The Washington herald., 1920-11-14
(From the Rolling Stone. Saturday.
March 5. zS9f.)

w~vHENEvER you visit Austin
w you should by all means go
to see the General Land
Once.
As you pass up the avenue you
turn sharp around the corner Of the
court house and on a steep hill be-
fore you you see, medieval castle.
You think Of the Rhine; the
"castled crag Of Drachenfels;" the
Lorelei; and the vine-clad slopes OF
Germany. And German it is IN
every line of its architecture and
design.
The plan was drawn by an old
craftsman from the Vaterland''
whose heart still loved the scenes
of his native land and 1t is said he
reproduced the design of a certain
castle near his birthplace with re-
markable fidelity.
Under the present administration
a new coat of paint has vulgarized
its ancient and venerable walls.
Modern tiles have replaced the lime
stone slabs of its floors worn in hol-
lows by the tread of thousands of
feet. and smart and gaudy fixtures
have usurped the place of the time-
worn furniture that has been con-
secrated by the touch OF hands that
Texas win never cease to honor.
But even now. when you enter
the building. you lower your voice.
and time turns backward for you.
for the atmosphere which you
breathe Is cold with the exuda-
tons Of buried generations.
The building Is stone with a coat
Ing Of concrete: the walls are i'm
mensely thick; IL is cool in the sum-
mer and warm in the winter; It
is isolated and somber; standing
apart from the other state build
rings, sullen and decaynig. BROOD
ing on the past.
Twenty years ago 1t was much
the same as now; twenty years from
now the garish newness will be
worn of and IT will return to its
appearance of gloomy decadence.
People living in other States can
form no conception of the vast
ness and Importance of the work
performed and the significance of
the millions of records and papers
composing the archives of this Of
fee.
The title deeds, patents. transfers.
and legal documents connected with
every foot Of land owned in the
State Of Texas are filed here.
Volumes could be filled with ac-
counts of the knavery. the double
dealing. the cross purposes. the per-
jury. the lies. the bribery. the al
teration and erasing, the suppress
ing and destroying of papers, the
various schemes and plots that for
the sake of the almighty dollar have
left their stains upon the records
of the General Land ONCE.
No reference is made to the en-
pioyes. No more faithful, competent
and efficient force Of men exists in
the clerical portions OF any govern
ment, but there is-or was. for their
day Is now over-a class of land
Spectators commonly called land
sharks, unscrupulous and greedy,
who have left their trail in every
department of this office, in the shape
of titles DESTROYED. patents Cancelled.
homes demolished and torn away,
forged transfers and lying affidavits.
Before the modern tiles were laid
upon the floors, there were deep hol-
lows in the limestone slabs, worn by
the countless feet that daily trod un-
easily through its echoing corridors.
pressing from file room to business
room. from commissioners sanctum
to record books and back again.
The honest but ignorant settler.
bent on saving the little plot OF land
he called home, elbowed the wary
land shark who was searching the
records for evidence to oust him; the
lordly cattle baron. relying on his
influence and money, stood at the
Commissioners desk side by side
with the pre-emptor, whose little po-
tato patch lay like a minute speck
Of island in the vast. billowy sea OF
his princely pastures. and played the
old game of "freeze-out," which is
as old as Cain and Abel
The trail of the serpent is
through il all.
Honest, earnest men have wrought
for generations striving to disen-
tangle the shameful coil that GER
tain years of fraud and infamy
have. wound Look at the files and
see the countless Endorsements of
those in authority:
Transfer doubtful-locked up"
Certificate a forgery-locked up"
signature a forgery"
Patent refused-duplicate patent
ed elsewhere"
"Filed notes forged"
Certificates stolen from Office
and soon on ad infintum.
The record books, spread upon
long tables, in the big room up-
stairs. are open to the examination
of all
Open them. and you will find the
dark and greasy finger prints of
half century's handling. The quick
hand of the land grabber has hut-
tered the leaves a million times; the
damp clutch of the perturbed tfIler
Of the sofl has left traces of Ms
calling on the ragged leaves.
Interest centers in the file room.
This Is a large room, built as a
vault. fireproof, and entered by but
q single door.
There Is mo Admission" on the
portal; and the precious files are
handed out by clerk in charge
only on presentation of an order
signed by the Commissioner or chief
clerk.
In years past too much Iaxity
prevailed in it's management, and
the files were handled by all COM
ers, simply on their request, and
returned at their will, or not at all.
In these days most of the mis-
chief was done. In the file room
there are about - files. each in
paper wrapper. and comprising the
title papers Of a particular tract OF
land.
You ask the clerk In charge for
the papers relating to any survey
in Texas. They are arranged sim
ply In districts and numbers.
He disappears from the door, you