Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-02-15

and Altheimer places. Pretty soon a
. cloud of witnesses appeared and then
it was found that the Beakley place
was entirely out Of the question, as it
was low, wet, unhealthy and easily ov-
erflowed. And SO the matter of pur-
chase was postponed for thirty days.
Nothing was now left but the Al
theimer place, said General Murphy.
The next meeting was on the 21st day
of October, and at that meeting prop
osition was submitted to buy the AL
theimer place. He knew something
about the Altheimer place; he knew
it was lower than the others; there
were crawfish wells all over it in the
summer time He had been told that
it never overtlowed except right at
the railroad and he had also learned
that this was the highest point on the
place. He was down there riding over
the place with the owner, and while
at point about half mile from the
road. a train whistled and looking
back. the owner said, "Do you know
how much higher the land is at that
place than here?" Gen. Murphy said
that he did not know; that it looked
almost level to him. "Well,' was the
reply, "it is just eight feet" That set
tied the matter with him, and he did
not feel that he wanted any more Of
that place, unless they could arrange
it in the contract so that it would not
overflow. He was like Bill Childers,
was by Clay Sloan. who. Bill declared,
could have bitches dug that would run
the water over mounds. On being ask
ed how Sloan did it. he replied, "Why,
Sloan puts it in the contract"
COL Murphy asked if Sneator Cald-
we'll was in the audience, and the SEN
ator arose and stated that he was.
did you not come to Little Rock
as the agent of Mr. Altheimer to Of
fer that place to the board at $40 per
acre?" asked the Colonel.
Mr. Caldwell did not remember that
that was the stipulated price, but
thought it was in that neighborhood.
He was a citizen of that county and
was always ready and willing to do
what he could.
Col. Murphy said that the Altheimer
place contained somewhere between
5000 and 5000 acres, and was offered
at about $f7,50 per acre. He was in
position to know that the owner paid
only 81 for it. He (Murphy) told the
governor that this place was unfit for
their purpose. He had been in the
army too long and slept on damp
ground too often to be fooled in this
place. There were no streams any
where near the farm into which it
might be drained, and it would there
fore simply be a place of disease and
death Despite this and all other ad-
verse reports the governor still in
sisted in buying this particular place,
and because the board would not agree
to do as he wished, he took the occas-
ion to give them a verbal lambasting
and he kept it up, getting worse, until
he was checked up in most positive
way. (Cheers.)
The governor had Altheimer to dis
miss his agent, said Col Murphy, be-
cause he said he desired that the board
get the commission which the agent
might get. The governor said that
Altheimer wanted $92 500 for the place,
and stated that he had 'jewed" him
down to $4,000. He also gave it as
his opinion that Altheimer could be
''jewed" down little further
In August or September Mr.. Miller,
representing Urquhart, had come to
him with a proposition to sell them
the Cummins place. He asked Miller
if he had seen the governor, and he
said that he had seen the governors
secretary and spoken to him about the
matter, and the secretary had told him
that the governor thought the Altheim-
er place the only one to buy, and that
he (the secretary thought SO, too
I4aughter.)
Miller told him that he thought the