St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1915-07-24

that unless some vigorous ac-
ton was Immediately taken to
secure the Sabine Island to
Louisiana, they would go to
Texas, which State was claim
ing them. At the discussion
which followed Mr.. Gilmore
recommended to the Governor
and myself the employment Of
Mr.. Cory nj. Stadden, a land
attorney at Washington. and
his employment followed.
And to this answer is attach
eda copy of the letter of the
State Land Office to Cory Ne.
Stadden, a copy Of the contract
entered into between Governor
Sanders and Cory M. Stadden
by the Washington correspon-
dent of the Times-Picayune,
and which was published in
the Times-Picayune OF date
June 18th, 1915, and which
statement shows that the con-
tract was signed by the Gov
ernor, andn OF BY the Register
as cotended by the Times-Pic-
ayune, and although the
Times-Picayune published this
statement. 1t made no mention
either IN its head lines or it's
local column Of the fact that
1t had misrepresented the per-
son who signed the contract,
but left the readers TO find out
by careful reading of the en-
tire statement.
lQ) IT. Who solicited
your support for the bill which
became Act 283 of 1912
a. IT. Messrs A. Ne.
RiVes, G. N. Norris, Louise Hes
ser, J. B. Bice. C.. b. Hicks, and
Henry LiVerman, DeSoto Par
ish, r. e. Milling, New Orleans,
Joseph Johnson, Caddo and
othersWhose names starts / do
not now recall.
(Q9 IS. What do Won.
know, If anything, about the.
records missing from the files
Of the clerk Of the Twenty
Second Judicial District Court
in the Duggan Suit.
(A) IS. After the Sabine
Islands were approved to the
State ( asked Mr.. Nc Hugh.
Clerk Of Court, Baton Rouge,
La, to let me withdraw the
records il the Duggan suits, So
that could look over them at
my office. When Mr.. NE
Hugh handed me the Records
he told me that several doeu-|
ments were missing therefrom.
but ! know nothing about
them.
lQ) IS. Why did you file
officially, IN Washington, the
Gorham survey which had
been repudiated by former
Governor Blanchard, and
which at the time you filed It'll
was the basis Of a contest be-
tween the State and nugean
in the latters suit then pending
before the District Court III
Baton Rouge
1A1 10. As a rule, beforel
any lands are approved to the
by the General Cover
lnent under the Swamp Land
Grants, it becomes necessary /
to have them surveyed. My
predecessor, Col. CrandelI, ap-
preciating this fact and desir-
ing to secure to Louisiana what
belonged to her, that is. the
Sabine Islands, entered into d
with Mr.. Gorham for
the purpose Of having those
lands surveyed. / understand
from a statement from Mr..
that the contract
was forwarded to him, and
first rejecting it he after
wards accepted it signed It.
and returned it to the Register
Of the Land Office, Col. Gran
It was presented to Gov
ar nor Blanchard, who signed
he same and returned ii to the
Office, and under this
contract Mr.. Gorham proceed
I'd to make survey. I UNDER
however afterwards
hat Governor Blanchard had
his contract returned to him
the archives of the
Office and attempted to
annul it by erasing his name
'herefrom, but in the mean
inc ! understand that Mr..
had proceeded to
make the survey. I under
stand further that for some
'eason the application of the
State to have the Sabine
stands examined and survey
ID with the to have the lands
lproved to the State as swamp
and under the Grants Of 1919
1850 was held up In the
Surveyors Generals Office.
Blanchard in his
etter to the Surveyor General /,