Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-02-09
LONG BELL COMPANY is
DEFENDANT In SUITS

HS LOIlS"Dell TdIm Lana corpora
ton which is a subsidiary company of
the Long-Bell Lumber Co., is being
sued in the courts at DeRidder for an
alleged land-sale fraud. The case has
aroused intense interest not only in
Louisiana but far beyond our borders.
The suit is to recover approximately
100000, money alleged to have been
obtained through false statements in
their efforts to sell land in and about
Luddington, La.
Fifteen days have been occupied in
the hearing of evidence, and about
zoo witnesses were summoned.
There are no less than "a suits filed
against this company by men who are
perhaps former successful farmers in
the grain belt, ard who had read the
literature of the Long-Bell Farm Land
Co, which was very alluring to say the
least. On the strength of these pam
phlets,, advertisements, and letters,
these farmers came here from their
own farms. and were met at the
station in Luddington by select set of
men who, it is stated by the plaintiffs,
were in sense detectives, whose mis-
sion it was to keep them from conver-
sing with any other person who was
not actively engaged in selling the
land. One of the pamphlets contains
a picture of a field of hay that would
do credit to the best farm in the world,
and picture of sheep pasturing in a
meadow, purporting to have been bred
inrthat vicinity. And again there were
statements about the raising of hogs
and cattle that. it seems. were equally
misleading.
Sixty-four farmers declare they were
swindled when they bought Vernon
Parish land The plaintiffs claim that
fraud and artifice were used upon them
in the selling of the lands; that they
sold their former homes and came here
on the strength Of the assertions of the
aforesaid and lost all the money they
had. They are now, to use a common
pa-lance, broke; and they further pc
titlon the courts TO allow them the
privilege to file and prosecute to fin
al judgment, without having to pay
costs or give bond.
his company, which is but one of
the subsidiary companied of the seven
that constitute the Long Bell Co., oper-
ated for the business of land-selling,
in 1916, and their price was $500 an
acre. The business was so successful
that they raised the price to $l8 an
acre, and again to $25, and then to
$50, the present price.
1t is to be noted that apparently lit
tie or no effort was made to sell these
lands to the people of the South, and
there may be very good reason for
that; because we know what these cut
over lands are really worth, and
that certain demonstration farms
were kept up at Luddington for the
sole purpose of selling land.
The main offices Of this land-seIl-
ing venture were in Kansas City, Mo.
Mr.. c. H. Dodd of DeRidder is the de-
signated agent there.
Up to date, the company have had
$50 sales varying from 40 acres to
one-half section. From this one may
deduce the stupendous business done
since 1916.
1t is worthy of thought that the Long
Bell Co., with its allied companies, is
estimated to be worth Thirty Million.
The Demonstration Farm" that was
the sight for the Gods to see when they
came from "far off, was to demon
strate just what could, was being, and
is being done along the line of agri-
culture; it is said to have cost the
Long-Bell company $4,000