The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-08-20
TURN ON THE SCREWS
sANTEE RIVER CYPRESS LUM-
BER COMPANY.

Charged With Depressing the Peo-
pie by Requiring Fee for Stock
Running on its Lands.
The following from the Manning
Times will be read with interest by
eli our people, but more especially
tyt those who live on the Santee riv-
er. The Times says:
Our attention has ':sen called to
a condition which we predicted long
ago would be, and advised against
when it first began to appear that
foreign corporations had their eyes
turned towards the swamp lands In
this county. We cautioned the own
ers of these lands to te careful how
they disposed of the: lands, and
eaid then that they should reserve
The pasture and hunting privileges,
out from what we can learn many
Of them did not heed our advice,
being tempted by the. alluring gold
of these foreigners, and now they are
chewing the bitter cud of disappoint-
ment.
The people, both white and color
cd in this county, s'e very much
worried because of tho position TAX
en- recently by the Santee River Cy-
press Lumber Company in regard to
the pasturing of stock in Santee
Swamp. Some years ago this COM
pany began actively to acquire by
purchase the Santee lands, and they
employed ]. H. Lesesne, Esq, of the
| Manning bar, to examine into the
titles. Mr.. Lesesne was born and
reared on the Santee and was per-
haps in better position to do this
work than a man not acquainted
with the people, his knowledge of
that part of the country, and his
thorough familiarity with the fam
lies made him of value to the capi-
tslists who own this great corpora
ticn.
Mr. Lesesne's work was Of course
Legitimate, he was only employed
to pass upon the titles, he had moth
7, ing to do with the sales or the bar
gaining for these lands, and when
engaged in this work for the Santee
cypress Lumber Company he little
thought Of the consequences to fol-
lew the requirement of these lands
by this company. Mr.. Lesesne did
| not dream the company would be-
come arbitrary and troublesome TO
the people who have stock running
in the swamp, privilege they have
enjoyed from time immemorlal, for
the reason, that VIXEN the agents
were seeking the purchase of these
lands the represented to the own
crs they only wanted the timber, and
would not have any objection to
their pasturing; hunting and fishing;
as long as the timber was not mo-
Tested the people could hunt, fish
and pasture ali they wished.
But change has come over this
mighty corporation, since 1t has got
ten possession of the lands in most
instances at a very low price, they
a1e now turning the thumb-screws
of oppression by requiring a fee for
! every head of stock on its posses
sions; Is cents head for hogs, and
| 20 cents per head a month for cat
tie. The price is very high, but if 1t
vas moderate charge the company
has acted in bad faith towards those
people, in that it procured the lands
cheap by holding out false hopes,
and it is because Of such conduct
tile feeling against corporations is
not very kind; the people are dis
posed to treat corporations fair, but
the corporations need not complain
when verdicts are rendered against
them after they act -owards the peo-
pie in the manner the Cypress Lum-
ber Company is doing.
There are some private parties
who own lands in Santee Swamp,
and it is practically out of the ques-
ton for them to fence these lands
ctf from those belonging to the COM
pany, it is because these private par
ties will not sell that the company
las resorted to this means of coer-
clan to force them to part with their
possessions? Then too, there are sew
elal tracts of land in dispute, how
is the ownership to be detrmined?
There is no woader the people
along the Santee are exercised, they
ire being deprived Of one of their
1iain sources Of livlihood by power
Sc great that it can keep the ordin-
ary citizen in trouble or force him
10 divorce himself of what he has.
The company has its regularly em-