The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-26

A LITTLE CITY IL THE PRAIRIE WHERE
LOTS ARE SIX FEET BY THIRTY From the
CHICAGO Triiunc, February 90. lit appears
that Mr.. e. w. Scolt's land spcculalion-th tho
notorious Boulevard Addition to Chicago
is being extensively dealt in throughout
Michigan. Wisconsin, and the Eastern states.
This week, lawyer received letter from 4
prominent New York house, stating that the
latter was about to advance ST 800 on so many
lois. block so-and-so, Boulevard Addition to
Chicago, and asking him to look into the
title. They never questioned tn" value, but
apparently assumed it to III ample security.
The lawyer told the INV reporter OF the cir
cuniStanrc. and together they looked into
the matter, discovering before long that other
LAWYERS hid received similar letters OF III
uuirv from many States, notably Michigan
and Wisconsin. a. I'LL these lawyers, baslng
their opinCn on articles III The Chicago Press.
and not on their own knowledge, scrup!cd
not TO clll the Boulevard enterprise "a
swindlc," without having troubled them.
selves to certify the facts at headquarters, the
reporter proceeded to repair the omission.
He found that George w. Scott had pur-
chased, for 50 per acre, the northwest quarter
of the southwest quarter Of Section 10,
Township 81, from one John McCufcry and
wife. This land is that plated as fine Bouc-
ward addition to Chicago. Turning to the
maps Of the country, the reporter found no
description Of the land i'll the Lew maps. but
in the old this land and all surrounding it
was marked ''Swalnp." lis distance from
the cOurt-house is not FIR short Of twenty
nj!e$.
The mex: thing 10 dc was to examine the
platS recorded by Scott. The old ones bad,
within the past two months, been substituted
by not less than seventeen new oucs; and after
patient examination, the Tribune representa-
tive discovered that, of the seventeen plats,
ten showed lots measuring each fifteen feet
by eighty feet; and the othea six pEat>
showed lots all measuring feet ~ inches
by 81 feet 2"l0 inches. The streets measured
exactly six feet in width all through, and the
alleys about eighteen inches. Aud the con-
yeyauccs show that these lots have been SELL
ING ut the rate OF $500 each. They are worth
nothing. Of these lots Co.'s have been
plated for sale, and once bought, they must
be paid for by the purchasers there is 10
getting out Of the scralc by charging this rs
a swiHdlc. Legally, it is nothing Of the
kind The tile is good, and the lots
are what they are represented to be-
nainciy, lots in the Boulevard Addition
10 Chicago. The pretty little plans that are
produced to tho intending purchaser confirm
the first favorable impressions. The Boulc-
ward Addition is regularly laid out--on
paper--in avenues, and streets, and alleys
namely, Park, Willow, Grove, Rustic Grove,
Central, and Grand Drive avenues, all six feet
wide, running north and south, terminating
on tic west by ilarble-row the north and
south boundaries, running from east to west,
being north Boulevard avenue. and south
Promenade avenue; beautiful, high sounding
progressive, healthy names. What though
the width Of these avenues be but the length
of 4 man. aud the whole affair as unSubstan-
tial, shadowy, and unreal as swamp cal1
make il