Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-12-22
NE pocumentarx evidence

on the land of the Chef Menteur Land
Company, except Mf Bienvenue.
have written him letters in which they
repudiate any statement of unfairness
on the part of the company. and as
sure him that they are thoroughly
satisfied with the arrangements they
have with the company.
Mr.. Charles T. Soniat, in his inter
view, shows that the Dufossat heirs
were thoroughly conversant and had
complete knowledge of the lands that
they owned at Chef Menteur. The
Dufossat heirs are cousins of Mr..
Soniat, and Mr.. Soniat knows mos;
of them personally, and, in fact, has
visited them on several occasions IN
France; that he, Mr.. Soniate, was
their representative in New Orleans.
and that the reason the lands remain
ed undisposed of for SO many years
was that they
Cold Not Obtain q Purchaser,
And that when Mr.. Michel made an
offer to purchase the lands he, Mr..
Soniat, considering the offer good
one, recommended to the heirs thai
they sell the property to Mr.. Michel
Mr.. Michel first learned of the lands
through Messrs. Hugh c. Cage and
John St. Paul, who were examining
the title for the Tallyho Club. 1t
was Mr.. Cage who first informed Mr..
Michel that the heirs of Guy Dufos-
sat owned this property, and when it
was finally decided that the Tallyho
Club did not care to pay the price
which the heirs wanted for the prop
erty, and also as the heirs were scat
tered in so many different places and
it would take too long and too much
trouble and cost too much to prepare
all the papers, the Tallyho Club gave
up the idea of purchasing the land, and
then it was that Mr.. Michel decided
to purchase same, with the distinct
understanding that is he acquired title
he would sell to the Tallyho Club a
certain portion of tn ground which
they desired at price that would be
agreeable to the said Tallyho Clue
This was done by Mr.. Michel.
The Four Suits Filed
By the Chef Menteur Land Company
we're against Mr.. Mercier and others,
who composed the Happy Hunting
Club, and who were all residents of
New Orleans and men of wealth. The
suit against Mr.. Riviere, which was
really a suit against the Commercial
Club; the suit against Mr. Granville
and the suit against Mr.. Bienvenue.
None of these suits were eviction
suits. They were petitionary actions,
and were simply brought to deter
mine who owned the property. The
only one of these suits pressed was
the one against Mr.. Mercier, who
everybody knows is millionaire sew
eral times over The suit against the
Commercial club was settled and
compromised That club is thor
oughly satisfied with the conditions
which exist, as is seen by the letter
of Mr.. Adam Lorch, its president.
The suit against Mr.. Sehanaville was
not sr:t against a fisherman, but
against gentleman running a fishing
camp which is visited by gentlemen
from New Orleans, who pay him
board and lodging, as will be seen by
the letter from Mr.. Schanaville. This
suit has
Never Been Pressed To Trial.
And it is more a svit which was filed
in the shape of a friendly suit to test
the rights of the respective parties, as
will be seen by the letter of Mr.. Scha-
naville. The fourth and last suit,
against Mr. Bienvenue, is a suit sim
ply fled to prevent prescription, and
same has never been pressed.
None of these parties are fisher
men except Mr.. Bienvenue, and he
never has been disturbed at ali.
The people who occupied lands al
Chef Menteur are the following
Mr.. Joseph Granville, who runs a
public camp which people visit and
pay board and lodging.
The Reusch Contracting Company
of which Mr. John Reusch, a promi.
nent builder of this city, is president
and treasurer
H. 0. Penick, cashier of the Whit.
ney-Central Bank.
John Lubben and Mike Ottillo, who
live in New Orleans and have
Camps at the Chef,
Which they visit for pleasure.
Joseph A. Mayors, Joseph Keller
Joe Joissint, Sidney Francois Vinot
and Gabriel Vinot live at Chef Men
teur. are fishermen and speak only
words oflpraise for the Chef Menteur
Land Company.
The Commercial Club is composed
of Mr.. Adam Lorch, the well-knowr
cotton press man, who is president
Mr.. v. c. Bertel, receiving teller Of
the Whitney-Central Bank, who i,
captain, and numerous other gentle.
men who reside in New Orleans.
The Crescent Gun and Rod Club j.
composed of Louis Weiland, presi.
dent; G. Harris, captain; Messrs
Draube, Newald and other prominent
New Orleans gentlemen.
The Chef View Gun and Rod Clut
is composed Of Mr.. Charles N. Kehl
president; T. D. Evans. A. Kerber, ]
B. Humphreys, Gabriel Fernandez
Jr., and other prominent gentlemen
living in New Orleans.