442 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



the adaptability of the property for the conservation of 

 wild life was ordered, and Mr. George Byrd Grinnell was 

 sent to Louisiana to make the investigation. Mr. Grinnell 

 arrived at Avery Island on March 4 and spent four days 

 going over the Marsh Island proposition. 



On March 18, I was advised by wire by Mr. DeForest 

 that Mr. Grinnell had reported favorably. I at once went 

 to New York where arrangements were made for the pur- 

 chase of Marsh Island in its entirety, by Mrs. Sage. All 

 those who had pledged their support to aid in the purchase 

 were relieved of their pledges, and on the 22nd of July, 

 1912, Mrs. Sage paid the purchase price for Marsh Island, 

 leaving the title of the property in my name until it was 

 decided what body politic should finally receive it. 



The property purchased by Mrs. Sage was : 



1 From Lawrence F. Farbacher 35,855.19 acres 



2. From Victor Van Schoeler, John D. Grace 



and W. P. and S. I. Reymond 5,950.87 acres 



3. From Victor Von Schoeler and John D. Grace 10,239.58 acres 



4. From Richard J. Hummell, Benj. R. Mayer, 



and Alexander D. Barrow 1,281.44 acres 



5. From James Webb, Alexander D. Barrow, 



Richard J. Hummel, and Benj. R. Mayer 19,658.81 acres 



6. From Ashley W. Pettigrew, Lewis J. Bass, 



and Sam Nye Bass 293.77 acres 



7. From Theolin Landry 1,426.94 acres 



8. From The Broussard Realty Co 557.35 acres 



9. From Dr. J. W. Sanders 400.00 acres 



TOTAL ACREAGE 75,663.95 acres 



for the price of $162,980.02. 



On August 12, 1913, I, acting as agent for Mrs. Russell 

 Sage, tendered Marsh Island to the Conservation Commis- 

 sion of Louisiana, for a period of five years, to be used as 

 a wild life refuge, which tender was duly accepted, and 

 Marsh Island was placed under the control of the State of 

 Louisiana. 



III. 



The Rockefeller Foundation Wild Life Refuge 



Shortly after I acquired Marsh Island for Mrs. Russell 

 Sage, a large body of land, 86,000 acres, lying in the West- 

 ern Vermilion and Eastern Cameron Parishes bordering 

 the Gulf of Mexico for many miles, was brought to my 

 attention. 



I knew the land quite well, having hunted ducks and 

 geese over various sections of it and I knew it was highly 



