The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-20
ISYW, j, BOLES

| by w. j. BOLES
J Tuscaloosa, December 19-(speciaI)-
Alumni of the University today condemned
| the sale of 4,4S0 acres of University lands to
the SlossSheffield company at $3.50 per
| acre.
The attendants at the meeting was the
largest in the history of the society and
that the Alumni are wrought up over this
sale was patent of every one present to.
day.
Some strong language was used by the
speakers in condemning the sale and the
governor was directly charged with misrepi
resenting facts and with violating the law.
More than one hundred alumni were in the
court house when the meeting twas called
to order and had their names enrolled.
Close attention was given to the reading
of the Investigating committees report,
which was frequently interrupted with ap,
clause.
One old a1umnus who sat near the report.
ers table was seen to wipe tears from his
eyes on several occasions while the report
was being read.
There were frequent outbursts of inlig-
nation.
DR.. Eugene Smith, In reply to a question,
stated that about two hundred and forty
five years would be required to exhaust the
coal in the University lands sold to the
Sloss-Sheffield company at the minimum
rate indicated in the proposed DeBardeleben
lease.
When the society reconvened at o'clock
the court room was well filled and remain
ed so throughout the long drawn out ses-
sion, which ended at $40 oclock.
Not at any one time between these hours
was there vacant seat in the room.
The number of alumni present at the close
was larger than at any other time
The trustees of the university meet at 8
o'clock tomorrow morning, at which time
the advisory committee of the alumni will
present the resolution adopted by the
alumni tonight, together with the investi-
eating committees report and all other
documents, records, maps, etc, in their
hands.
1t is the opinion here tonight that a Bit
ter fight will be made in the trustees meet
ing to have the sale set aside. The trus-
tees are believed to fbe almost evenly dividA
ed, and lust what action they will take is
problematical. !
tOIOnel JOnn ana captain Wdru, III their
speeches tonight insisted that the action OF
the trustees was inspired by political mo-
tives; that it was but an effort to boost
one man for the United States senate at
the expense of another.
They charged that the best interest of the
university were not the influences that fm-
PEELED the alumni to the action they were
taking.
Several hot passages took place between
Colonel John, Captain Ward, Phares Cole
man, Sidney Bowie and Others during the
discussion.
The Alumni society of the university met
in the court room at 10 o'clock this NORM
ing with President ]. H. Johnson of Talla-
dega in the chair. 1
Morning Session
The alumni present were requested to
give the secretary their names, and in fif-
teen minutes one hundred names had been
enrolled
The president stated that the object of
the meeting was to hear and consider the
report of the committee appointed at the
November meeting in Montgomery to tn-
vestigate and report on the recent sale of
university lands to the Sloss-Sheffield
company.
Sidney j. Bowie. chairman OF the COM
mittee, read the report.
AT the conclusion of the reading of this
report Mr. Bowie suggested that as one
member of the committee, e. NJ Robinson
of Mobile, had not had chance to see the
report recess be taken until 3 O'Clock.
motion to that effect was carried.
Afternoon Session
When the meeting mad been called to or
der at o'clock Mr.. Bowie read the letter
of Governor Johnston, written in response
to the committees request for a state
ment from him. There was some objec-
tion to the reading of the governors LETT
ter II being claimed that 1t was irrele
vent to the questions involved. Mr.. Bowie
insisted that 1t be read.
Hubert Davis, trustee or the University,
made q statement He had received a LETT
ter from the committee, but was sick and
unable to answer. He said at the Septem-
Der meeting of the trustees Governor john
ston stated that University lands had been
sold in 1885 or 1886 at about $40 per acre,
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