The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-20
Pittsburg L0ckhaTts Buy Goal
 Lands In Alabama 12,OOO ACRES IN THE DEAL Price Paid Was $18o,ooo, or $15 an Acre-Lockhart MilIionaires Con-
 tinue to Invest In the Bir-
 mingham District.

Robbins & Reynolds, dealers in coal properties, yesterday sold to James H. Lockhart of Pittsburg 12.OO0 acres of rich coal lands in Walker and Winston counties. The price paid was $1SO,OOO, or s15 an acre.
 The deeds were delivered yesterday aft ernoon and the money paid over, the whole property in question passing ab- solutely from the possession of Robbins & Reynolds Into the hands of the Lock- harts of Pittsburg.
 The property in question includes the celebrated Black Creek and Jefferson seams of coal, which are regarded by coal men as unexceled in Alabama. The property Is bounded the east by the Southern railway and the new survey of the Illinois Central, and on the south by the Frisco.
 The purchase was made by the Lock- harts purely as an investment. The Interests of the purchasers will be repre- sented hereafter as others have been in the past by Robbins & Reynolds.
 The titles to the property was passed on by J. Merritt Wright, prominent Pittsburg lawyer, and by w. I. Grubb and A. Latady of Birmingham.
 The transaction was made through the Birmingham Trust & Savings company.
 Easier EnroIIments.
 This is not the first time that the mill lionaire Lockharts of Pittsburg have in- vested in the Birmingham district.
 Two years ago Robbins & Reynolds sold to the late Charles Lockhart, father Of the present purchaser, 21000 acres of Alabama coal lands. The price paid was approximately s3O0,00o. In less than year thereafter Robbins & Reynolds, rep resenting the Lockhart estate, resold the property to Ex-Governor E. B. Jackson of Maryland for $525, 900, and in less than thirty days after that deal was negotiated the same firm, acting for Governor Jack son, turned the property over to the Pratt Consolidated, accepting therefor s1 GOO 900 in the securities of that com pany.
 Means Much for District.
 The Iockharts are admitted to be among the farseeing coal barons and iron masters of Pennsylvania. The fact that they appraise highly the value of Ala bama coal lands and are investing their money in the Birmingham district. means a great deal for the development of Bir- mngham and Alabama
 Within the last two years the firm of Robbins & Reynolds alone has sold coal properties valued at more than s2000,Ooo They are now looking up large acreage i,, IoIo o,,an for investors. Another big purchase in the Birmingham district by Penns' 'vania coal barons is said to be not improbable.
 A Romantic Story.
 The sale of the property made yes terday to the Lockharts of Pittsburg brings sharply to mind most interest ing romance in the life of the late Charles Lockhart Mir Lockhart had five children, the youngest of whom was a beautiful girl, his favorite child. This daughter had become fond of and wished to wed the family dentist. The father frowned upon the proposed match, and did what he could to discourage it. The girl however, kissed him goodbye one night when he left for prayer meeting at the First Presbyterian church at Pittsburg. When he returned he found a note from his daughter saying that she had eloped with the man she loved and asking his forgiveness and blessing. The father did not relent. When his will was read 1t was learned that he had left $4O,OOO,0O0 and bequeathed only $S00.OoO to the daughter who had incurred his dspleas- ure. The balance of the estate was di- vided equally between the other chill dren. Big litigation was expected, but it did not develop. MT. Lockhart's two sons were left executors of the enor- nous estate. In less than a year they turned over to their sister and her den- tist husband $7.5O0,000.
 MT. Lockhart's will was filed in Jeffer- son county in order that the transfer of the Jackson and Pratt consolidated might be properly made, Mir. Lockhart having died before the trade was com pleted in July last. It probably covers more property than any other will in the state.