The age-herald., 1899-03-15
JOINT MEETING
 OF THE TRUSTEES Ol Industrial Schools at MOnteVallO
 and TuSkegOe. SELECTION OF THE LANDS Granted By the LqSt Congress Was
 AmiCably Arranged.
TWO COMMISSIONERS WERE NAMED
The Governor Desired to Sele ct the Lands Himself, and Thus Avoid Troublesome Appointment,
 But Was Turned Down.

| meeting or the DOarQ or trustees OI the lIi- l dustrial School for White Girls, at Monte
 vallo, and the Industrial and Agricultural | school at Tuskegee, was held in the office | of the governor today, and they "set down | on" the governor.
 The joint session was called by the gov l ernor for the purpose of selecting the lands l granted these schools by the national con- | gress. By order of the governor, State l Geologist Eugene A. Smith was on hand | to furnish the board with information re- l garding the best public lands in the state. | It was the governors plan to select the l lands at once. The act of congress grant, | ing the lands authorized the governor to
 select them. The general assembly of Ala
 bama passed bill providing for the ap- ]! pointment by the governor of commits i sioner to select the lands.
 l And herein the trouble arose. The gov | ernor gave his promise to appoint former 1 Congressman T. S. Plowman commissioner | w. w. Thompson, the mayor of Tuskegee, 1 later became applicant for the position 1 The readers of the Age-Herald will remem- | Der the announcement made in these col
 umns several days ago that the governor ]; had determined to make the selection of l lands himself in order to eyade the very troublesome appointment.
 When the two boards met this morning l neither side were willing to leave the selec- l ton of the lands to the governor. True, it l would cost about s2,000 to pay comms- l sioner, but this was preferred to the gov ernor's scheme.
 Let Him Down Easy | But the boards let the governor down | easy. As each school wanted the commits 1 sioner, motion to have two commission l CTS appointed prevailed. The governor told l the boards to retire and agree upon whom l they desired and that he would act upon l their recommendations. The boards were l also to agree upon the salary to be paid l the commissioners.
 1 The boards retired, and each held short
 session. The Montevallo board was unanl- nous for Colonel Plowman. The salary 1 they agreed should be at the rate of 5000 l a year. It will require probably six months l for the commission to perform its duties. 1 The members of the Montevallo board | present were H. Austill, of Mobile; Sol D. | Bloch, of Camden; A. H. Aston, of Clay | ton; Thomas s. Plowman, of Talladega; w. l w. Wadsworth, of Wadsworth; Frank s. | Moody, of Tuscaloosa w. R. Dortch, of 1 Gadsden and O. P. Fitzsimmons, of Bir- 1 mingham.
 l The Tuskegee board endorsed w. w. l Thompson for member of the board, and l agreed with the Montevallo board as to sal- l y.
 were G. w. Campbell, president; c. W. Hare Warren Logan, Lewis Adams and J. l w. Adams.
 Will Report to the Governor | The two commissioners are to prosecute l their work as rapidly as possible, and when l they have agreed on the 25,0O0 acres to
 be selected, they will report back to the | governor, who will call another meeting CT | the boards to superintend the division or lo Ia nd nnmharS l sent to the secretary of the interior, who l will issue deeds for same.
 l Dr. Eugene A. Smith, the state geologist, | said this morning that all of the most val l uable mineral lands in this state when nao | formerly belonged to the United States hau | been taken up in homestead entries. This | will make the selection much more difhcuit, | as the commission will want the pest or 1 that remaining. Colonel Plowman said he | helived that lands could be selected Which I would readily sell for at least S4 per acre. | This would net the schools $5o,OoO each. | The boards passed resolutions thanking | president Reynolds and President Washing l ion for their splendid work in securing the | nassage of the bill granting the lands l through congress-
 Reorganizing the Militia
 The force in the adjutant generals office | Is very busy with the plans Tor the re-
 organization of the Alabama National
 
 l until the adjutant general receives rlHes l frono all of the old companies under gen | eral order No. 4, issued last week. 1hls 1 order was to the effect that all commahu-
 ing officers failing to report the cohoit,o,is , M | of his command within ten days would De
 mustered out Only twelve of the thirty I six companies have so far reported, ana It
 seems probable that number or the oio 1 companies will be mustered out. Ine com-
 panies which have reported are as as loii4ws' 9,ss of BGS- l semer. .'I" of Oxford, all of the Third Ala l hama: "A" and "D' of Montgomery, "F''
 of Tuscaloosa, "P' of Demopolis, all or the Second Alabama; "E' of Mobile, "H' Of
 Troy, "G' of Eufaula and "C Of Geneva,
 of the First Alabama. It is believed that
 all of the Jefferson county companies will
 report and remain in the service.
 There will be no lack of new companies to
 supply the places which may become va
 cant by the failure of old companies to
 comply with order No. 4.
 Already there are several applications on
 file with the adjutant general Among | these are Luverne, Dothen, Jacksonville, i Wetumpka, Scottsboro and Decatur. From
 returns already received 1t is known that | one company will be mustered out. This IS | company '.M' of the First, at Monroeville.
 Dothen will be substituted for Monroeville. II Adjutant Brandon Is working to effect much stronger organization than the old
 one. No small companies are accepted,
 and those new ones making the best show
 ing will be given preference. Colonel Bran don is not especially anxious to organize
 but two regiments, and he states that he l will have more men in the two than were | formerly embraced in three. Those old
 companies desiring to remain in the ser vice have but few more days in which to | report to the adjutant general The resignations of Captain H. B. ken- nedy and Lieutenant R. B. Going of Bir- mingham were received In the office of the ] adjutant-general yesterday. Both were accepted.
 Desires Confederate Data Adjutant-General Brandon Is manifest l ing a considerable interest in securing .