The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-07-07
PHOSPHATE NOTES.
Two BIg suits Begun In Chancery Court
This Week.

Two BIg suits Begun In Chancery Court
This Week.
A bill was filed in Chancery Court
this week by A b. Harlan against
Joseph A. Chapman, Of Davidson
county, seeking to have an option
which said Chapman took on com
plainant's land declared null and
void. The bill states that i'm March,
1893. defendant examined complain
ants land, which H. situated In the
10th civil district Of Maury County,
several miles from Columbia, To
see If it contained phosphate. De.
PENDANT found phosphate on the
place and procured number of
samples of rock from different por-
tions OF the farm, carried them
away, and then reported to com
plainant that the phosphate was of a
very low grade and would not an
alyze more than 60 to 81 per cent
bone phosphate, aud that 1t contain
ed a large per cent OF iron and alumni
mum, aud that the rock was totally
unfit for export use and that it was
doubtful whether any sale of tue
phosphate could be made at all. The
value of phosphate depends entirely
upon the per cent of bone phosphate
contained therein and the absence
of iron and aluminium, and when
phosphate contains less than 70M
of bone phosphate and more than 40
of iron and aluminium, it is almost
worthless. Complainant states that
at tlis time he knew nothing Of the
value of phosphate rock. After de-
PENDANT had made these representa-.
lions IA to the inferior grade and
low worth of the phosphate, he
proposed to complainant. according
to the allegations of the bill, that he
<compl ,inant) give him an option on
the land. Relying upon defendants
statements rs being true, complain.
ant gave defendant an option on his
land at 800 per acre, said option to
hold good until April, 1900.
Complainant charges that defend
ant secured said option by false and
fraudulent representations, and that
defendant knew at the time that the
phosphate on the land was of much
higher value than he represented.
The bill states that the phosphate
on said land contains from rs to S2
per cent phosphate, and only from
to 80 of iron and aluminium, and
that loo acres of the land contain
from 1900 to 5000 tons per acre of
such high grade rock, and that the
phosphate in this ground in an I'M
mined state, is worth from $4,000
to 5000 600 The entire tract con.
tains 430 acres.
Complainant prays that said OPP
ton be adjudged null and void, and
that an injunction be issued to re-
strain defendant from selling or
having registered said option. e.
H. Hatcher, Esq, is solicitor for
complainant.
Another Bill.
Another bill was filed by Austin
M. Harlan against Joseph A. Chap
enan, containing practically the
SAM charges as set forth in the bill
referred to above, and praving that
an option which defendant had
taken on complainant's land be de.
Glazed void and OF no effect. The
land is situated in the 10th district,
and contains $50 acres. The option
was given for $40 per acre. Com
plainant alleges that defendant
stated to him, after securing speci-
mems of phosphate from his land
that he had had the phosphate an
alyzed. and that it contained only
from GO to 20 per cent of bone phos
phate. Complainant says that he
himself, after giving an option or
the farm had the rock analysed, and
found that it contained from 70 to 81
per cent bone phosphate. He esti
mates that there are from 300 900 tC
100000 tons of this high grade rock
on his land, which is worth from &c
to 90 cents per ton in the ground, or
as total value, from 100000 tC
5000 900. E. H. Hatcher, Esq, i!
collector for complainant.