The age-herald., 1899-07-07
.RUMORS ABOUT
 THE LAND GRANTS Washington Expects Sensational
 Developments. MINING COMPANIES IN IT Alleged to Have Had an Agreement to Buy Certain Mineral Lands At Low Figure-Governor Dis
 credits the Talk
MINING COMPANIES IN IT

Several articles have been printed in Nashville and Chattanooga papers during the past few days in regard to the public lands which were recently given by con- gress to the Girls Industrial school at Monteyallo and the Tuskegee Normal col lege (colored) at Tuskegee. All of these articles were published in the shape of spe- cial telesrams from Washington, and they said that there were rumors in that city of some sensational developments in con- nection with these lands.
 II will be remembered that congress gave the Montevalo school 25OOO acres of the public lands located in the state for the use of that school, and %, ,OG0 for the Tus- kegee school. These lands were to be se- lected by the governor of the state; any public lands in the state of Alabama he might choose to select.
 Mining Companies In It
 According to the articles published it is rumored in Washington that agreements were made by some oe the big mining com panies of the state with the presidentss of the two schools mentioned, whereby the companies should purchase at a low price certain valuable mineral lands which they thought would be among those picked out by the governor. While there was nothing really criminal in such a deal, the reports said that such transactions had d very bad effect on congress and would cause trouble in the future when more land grants of that nature were sought
 Governor Thought 1t All Talk
 
 lications during recent visit to Brming- ham. He said, in the first place. that none of the 50,G GOO acres of land had been selected, nor had he made up his mind yet what he would do He said that neither of the presidents of the schools cautioned had entered into any agreement with any of the mining companies. so far he knew, and he didn't think it possible that they had, for the reason that the trustees of the two schools and not the presidents had charge of the sales of the lands He re- garded the whole rumor as very wild
 In this connection the following letter, written by former Governor Oates to Gov ernor Johnston, may throw some light on the subject:
 Montgomery, July ,, 1899. 6ONernOr J. F. Johnston, and eX-Officio Chairman Board of Trustees of the Girls Industrial School at Montevallo:
 I received a letter from you several days ago saying that one of the trustees wished to know if l ever made any contract with or promised compensation to Captain H. c. Reynolds as president of said school to ob- tain from congress the land grant of % coo acres. I have not answered it earlier for two reasons:
 F'irst-You did not ask the information for yourself, but for member of the board without naming him, and secondly, because from what I in the papers there was going on an investigation which bid fair to be taken into the courts, and I did not care to be making ex parte statements about it.
 All that l care to state now about it is l. as governor. and eX-officio chairman of board of trustees, never did anything in that connection which was not authorized by law and a majority of the trustees. I am a friend of that institution, and during my official connection with it did all I could for it. I am, sir very respectfully,
 VIM. c. OATES.