Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-03
s459,OO0 CLAIM
AWARDED by ]. 6.
To GEORGIA FIRM
Atlanta journal News Bureau,
4oS Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

=
WASHINGTON, Sept. 80. - The
secretary OF the interior on Satur-
clay ordered an award of $459,000 in
favor Of the Chestatee Pyrites and
Chemical corporation of Lumpkin
county Georgia, and, George l.. and
N. p. Pratt, of Atlanta. This is
ones OF the largest claims settled by
the government since the world
war.
The award, which. will be paid
next week, was made under a. Dlan-
ketI con ressional appropriation. au-
thorizing the secretary of the inte-
rior to- pay their Losses to those VINO
endeaVored,. as the result or govern
mentt stimulation, to provide pyrltes
and other minerals needed by the
government during the World war.
The Prat4s: had, leased the big
LunfnlSins county pyrltess mlne' oe-
clared by the Geological Survey TO
be the biggest pyrites deposit IN the
United States, and in the winter Oh
1915 and II were proceeding III
small and conservative way TO pro-
, duces pyrites. They had conIracts
J. for a two years productaon at
>handsorner nrofit from their small
plant. ~,
Secretary, Lane sent for Mr..
George l.. Pratt and urged him TO
enlarge the plant enormously anu
produce writes needed by the gov
eminent. p,,+
Mr.. Pratt. at first declined, put
finally was made to- yield upon the
ground that he owed it to the gov
eminent so to use his property. ne
borrowed and spent vefy large sums
of money, changing the plant uoln
one which would produce Zo,uoo sols
annually to one which wolKd proouce
100000 tons annually.
The. plant was, just in WORKING
condition. when the armlstlce caihe'
and the demand. ceased.
Congress-, in the meantime @iao
appropriated $4,000, 900 to take OVER
the various mineral enterprises In
the United States which were seek
ing to produce minerals required py
the government for war purposes
The attorney general ruled tnat
the arrnistice having practlcaiy
F., terminated the war, the approRIla,
/. ton was. no longer avallable. Iheil
congress appropriated S,560,OOO 10
meet. the losses incurred by tnose-
who had poured their money my
mineral projects at the instance "a
the secretary Of the interior 10 caLe
for war requirements OIL the soN-
eminent. a +ha
.,ain, at thes time recognized as the
largest of all the claims, was tnaI
of rhe Chestatee corporation anu
tho Pratts. Their losses had reat,
lv reached approximately $tVo'o9V
and the director OF mines, III leC
onnaending the appropriation, pidoG;u
their claim first and esClinaIeu ei4ei'
losses as the greatest. ,u;1.
Messrs. Edgar Watkins anu W.
liam Schley Howard Represented
them before the interior department.
An award was made in their laVor "
s9o5 Oo0.. which was accepted Wy
+bop, under protest, insisting tnaL
+be;r real losses were far greater.
The subject was again investigated
nv committee Of congress, and tnaI
con,y,oittee reported condemnlng tne
hoard in the interior department 10.
tic eatrnent of these claims. ana
author ,zed the new secretary uIiuei
Pthe nreser1t administration to reVie"
+ben1 Former Senator Hoke Sfnltn'
having retired from the senate, De-
cause associated with Messrs.- WaC-
kins and Howard, and in MS la" Oh
fees in Washington devoted mucn
time 70 this large claim. The de
cisio,f today Of the secretary OF I
interior is final. and the payment
This sum will be. made at once
the PrattsE and the Chestatee
poration.
The secretary declined to award
interest, which was urged by the
attorneys, but the secretary in his
opinion left the question of interest
open, and Mr. Smith indicated 1T
might be taken up later in the court
of claims or considered by congress.
Former Senator Smith. who is now
being urged to re-enter politics IN
Georgia, has won two large cases
I here during the past week, the Sec
ond case involving more than $780,
600, and it is said that his fees in
these two cases will amount to more
than $4,000. Having established
such a practice here it is doubted
that Senator Smith will return to
the less remunerative game of poll
tics.