year is therefore brought to an abrupt
end.
Tie report Of the appraisers as He'd with
Judge shaw yesterday was as follows:
To Hon. w N. Shaw. Judge Of the County
Court.
Stale Of Texas vs. NJ. T. Habermehl ct
al In County Court, Harris County, Texas.
We the undersigned commissioners, ap-
pointed by your honor to appraIse the value
of $685. acres Of land said to belong to NJ
7. Habermehl and wife, n part OF the Ar
thur Mccormick league. situated in Harris
county Texas, near the town OF Lynch
burg, and more particularly described as
follows: Beginning at stake on the
northwest lnc of a survey OF 100 ecras nut
of said original league. made for Conrud
lIahermehl at a point on the line vi said
100-aore survey 400 feet north asa east
from the northwest corner OF said liaber-
mehl 100-acre tract. thence south Is de-
grecs, east 1895 feet TO Hahermehls south
line. thence along said line north 81 oap.
1875 feet, TO his southeast corner near the
bayou mouth; thence along margin OF
marsh north 30 degrees, west IA feet
north "a degrees, 5A5 feet. north AG west
1873 feet. south 81. west 99A feet 10 uaber-
mobile north corner; thence along his
northwest line Mt S47 feet post conner o
Campbcl'a tract, In all $50 feet, to the
place of beginning. beg to respectfully re.
port that We have carefully examined sait
land and Its surroundings and have hrarC
all the evidence relating to its value, ant
have used all reasonable means to inform
ourselves, and have duly considered the
value of the improvements on said land
sought 10 be condemned by the state 10
public purposes, VIC hereby assess the dom
ages that will accrue TO the present own
ers in the sum of $2GOl which Is s37 N pc
acre as the full value OF eqid land ana IN
improvements thereon, and all damages.
George u. Porter.
s. NJ. McAshnn,
C. lombard
Houston. Texas October Is, 1895
The law bearing on the subject of sppea
by either party in such n case is given 4
the Revised Statutes as follows;
Article ii6S- 4202l. II either party b
dissatisfied with the decision OF said com
misslorers he may. within ten days afte
the same has been filed with the count
Judge, file his opposition thorcto In writ
Ing. sstting forth the particular cause {
causes OF his objection. snd thcredpon N
adverse party shall he clted and said caus
shall be tried and determined as III 9th,
civil cases In said court
Article AGO. i203). If no objection
are filed to such decision within tho tin
prescribed In the preceding article. III
county Judge shall cause the said dc,isic
to be recorded in the minutes of hts cou
and shall make the same the judgmt =
of said court and may issue the ncces.a,
process to enforce the same"
~
In this connection q representative of r,
Post called on Judge S. j. Hendricks. O
OF the commissi oners appointed by Go
ernor Cuaherson, ~ the Hutchns Hou
last might and questioned him cooccrni,
the future plans OF the copmssion in I
premis's Judge Hendricks stated I
law passed by the Twenty firth leg.sl,,tu
haying fixed the price OF the properly
question at $50 per acre. and the appralse
having adjudged the land TO be wor
$3.50 per acre. the matter was placed L
yond the reach OF the State; therefore the
was nothing left for the commission To
except TO pay the cost OF the .ondsn!la,i
proceedings and abandon all further a
ton in reference to the acquisition
the battle ground. In this connectt
Judge Hendricks said that he and his ass
ciate regretted excCedingly tho faet ~
the Sate had been forced to this conel
sion. as 1t was matter which was persor
to all old Texans and their descendants
we'll as. in fact, 10 every resident OF /
State. Especially was this true in ref,
ence to The few survivors of the bat
fought sixty-two years ago and To
Daughters OF the Republic. who had be
extremely active In their work towai
the desired end for much credit was a
to their efforts Ia securing the passa
q the bin providing for the acquisition
the ground, and no one would feel the
feat OF the object aimed at more keol
than they.
Speaking further ON the subject, Jud
HENDRICKS said he wished TO call attentl
to the fact that the idea generally preya
ing throughout the State that tbs Ia
was practically worthless was mista'
Tce property In question Re said, was
black wexy character ard we'll adapted
farming purposes though In his judgm;
the price fixed by the appraisers was I
tirtey too high. The land sought~to
coudemned was being rendered for taxati
ct $40 per acre and In previous years h
been held at from 81 to IS per acre Nea
III tia ground around the battlef,
rus hold by Northsrpers purchased
speeulatiou. The values placed on so
~ iictatious ana not real great d
(s~ru,. "a n o..