Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-08-09
FIRST EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR sATuRDA LETrER.

THE MARKET STREET RAILWAY QUARRFL--A MAN
Va. " RINd PLANS FOR THE CENTENNIAL
FxPOsITIoN--woRK ON THE NEW PUBLIC BUILD
INas, ETC.
Special Correspondence ofute Commercial
PHILADELPHIA. Aug Sth, 1873.
The principal excitement this week with us
has been the discovery of certain irregularities
the Recorder Of Deeds, office, in which holders
OF mortgages and other real estate secur-
tiles are directly interested. Rather than
certain" however, the results Of the disclosure
are very uncertain, no one appearing to know to
what an extent the recorders record may have
been tampered with As the case stands, the
mischief is charged to Mr. u. NJ Leslie lately
conveyancer Of the city aud whose mammoth
speculatlons in property, bankruptcy, and alb
rupt good-by to his creditors was reported some
weeks since But 1t by no means follows that
Leslie has been the only offender. Other
conveyancers may have been as great rogues,
and as n consequence there is anxiety among
many property holders to ascertain il their pa
pers are in correct shape. Leslie worked the
mischief he is charged with by being allowed to
make his own searches in the recorders Office,
'hxing" the same to suit himself Through
large acquaintance with the officials, he was al
lowed to manufacture his documents and to
tamper with existing reeol DIS as he chose. and
his statements were signed in hurried man
ner. and as mere matter of form, by deputies
or under clerks who Qt is professed at leasO.
knew nothing Of the roguery going on Nor, to
be Just, ii is supposed the Recorder Mr.. House
mani know, though it is certain that he should
have known.
The case is as fragrant g one Of the careless
ness, to say no more, of the manner OF conduct
ing business in our public offices as could bs de-
sired. Leslie was respectable professional
man in whom there was thought to be no undue
guile, and he was allowed to have his sweet will
without question, II can be understood how he
might be concerned in conceaiing the knowledge
OF incumbrances on property. deed without
incnmbranoe is worth more than one incum-
bered. As a respectable practitioner. his word
wrs taken as fact he made up his garbled
searches and various innocent purchasers took
from him, and now hold, parchments in no way
coDfrmatory, OF facts as they really are. Ihat
is the story and it ia disgraceful enough. These
events did not happen during the term of the
present Recorder but their effect is, neverthe-
less, to put the Office under cloud.
The Market street railway fight is ovor at last
and the Union line has won. The result, in-
deed has not been an instant In doubt. The
Union" has borne itself insolently from the
first never contemplating the possibility OF de-
feat, and has put series of outrages upon the
people that assuredly the citizens OF no other
locality would have borne. Market street has
been a mingled stone pile and mud puddle for
months, and although sympathy Is largely with
the Market street road. people are glad to nave
the question settled any way 30 that travel on
the street shall be no longer interrupted,
are, by joint agreement between the lines, to be
but two tracks east OF 9th street,-to be used by
the cars Of each road in common. President
Morton proposed plan in some respects slmlar
to the Union" long ago, but in that measure IL
was proposed simply to allow the Union cars to
run on the Market Street rails But the hemDle
| dynasty would not consent they wanted TO use
| the mid-street rails, but not upon sun france
| II cir victory is in this, - that the uuoh Line
| will be- from the time the new arrangement
| goes into operation, half 0tsher OF the Mar
| ket Street Road from Ninth street East;
IL is 30 nominated in the bond, and
/ therein is Market streets humiliation. Ihe
| understanding iB that the Union line shall not
| further eucroach on the West Philadelphia read,
| in the direction of its great feeders, the Penn
| sylvaLia aud Now York railway dopois. and
/ those who chosoe may believe that 1t VIII not
| Some OF us can rec little way into the MILL
| stone. The Union managers intend by fair
| means or foul, to connect with those depots and
| they will do it. The present move Is only TO
/ that end They have already made an offer to
the Market Street line IN tot1 ard my belief y
| that they have only to get Mr.. Morton out oi
| the Presidency to accomplish the bargain. Nor
ton has been the soul of this contest, but 1t has
finally weared and sickened him. For though
| as earnest and iine-spirlted man as Walks oui
| streets he is but an individual against wealthy
aud INSCRIPTIONS organization-an ORGANIZATION
closely alliedI with leading railway and pontica
interests, and-as things go-invinelbie. Mor
| ton sees all this more plainly than ony one elst
but III Ills 1nulBtlAIV LnhHililbnb ho hotoo "
| piye up Altogether it has been most singu.
lar contest and any one who has seen the con
| ditiou OF Market street for three months ol
more can realize the assurance OF corporaloI
| to whom money and power are OF more account
| than any consideration Of the public comfort.
| Interest in the Centennial centres at present
in the choice of design for tho Exhibitor
Buildings. 1t is felt that some DEFINITE shape
| should be given the scheme The Fourth OF JUL
| transfer and the official announcement OF th'
| anmatlInu Dnt the choice OF
| plan and the yeritable beginning OF work wouic
| be more There will then be something tahsl
| BILE for people deficient in imagination TO dwel
uuon. aud the picture Of the Exposition as 1t WI
| be going TO different States and countries VII
have a better effect that all the fine norus in TN
| dictionary Il is announced that from the mum
| erous designs offered by archltects-39 IN all
| ten have been chosen by the Commission as m 90
ing the beet aud entitled to a premium OF $lOU
| each From among these ten, again, the aware
| ia to be made to the one successful competitor
J The names and plans Of the selected ten were q
| have been given to the public to-day, put th'
Commission has concluded to publish nothinl
untii il has decided upon the main plan, when a.
awards and particulars Will be announced
once. There ls very pleasurable excitement
the various headquarters, and among artists an
their friends to-day II ~ quite lnpossipie 1Is a.
"Pavillion" plan is making determined enoTt
, and his scheme is generally well spoken OF. ~
! plan has been Autographed and pamphieteo
| and sent to editors ana OtileT pbtsunb VI thhu
, | euce in every section. Either on lts merits Q
t | by personal Influence it has obtained more mel
= tion than any OF the other designs; STILL II ma
3 | not be tho one chosen. Competitors are SUP
r | posed to be anonymous, but understand tn
o | designer of the pavilion plan is Mr.. blmms,
y monument architect OF Philadelphia.
n The Public Building Commission decided tn
Q week that the building should be OF white ma
o BILE The choice gives general satlsfactloi
p Judging from the published design, pulluni
: of that extent and of such material VIII be mo
r imposing THE capital itself will hardly be hne
: The mass of cleaning marble will ofer eRiel
o did contrast to the granite OF the Masonic len
W tie close by. To this latter building, It may
II mentioned the finishing touches are now peln
giyen. nreparatory to the formal opening ne
month. The occasion will give opportunity Il
a Masonic reunion which will be one OF the cor
n pletest and most significant ever held IN u
h United SIates This temple is admittedly u
~ finest in existence anywhere, Its COST mas De'
1t a million aud quarter of dollars.
~ Work is progressing steadily upon the eAcaV
b tion and foundation of the Public Buildings
10 the way made appears little to the natural imp
l. tienee of the people. The force engaged seen
|, insufficient. 260 men are now at WORK, put
o would be every way cheaper to double or tren
y | the force Work has now been going on Tor u
B. best part of two years. yOt the foundations a
v, only laid for one side of the square, and the g
le cayations are not nearly finished. 10 be su
the undertaking is vast one, and the
was much tune lost in reconsderlng I
original plan OF four separate buildings, D
a. uitlal the work has dragged painfully. Co