The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-09-22

4
istratiOn. We have had time to par
TALLY trace up on the records only one
Of those referred to, and find its cir
cumstances sufficiently remarkable.
March %, 1901, Arthur T. Williams
asked for a 9O-day option on /. l. lands
in Taylor and Lafayette counties, offer
ing for 500 acres s1.25 per acre; for
10, 600 acres, 81 per acre; or for all the
lands in said counties, rs cents per acre.
These lands, by the way, are the same
which had been conditionally conveyed
TO the Tallahassee Southeastern rail-
road, and the deeds deposited in bank
TO await the fulfllment of the condition
by the construction of the road within
a time limit, failing which condition,
the deeds had been recovered and can
celled. And this recovery and cancel.
lation, although quite commonplace and
inevitable, was cited with a great deal
of Self-praise by Mr.. Jennings in his
alleged campaign for the United States
senatOTship az an instance Of Saving"
the peoples land from the wicked rail
roads.
Nothing was done about Mr. Williams
proposition until April IL. 1901, when
hiS request was granted by comforting
upon him authority to negotiate the
sale of "all the lands in Taylor and
Lafayette counties at seVenty-five cents
per acre, on condition that he pay all
costs and expenses and not look to the
Board for any commissions; also that
the option for such it was in effect
should continue only for ninety days
from the date aforesaid.
The published records do not appear
to mention the transaction again until
July 3, 1902. when the Board adopted a
preamble recitinR that eft is the duty
Of the Trustees Of the Internal Improve
ment Fund under the act creating them
[''creating them" is good, If queerl to
make such arrangements for the drain
age Of the swamp and overlooked lands
as in their judgment may be most adj
vantageOus to the fund and the settle
ment and cultivation Of the lands" and
that lin the judgment Of the trustees
Of the Internal Improvement Fund, the
drainage and settlement and cultivation
of the swamp and oVerhowed lands re-
naming undispOsed Of in the counties
Of Lafayette, Taylor, Madison, Jeffer-
son and Leon, as we'll AZ other lands,
can best be accomplished by sale Of a
portion Of said lands for the purpose Of
dischdrginO the debts and obligations Of
the fund, and in aiding in the drainage
and cultivation Of the said lands, as
we'll as other lands of the fund, which
have been usually Isoldl from 25 cents
to 81 25 per acre.
And the Board thcreupon ordered a
conveyance TO be made to NELL c. Wade,
of Levy county, Of l08, 1850 acres for
1898. 1874, 1.-THE purchaser to pay, in adj
dition thereto, a stated sum which,
however, Is not stated to Arthur T
Williams" who negotiated the sale.
Now. whether the entry quoted above.
Of date April IL, 1901, had or has any
connection with the above sale, July 3,
1902. does not positively appear, but the
Board gives, as reason for requiring
this purchaser to pay Williams "a
stated sum-" not stated, by way Of
commissions, that Williams rendered
extensive and valuable service to the
fund IN surveying, locating, grading
and procuring purchasers for" said
lands Isn't it odd that the Board
should make the purchaser pay for such
services "to the fund.-" And isn't it
colder that the Board should have
taken such exceeding care not to men
ton the amount Of the STATED sum"
which the Board was willing to compel
the purchaser to pay Williams for
Services to the fund.-"
Another odd thing about this sale Is
the fact that in the entire transaction
not word IN seen which would appear
To bind the purchaser to drain" the
lands, or any portion thereof, or in any
manner to contribute to their settle
ment and cultivation, although these
were stated as the chief purposes of the
Board IN making the sale.
The average price per acre paid by
Wade for these lands mot counting