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

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sale IL he had known that lease was
pending at minimum royalty of 5000 per
year. He was informed That DeI5Ardele-
ben, who had offered to make the lease,
was not a responsible party and would not
be able to carry out contract should one
be made with him.
He was of the opinion that the University
would receive more by the sale of the land
at $4,000 than on $1,000 royalty, provided
the coal would all be worked out in twenty
years, and If such were the case he would
still have voted for the SALE
Replying to. questions, Mr.. Davis said he
had heard of the proposed lease, but never
heard DeBardeleben's name in connection
Herewith. He believed the lands to be in
small bodies of less than 500 or GOO acres.
He said Governor Johnston had list of
the lands to be sold to the Sloss-sheffield
company at the September meeting, and
read the numbers out. but they were not
embodied in the resolution.
w w. Quarles-"Who drew the resolu-
ton authorizing the sale. when and where
was 1t drawn, and who offered it?'
Mr. Davis-"Governor Johnston, Colonel
Caldwell and Land Commissioner Fits
heartily favored the sale. I-made the mo-
tion to sell and requested Mr.. Fits to en-
body the resolution in that shape I had
been informed that executions against
DeBardeleben had been returned unsatis-
fed"
WAS this statement made in the meet
ing, and If so, by whom?"
Hr don't
member to have heard DeBardeleben's
name"
Worthingtons Statement
Captain w. C. Ward requested ]. Warren
Worthington to make a statement.
Mr.. Warrington said he had come all the
way from New York to make a statement
to the committee covering what he knew of
the purchase by the trustees.
That deal fell through and Worthington
then opened negotiations with the Sloss-
Sheffield syndicate, who looked on the plan
with favor. He said that neither Governor
Johnston nor General Rucker knew any
thing of the negotiations, and said later on
that he had never paid Governor Johnston
nor General Rucker one cent of the profits.
He said he had first obtained an option
Johnston in March, $685. He said he told
Governor Johnston that he had in contem-
plation a plan to buy the Northern Alaba-
ma railway furnace at Sheffield and mineral
properties in that section. The governor,
he said at first opposed granting the lease,
but on being shown that the scheme could
be accomplished, gave the option subject to
notification.
He referred to Darlington Samples recent
letters published in the papers and said
Semple had nothing whatever to do with
the negotiations except to draw up a rat
ification of the Ensley option to be signed
by Hodgson and his wife. He said it would
not affect him if the lands were returned
to the University.
AS to Mr.. DeBardeleben's efforts to lease
the lands about which so much has been
said, he said no sound business man would
offer to lease coal lands on a . cent per
ton royalty which would cost him three
hundred dollars per acre, when he could
purchase just as good land for a few dol
lars per acre.
He read a letter from Mr.. DeBardeleben
in which the latter said he had tried to
lease a tract of lands from the university
OuI IdlI6u 70 Stl OlIlSI duJOIuILS TRACTS
and therefore didn't care 10 take the uni
versity lands.
In his letter Mr.. DeBardeleben said he
believed $3.50 per acre a fair price for the
land.
Referring to L. B. Musgrove's letter,
which was embodied in the investigation
committees report, he said it was very
strange that Musgrove would spend eight
or nine years in New York trying to get
his lands into the syndicate and, failing to
do SO, return to Alabama and want to buy
other lands.
MIR. Worthington said he attempted to Sc
cure an option on the lands of the Gulf
Coal and Coke company for the purpose
of keeping anybody else from getting it.
Answering a question, Mr. Worthington
stated that had the syndicate failed to get
the university land fine who'll al Woud
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