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

Islands when I went into ths
Land Office, and, after the
visit of Congressman Gilmore
feeling that these lands Justly
belonged to the State of Lou.
isiana, and that they would moi
go to the Stae Of Texas, I open.
ed negotiations with the Gen.
eral Land Office for the pur-
pose of securing the approval
of the lands at once and was
advised that it was necessary
to put up a thousand dollars III
order to have a servey made.
I took the matter up with
Governor Sanders, and he sud
mItted It to the Board Of Liaui-
dation, who refused to make
appropriations. Such being
the case, the only other evi-
dence of survey which we had
was the Gorham survey. which
II understand it, was made
under a contract with the State
OF Louisiana, and he being 4
parish surveyor and having
made the survey, and there be
ing nothing connected with the
survey showing that there was
any fraud or improper conduct
on his part III making the sur
Vey, / saw no reason why it
should not be used as the basis
ct securing q title I'd the State
and for that reason 1t was fled
The National Government sent
g special deputy and requested
me to use Nj. Gorham for the.
purpose of having the survey
rechecked. with d view of as
certainingits correctness and
the character of the land.
This was done, and the survey
and the report were to Be cor
rect, and the Government act
ed thereon and approved the
lands. In this connection, T de
sire to say further that Mr..
Gorhamis now a member of
the Commission Council Of thu
City of Lake Charles, Is reDuG
ed as a heightened, honorable
gentleman has the respect and
confidence Of the people with
whom he lives, and there is GER.
talniy no reason why his sur
vey should not have been used
especially as there was no an
preparation with which TO-
make q new survey. In fur
ther connection with this mat
ter I annex a copy Of aninter-
view had with Mr.. Clay Tall
man, Commissioner of the Gen
.ral Land Office, Washington,
secured by the Washington
correspondent Of the Tines
Plcayune, published in the
Times-Pieayune Of June 18th,
in which Mr.. Tallnsan
stated that the actions taken.
the General Lard Office
were based upon official re-.
made by their own
United States Surveyors.
ca 20. Why did you Try
10 prevent a geological survey
IF Sabine Islands being made
3y the United States Govern
nent to determine whether the
and was valuable for oil al
mineral deposits?
IA 20. I never tried to
prevent q geological survey Of
Sabine Islands; on the contrary
offered to- accompany any
biologists who the United
states Department might send
Town for that purpose.
(Q) 81. What was your
'eason for requesting Senator
to keep secret the
7isit which you ard William
{. Honnessey, Duggan s attor-
ley, planned to make Wash
ngton in March 1915, to- see
having these lands ap-
proved to the State Of Louisi-|
ma.
(Al II. Senator Thornton
Who had been handling the
'abine Islands ard other land
matters, and who had been un-
Usually kind to lie was sick
md his term of office about to
.xpire, I did nor want Mr..
sansdell to worry with these
and matters, or to have it APP
'ear that by writing TO Senator
I was ignoring Sena-
Thornton or his valuable
ervice.
(Q1 %. What is the basis
or the statement which you
made In a letter addressed to
senator Thornton concerning
h alleged conspiracy to have
ongress withdraw these lands
entry?
a %. The fear that fur
her delay would be fatal to
ne State getting possession of
nese lands, having seen arti-
les In the press indicating the
of the United States
government to withdraw all
ands in Louisiana and other
An4n -.