Bowditch N.C. March 3rd 1916

Hon J. Bryan Grimes,
Raleigh N.C.

Dear Sir.

Your letter of the 25th at hand and contents noted. You have my permission to show my letter to the Governor, and also this one, but will kindly ask you and the Governor to not use my name if you can get along without it, because the State park commissioners are all good friends of mine, and they will think I have butted in where I have no business. I stated in letter to you that the indications were that the land owners was going to get about three or four times more for there lands in the state park than it was worth, I wish to explane as brief as I can what these indications are.

A Mrs. Conly that lives at Ashville N.C. claimes five acres of land, that includes half the summit of Mt Mitchell and also about ten acres including Stepps Spring.

By some means or other Mr. Bob Wilson an attorney at Burnsville N.C. has been appointed one of the appraisers of the lands in state park. Mr. Wilson and his partner, Mr Will Pless is attorneys for Mrs. Conly. Mr. Wilson told me that Mrs. Conly had been offerd a fancey price for her holdings in the park but didn't say what those fancey prices were. I have been informed since that she asks ten thousand dollars for her lands, and I can't think that Mr. Wilson, would come under the price that Mrs. Conly would say she had been offered for her lands. So I think these facts indicate that Mrs. Conly will get more than her lands are worth. I will now look at the remaining lands on the east side of the Mountain, and see what the indications are. The lands are owned by three different parties, namely, Highland Spruce Co. Big Tom Wilsons heirs, and John Odonnell. The Highland Spruce Co bought the timber off the lands of the other two parties, paying seven dollars per thousand stumpage for timber that would make board lumber, and one dollar per cord for paper wood. On the account of the mountain being very rockey and steep, I think they have left standing on the ground, about one fourth of the timber, or possible more, and have quit and passed on, or in other words they have taken off all that they could handle at a profit. Mr. E. F. Watson one of the commissioners tells me that they have agreed with the land owners, that they will have the remaining timber estimated and pay them for the timber, though he did not state any price, and that the land owners would give them the land. Now if they give anything like the price, that the Highland Spruce Co gave them at the first, it will make it cost the State twenty five or thirty dollars per acre, or possible more, and the land owners know it or they never would have made that agreement. I have asked thirteen good men that know the lands to give me there best judgment as to the value they would put on those lands, since the timber has been taken off, and I taken each mans statement, and the average sum of the thirteen was two dollars and thirteen cents per acre. But I know there is a fiew acres around the summit of Mt Mitchell that has a sceinic value, that would be hard to value.

The west side of the Mountain has not had the timber cut off and belongs to Mr. Ward F. Brown. I dont know what arrangement they have made with him. But there is one thing certain, if they allow a big sceinic value placed on the lands of Mrs. Conly, then Mr. Brown will come in for his share of sceinic value for Mr. Brown owns half the peak. Mr Brown is just waiting to see what they allow Mrs. Conly, then he will ask them to allow him the same, for the same number of acres. I hope those commissioners can be stird up to take more intrest in the park, and watch what they are doing.

Very truly yours,

J. R. Young,
County Surveyor.