Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-10-11
/Erou, tLe .N,ir Vert Times J

(fr0m the Vac lcrE Times
The following letter addressed ~ The Editor OF The
Chcagu American is interesting, rs fully explaining
some matters in relation 10 which malicious S!and'S
nave been ndusiriously circulated. The writer, Charles
Ru,r. ESQ brother of Air. Attorney General Eutier
and is gentleman Of distinguished integrity aud cha
| raccr ,o.
NEW YORK, 9TH August 1876
| +. o. Davis, Esq Chicago:
Dear Sir-I have this moment noticed in your paper
Of the 9Th August last an extract OF letter from
gentleman in Rock Castle county, Kentucky, to the
editor ,. tho Commonwealth, Frankfurt, in which il
is stated that Mr. Van Gucn is member OF the Anc
riccn land Company with Il capital OF one million
Of dollars, the object of which is to speculate IN tic
| ruhiic Lands. As / one of the Trustees Of The
American Land Company, which is doubtless TIC com.
pauy referred and have been so from The time Of
It's oTganizaiiom deem tiny duty 10 state that Mr. an
Buren, is moi and has bccn member TT III" Com
pany an! has not, and never has had, 10 my knowledge
or belief either directly Indirect any interest there
in | will also state for the information of all whom ii
NAV concern. that the company in question is prirHtc
association OF individuals, who have chosen 10 invest
their cap;l" liz the purchase of real estate" through The
medium of such association and that IL is not III: OBJ
irc Of the association speculate in The public lams,
though they conceive that they have perfect I-ht 10
do sobui TO invest their capital IN any land IN the DIS
erection Of The Trustees. wherever situate whether be.
longing To- the Government or !ndIvIdulis
! will avail myself Of The occasion to remark Upon
another statement which under my nhs' rraiI"n
for the first time in your paper Of July Oi. copied from
Pcnnsylvnnia paper. respect 10 the sale by Alr an
Buren, Of a p,,:"n pi liS property at OSwego regret
that you should have transferred 10 your Columns an ar
tclc so nioHs both in regard To the facts asserted,
and the differences GedEccd; aEd especially alter lie
manly rcfuiaon which some lime since appeared III The
COMMERCIAL Advertiser Of this city, which vii! nl he
suspected of particular pattIay for Mr. v BGrrn,
and which. trust. You sill as an act "t justice copy
in yUur paper il is not iruc that Mr.. Val liurcn has
recently sold any portion o. his prnpc.r at Oswcso for
$,!5AGim. Any utter sum. It. is true TINT early last
spring. had some conversation will! lin the s!hirct
ot Dt
from which tic ru1lnrs originated, and which cv"Ircs
on the duty Of making this satcmcn in justice I"
him.
1t is also true that Mr. Van Burcns property at Os.
wrn has within irr last thIcr years become very vaiua
bic aud am surprised that ii should br the sub ec Of
remark or of ccnsure. especially in tie estimation Of
citizen Of Chicago 81 recently as lS3', the one.tnu',h
of Znzrs addition in Chicago offered TO friend
of mine, for $500. IL is now worth SlO0Oo0. In
1888: friend of mine purchased forty acres of land IN
Chicago for wsich he paid $500. 1t is worth not
less than S!uIGuN In lSI, the Hunter property,
Called was purchased t,r $40 lO aud in the spring OF
ISIS rr*"ld to rnr for SiOO0n0. II is worth
u,uII than halt million Of dollars. MIR. Van Barren
acquired tract of about six hundred Of land jnI
which hc yet about nur hundred aud fifty acres
near the village of OswCgn, Haa trcnfy years ago.
when the country cOn,rlravel wilderness, and II
cost him rroaIy not less than 50 per the full price
which paid at that period for farming lands i'll that
portion oltIc State. And ii is welt known that for more
trn he was moi only ANXIOUS to sell II for cost
and interest but repeatedly offered il those terms; aud
80 recently as ~21 he offered sell the whole Of for
-Scl0.000 Fortunately, E"onc c"i be found who would
venture take il al the price asked for it. OSwcgo and
Chicago have within the last years attracted great
deal Of attention.; and il is ais" within that prrind that
Mr. Van ucnS property has attracted much notice by
reason OF lis adyania situation III respect To the
growth Of O$wcTn, and is at tins time growing incrras
ingly valuable in public estimation. In my opinion,
Chicago and OSwrgo destined to become the two
largest internal commercial cities III The United States
the one nj Tie head aud the other at the foot OF the Lake
navigation. T'Ir Two places M" most intimately H!cnt
fled in interest and coniuIcrci,l intercourse already
isis between them to considerable extent And although
the rise in the value property a, Oswego has not been
rapid has bcca ChicSgo, still am inclined to tIlnk
tina, pnprr quite valuable in the former in the lat
ter place. nd tins opinion is entertained, notwithstanding
my strong partially for and large interest in. the latter
place Ii therefore Mr.. Van Buren, should realise as
trust he may, half million of dollars to four or five
hundred acres Of land in OSwcgo, which twenty years
ago no; worth than three thousand dollars,
though il may excite tn" envy Of many, and furnish
H'"nn! for 'saIcvolcnt and wicked remark yet trust
maj w N"cago his good fortune in this respect viii not
We nSinre with any such feelings, much less made the
N''' Vi 80 iiAgrant charge against MIR. Van Duren
as - 'one'"" IN i',c article from the Pennsyv una pa
per- u "luSi"l has been made and which seemed
to require from this notice ~
In haste, an respectfully
iou! onrdicnt servant,
CHARLES BUTLER.