, 1873-05-04
The West Side Park Bill, and
Its Provision for ~.
:: Sewerage.
improvements at Humboldt
Park.
Suburban Land Speculation.
Transfers for the Week.

Probably three-fourthB OF the real estate
transactions at present-or. for that matter, ~
any time-a-e purchases Of cheap lots IN the
outskirts OF the CITY, just at the outer edge OF
the limits Of compactly-built districts ut prices
ranging from $500 to 81 200 per lot. Tho great
majority OF these purchases arc 1or actual occu-
pancy, and each one indicates the e5tabhBhment
Of home of some permanent citizen The
greatest activity, both in buying lots OF this
class and in building houses costing from 81 500
to So, 600 on them, is probably in the district
west Of Milwaukee, avenue, north Of Indiana
street, and, as far north as North avenue.
Another district where the activity in
buying and inproving this class Of
property is nearly, il not quite, equal,
is that west or Reuben street and south OF Twen-
ty-second street, nearly as far Test as the new
city limits There is also great activity in dis
trict just east of Central PARK, about a mile
euuare,-from Western avenue to Kedzie avenue,
and from Kinzie street to Harrison street. In
this district. however, prices are much higher,
ranging from $50 to s10o per front foot, and
property is being improved NTH better class Of
houses. These three districts are included in q
belt Of territory something over mile vide and
about four miles long, that lies next east Of the
chain of Vest Side parks. There is nothing spec
ulativei in connection with the sales and improve
ments Of property n these quarters. The activity
il the legitimate effect Of the expansion of the
the city and the settlement there Of resident
population that are rapidly filling up the space
petween the present limits OF sohdly built
street lines and the West Side parks. At the
present rate of progress it Will not be over fye
Or six years before the whole of the district will
be Is thickly built up large part OF territory
east of it is now. The features that attract so
r;t5 to these nuarters are. irst. that all
~ It ia within radius of about four
sn;1aa frono fI,o Court-House.-pround ia
chasn thara. and. SECOND. that the prox-
;1n;t9 ~ the West Side parks will
,11v mako IL IA desirable a place for men
o. 1noSeyata mesns to avn homes a. can be-
@ornd IN anv civ The one thing now most
naaded tn increase the movement Of population
fo these nartg Of the city is the extension Of the
lnes Of the West Side Hallway Company. The
Mad;snn atraet line shon1d be attended ct leaat.
= 1n;1a The VanRnren street line should be ex-
Tended sonthwestward, The Blue Island line
ehonI5 ha eyfeniad moi only On Blue Island ave-
% me-. but ehould hsve branch to the west on
.oTna street near Twelfth street, and the Ran
noTth On LEVITT Of Oakley streets or on Western
.1a.11,a a.. nosr1v4o tba Artosian WeIl.
o'e'' nv TIE NonrH SHE.
There is district north Of shout Belden ave-
nno and west OF North Clark street where prices
Of The aforementioned West side districts pre-
ya1: but the activity of sales and building is not
NO arent owing to tie fact that there is no con-
yenient mea1is of transit from the centre Of the
city to the most desirable parts of the cheap
residence property in that direction. In fact,
~ ss - anbnIba @ an5 HE man reason that they do
nh improye more, Is. first, that none Of
The horse-cars of that division come
down into the central business quarter
L..
that side reach the new residence districts where
people can bry ground at $40 and $50 per front
loot and where sa1aried and professional men
would be willing to make permanent homes.
Every property-owner On the North 6lde has q
large interest at stake in securing the transit of
all The North Side horse-cars across the river to
Randolph street. When this il accomplished the
whole North Side will experience an increase Of
nonulation. and improvements will rocaiye new
tmpulse.
II ia ranerally understood that our present
beverage gystem in Chicago is not calculated to
artand west beTond Western avenue.
None of the ferritory west of Western ayenue
out crowding thom, and flooding the Easements,
cellars, DC. Any one who will apply to Alr.
Chesabraueh Of the Board Of Public Works,
can readily be informed On this matter.
The people il the West Division are
presumed to be willing to construct main sewer
North and South Branches of the Chicago River,
out Of funds to be raised By special assessment
upon property benefited. Such O eewer is 8
necessity, not only to drain the added territory
in the West Division, but also to receive the sur
face water Of three artesian wells in the respect
i've three parks.
The water from the Central Park ar-
tesian well now floods the Madison
street ditch to California avenue.
The one at Humboldt Park does the same down
to near Western avenue. This vii soon become
as much Of nuisance as the old arte5ian vel,
oorner OF Chicago and Western avenues, has been
Tor years past
another necessity for the power to build sew
ers lies IN the fact that while Central Park is
only mile and half vest OF Union Park, there
are no good means OF communication to'get to
s e1ss a saan pon .4I
e1s that, among other streets to be improved,
pon
the G1eat Eastern hallroao, anould ne tne hrst.
Al the pIopertoWners TQm On & tne rai5osa .1 up to
the paIk have coneen!ea TO w1aen tnas street,
91om 60 to loO 1eeh N1oe, ano re sItegt !3 Was ~
geded ast yesr On anet nss5 Mnm "e ne