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Correspondence: A. Hall Johnston to Zebulon Weaver, January, 1932

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  • LAW OFFICES A HALL JOHNSTON JOHNSTON & HORNER J- M HORNER. Jr. ASHEVILLE. N. C. January 21, 1932. Hon. Zebulon Weaver, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. Dear Zeb: Re: The Park Cases. As you have possibly been advised, Judge Carter and I made a motion the other day to have the Suncrest case set for trial early in February. This was after some continued effort to get a special term. It seems that we didn't get along very well at the special term business, and decided that it was better to take the advantage afforded us in the Statute for peremptory setting. Judge Sink set the case peremptory for the second Monday in February, which is the 8th. Judge Thomas L. Johnson came to me this morning in Court and asked for a conference, when he and I went into the Judges' Room and he outlined to me what had occurred in his recent visit to Washington. He referred especially to a conference between he, yourself and Mr. Cannoner, and appeared to be very much in hopes that an adjustment could be reached as to both the Sun- " vvesTernV^romiaUiiiversitT) crest and the Ravensford cases. He referred to an effort to get the Park Commission together and for a Committee to be appointed to meet in the Park office in Washington along with himself or some other representative of the Suncrest and Ravensford people where the matter of figures could be gone into and thereby attempt to obviate further litigation. It is evident that these negotiations cannot be entered into and concluded prior to the 8th day of February. Judge Johnson feels, however, that these negotiations could be carried through either to final settlement or with the conclusion to litigate to the end before the first Monday in March. To my way of thinking, these negotiations certainly ought to be carried out. He impresses me as being in good faith about the matter, and I should imagine that there is more than an even chance that an adjustment may be had as to one or possibly both of the cases.
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  • Zebulon Weaver (1872-1948) was a lawyer and U.S. Representative from western North Carolina. He was a member of the North Carolina Park Commission and was involved in the land acquisition process that went towards establishment of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and development of the Blue Ridge Parkway. These couple of letters sent by A. Hall Johnston to Zebulon Weaver refer to the possibilities of settlement for the Suncrest and Ravensford cases without going to trial. Following are summaries of each of these letters: A. Hall Johnston to Zebulon Weaver, January 21, 1932 In this two-page letter Johnston informs Weaver that the Suncrest case was set for trial in February and also refers to a meeting between Judge Thomas L. Johnson, Mr. Cannoner, and Weaver which had seem supportive of coming to an adjustment with regards to both the Suncrest and Ravensford cases. A. Hall Johnston to Zebulon Weaver, January 22, 1932 This letter from Johnston is a follow-up to the previous letter sent by him to Weaver. Here he clarifies that after further discussion with Mark Squires and Judges Carter, Johnson, and Sink it had been decided not to set a trial date for the Suncrest case but to attempt to work out, for the moment, a settlement to the Suncrest and Ravensford cases.