Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-12-30
THE PRICE or LAND
As SITE OF SCHOOL
flinders in a Selection By
Committee.
WAT LOCAL BOARD is DOING
In rendering Lands to Exec utiVe
Committee-Ful Statement of the
Situation as to Site Is Made BY
Chairman Wneatley

TTMEs-REcoRDER: Owing to the re-
fusa1 of the Executive Committee of
the trustees Of the Agricultural College
of the Third Congressional District to
accept such lands as >Fvere rendered
them at their recent meeting by the To-
cal committee, and in order that the
public may thoroughly understand the
true condition of affairs, we, the local
committee, deem it proper to place the
facts, as they exist, before the people.
At the meeting of the Governor and
the full Board of Trustees held in
Americas, a resolution was adopted ac-
cepting the ] of Sumter county of
100000 in fin, free water and free
sewerage G. t is elton, and 5000 acres of
land accer fir to the Executive Com
mittee." o.
This Elk, five Committee is COM
posed of NJ arsrs. Daniel, Hays, Heard,
Mathews and Fitzgerald.
Immediately after this meeting the
Board of Trade appointed committee
composed of Crawford Wheatley, G. w.
G over and G. NJ. Eldridge to go before
the City Council and County Commits
sioners and ask for $4,000 from each Of
these respective bodies, with which to
purchase a site for the College.
The City Council gave our Committee
S., 600, and appointed Messrs. d. NJ.
Borum, Il. S. Childers and J. A. Pink
ston to act cojointly with the Commit
tee from the Board of Trade.
The county commissioners appointed
Messrs. n. A. Ray, j. L. Cham bliss
and w. L. Thomas to act with the 9TH
er two committees, and intrusted Mr..
Ray with a draft for $4,000 with the
provisor that this money could not be
paid out except by majority vote of
the full committee of nine above men
toned.
This joint committee instructed
Messrs. Crawford Wheatley, n. A. Ray
and D. NJ. Borum to get options on
such lands as could be obtained and
report back to the full committee of
nine for final decision.
With this authority and under these
conditions, the joint committee has
done all in its power to purchase 1900
acres of land acceptable to the Exec
utive Committee with the $4,000 of
the peoples money intrusted to it; but
so far have been unable to accomplish
the desired result, mainly from the
fact, that since the selection OF Ameri-
Gus as the college location, lands suit
able for this purpose have risen in
price more than one hundred per cent.
Numerous proposals have been re-
ceived by the committee from parties
having land for sale; but as the price
named for suitable lands has been from
forty to fifty dollars per acre, it was
manifestly impossible to p lrchase 300
acres with the $1,000 intrusted to us
for this purpose.
Under these restrictions, we were
obliged to tender such lands as could
be bought within the So, 900 limit, and
this was done.
AS much has been said about the
Siee land, it may be well to state that
the proposal received from Mr.. Sieg is
for 800 acres of land with a street from
tage of 465 feet (he reserving the house
and about ten acres of street frontage
and right of way through the college
property at a price of $12,0 900.
AS this land is now returned for
taxation and accepted by the Grand
Jury at less than IS per acre the COM
mittee decided that $40 was beyond
all reason, and by unanimous vote
of the joint committee declined to en-
terrain his proposition. The Committee
has done the best that it could under
the existing conditions, and will so
report to the respective bodies whose
commission we bear.
If others can do better, they are
welcome to our job. Respectfully
yours etc.
CRAWFORD WHEATLEY
Ch'r'm Joint Committee.