Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1909-04-29
HERBERT DOMAIN
Interesting Proceeding Regard
ing Development Thereof Held
in Senate Tuesday.

ln the Senate proceedings of Tues |
day we find the following interesting
discussion relative to the development
of Hesbert Domain in Bledsoe County: |
Senators Neal, Hord and Huffaker
introduced joint resolution provid-
ing fon the Herbert domain. The re-
solution cites the agreement made by
Jnos w. Thomas Jr., on behalf of
the n. G. g. St. L. railroad to build
line Of road to the mines at the
Herbers domain under certain condit-
ions. The resolution then directs that
the boasd of prison commissioners at
once employ not less than sixty con-
victs in the development of the Her
bert domain, and to establish branch
prison there. The commissioners are
further directed to contract with the
N. g. 81 st. L. to ship not less than
500 tons of coal or other mine product
daily over the line of the road.
''Senator Thomas opposed any devel-
opment of the domain until it was
found that there was coal in paying
quantities there He wanted the prop
erty first prospected before establish
ing any permanent stockade.
Senator Neal said the resolution
only meant to have the domain pros
pected.
Senators Hord and Huffaker favor
| ed the resolution and thought it meant
only the prospecting of the place. The
important thing to look to now, Sena-
tor Huffaker said, was to provide for
the railroad to carry out its contract.
''Senator Cox said that when he be-
came governor of Tennessee he had
fDundl law upon the statute books
which, provided for the state to acquire
coal lands He had found that big
corporations were buying up all the
coal lands. He knew that he was lay
ing himself open to criticism from his
political opponents when as governor
he purchased coal lands. The only
way to determine the value of coal
Il lands was to mine it. He had exam
ined hundreds of thousands of acres OF
land clear to the Kentucky line and
when the state purchased the Herbert
domain at $12 per acre the great Bon
Air Coal Company was offering the
owners. SIS per acre for it. 1t had
+, been sold to the state at $'2 per acre
on condition that it should bear the
name Herbert Domain" in memory
of son of the owner who had perish.
ed at sea. He pleaded for the develop
ment of the domain with the knowl'
edge that if the coal was not there he
was condemned by the people of Ten
nessee. The contract with the railroad
company did not stipulate that SOC
tons of coal should be delivered to il
for hauling for 100 days, nor year,
non fos any certain length of time. II
only required that it should be deliver
ed so long as the coal was there. This
railroad company had not made this
contract knowing more about what
coal there was in the Herbert domain
than he did or than did the peniten-
tiary commission. The railroad ha(
three experts to examine the coal land
before and then had made the contract
1t would cost the railroad $1,000, 00O
to build the line to the domain and in
crease its taxable property in the stat
that much.
"Senator Greer said he had been in
formed that the state already was tax
, ing more coal from its mines than i
could market.
, 1'Senator Neal said the Sewane
seam at the Herbert Domain was co.
! king coal and that many furnaces il
the state now had to go to Virginia TO
+ their coal Of this sort. This Sewane
seam coal could be marketed mucl
a more easily than the Brushy Mountain
coal.
Senator Greer spoke at some lengtl
against the resolution.
? "Senator Holiday made complet
1 answer to Senator Greer's argumen
4 was the fact that the coal from Brush,
a Mountain could not come in competi
ton with the coal that would com
from the Herbert domain. He had n
doubt whatever that this was fin
coal proposition.
"On viva voce vote, the resolutio
was adopted by practically unani