The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-28
BIG DEAL IN ALABAMA LANDS.
OVER 100000 ACRES PURCHASED
by SAVANNAH MEN.

The Deal Made by Mr.. j. p. williams
for Himself and AssOciates-The
Lands Located in Crenshaw, Cow
ingtOn, Pike, Coffee and Escambia
Counties and Said to Be Heavily
Timbered-Over S20O,OO0 to Change
Hands on the DcaIs-The Lands
Well Located for Turpentine and
Saw Viii Industries and to De En-
tensiveIy Developed for These
Purposes.
Nh. J. 2. Williams returned from Biz
m.ngham yesterday after having conclud-
ed there the largest land deal made in this
section in many years. Mr.. Williams was
accompanied by his attorney, Mr.. &. a.
Denmark, and the two spent several days
in birmingham arranging the details of
the deal
In all over 10000 acres of land was Sc
cured by Mr.. Williams, $1,000 acres being
obtained on one deal. Several smaller
purchases were made of adjoining tracts
bringing the total amount of land pur-
chased up TO about 10000 acres. The pur-
chase was made by Mr.. Williams for him
self and others interested with him, the
J. ?. Williams Naval Stores Company, of
which he is the president being largely
interested. This is probably the largest
land deal made in this section since the
wal, the amount of money which will
change hands on the deal is over 100000.
The lands in question are located in
Southeast Alabama in one of the richest
timber and farming sections in this part
of the country. owing to the lack of
Taill DAD facilities this portion of Alabama
has never been fully developed, but the
railroads are reaching into the territory
now and ample facilities will soon be pro-
Vided The land is in CrensnaW, CoVing-
ton, Escambia, Pike and Coffee counties.
These are all large counties and the land
pl released is only a small portion of their
combined area, the land being scattered
in large tracts through the several coun-
ties.
1t is the intention of the ]. P Williams
Company TO develop the land for naval
stores purposes, after which the timber
will be sold TO the lumber men. 1t is esti-
mated that there is enough pine timber oA
the several tracts TO keep thirty or forty
large turpentine farms running for the
next ten or fifteen years. In this way the
j. p. Williams company has provided
against the scarcity of available turpentine
lands now becoming evident in Georgia.
The company has made some experiments
with Florida timber, but has not found 1t
satisfactory, finding Georgia and Alabama
timber much better suited to their pur-
poses.
1t is understood that naval stores people
of Pensacola were after these lands but
their terms We're not as satisfactory to the
owners as those offered by Mr.. Williams
and his associates. The owners of the
lands had pooled their interests for the
purpose of making sales on better terms
than they could have obtained individual
ly, and it was due TO this arrangement
that Mr.. Williams was able to make such
a large purchase.
The country is undulating and hilly
in some sections" said Mr.. Williams.
The land is well drained and magnificent
ly timbered, and the soil is very fertile.
1t is a good farming as well as a timber
section. The counties ia which these
lands lie are tapped by the Louisville and
Nashville the Central and Plant Systems
and it is likely that further railroad ex-
tensions will be made by these lines.
There will be no difficulty on the score of
transportation facilities"
The Central Railroad has already begun
an extension 10 Andalusia, the county seat
of CoVing on county. The Cedtral g also
expected to extend to Geneva, he county
seat of Crenshaw county. The Louisville
and Nashville is reported to have surveyed
a line from River FANS to Geneva with
the intention of extending 10 sorc point
on the Pensacola and Atlantic I;a!iroad
with the purpose of making d short cut TO
Pensacola. The Plant system is also SAIL
to contemplate the extension of its Ala
bama Midland line into the new territory.
The timber cutters in Southeast Ala
bama, Mr.. Williams stated, have a meth
Cd of getting their timber to market which
is peculiar TO themselves. Instead of us
ing tram roads Wnere streams arc not
available they cut a narrow ditch from
some water course through the woods to
some small branch in the
neighborhood OF where the tim
Der is located. The branch is
damned, and a pond formed. The logs are
hauled to the pond and when a sufficient
number have been accumulated the gate is
raised and the logs carried out into the
ditch by the water. the logs being let out
one at time and pinned together tandem
fashion to keep them from jamming in the
narrow ditch. The head of water may he
sufficient to carry a Suing of logs a mile
or more The gate Is then shut down and
another head of water accumulated, which
is then turned on and the logs carried
few miles further on their journey. In
this way they are conveyed for distances
Of ten or fifteen miles, through the woods
10 the water courses and at small ex-
pense. Considerable labor and expense is
involved in constructing these timber can
ais and a umberman always includes his
ditch as a valuable part of his assets.
Several lumbermen sometime club togeth-
er to build one Of these bitches. The ditch
es are moi only regarded an asset, but
are returned for taxation, being regarded
as taxable properly.
GETTING TARPAULIN TRUCK READY