, 1873-07-18
The Abstraction Declare They Will
Not Observe tho Law"..Tho Doc.
ument that Pilots Thorn
Around It.
Real Estate Men and Lawyers Inter-
viewed on the One Side, and
the Abstract-Men on
tho Other.
The Panacea that Edward
Roby Prescribeg
for U.s.:

Handy, Simmons s. Co.'s Esti.
mate Of Their Own Liabi1-
ity for Negligence.
Serious complaints have rocont1y boon made, !
personally and by letter, by respectable otizens,
Of tho tt needless Dolby" experienced In obtain-
lng abstracts Of tito from tho lessors OF tho alb
etract books, and tho "oxtortionato charges"
imposed by TINT. firm for work done. .These
complaints at length bocamo 30 numerous that
there aaemod sufficient ground to warrant an |
Inquiry into tho matter, and reporter Of TIE
TRIBUNE was assigned to that duty.
THE FIRST ADsTRAcr-uAKEns.
The necessity for nbstract~makera becamo ap-
parent almost az coon az tho first laws woro
made, centuries before tho City Of Chicago WAS
thought Of. at this time Of writing, they are
part and parcel Of tho Institutions OF every civil
izod country In the world, although 1t WAS re-
served for Chicago to show the perfection to
which abstraot-m.king could be brought.
Ordinary monopoliets, mon Of tho Crodit
Mobilier stamp and mombers Of mo-
nopoly rings, composed Of al aorta and
conditions Of mon, have never dreamed Of a
monopoly 10 sweeping and thorough as that
established by the abstract-mhkers Of Chicago /
aAo ashpo..o s y .en'oo a., ~ opo NJ A6
N 3A' wy " oAi.aso' 1sAA ~ s's,': ~:
modern and enlightened dospotism OF abstract
making, bound hand and foot. Even the laws
OF the State aro poworleas and tho only prov-
sion On tho Btatute-booka that has beon genturod
on by the Legislature with tho view of control
ling this new social power In our midst, ID simply
ignored, Tho nhstrnct-makers do not pretend
oven sno" VI ulsslnia,a''ou suey wv" W.
tbe tnoss ensaeu'e AianAu'7' 'nA' 'u'S aAA'p''
1gnore tnla la"'
onase oto'no.s' snor'an " noafo, a1u 'ono' '
q oonatb "ero tno o1'n7 1nat oe.apilsno" 'nou-
eel'e7 IN onlHa6o as aos'1Aos'aao1o, , ~
many yeara .no BUSINESS was patots r.
muueiAslse' w. 1uos sAlnou AAusa. '"s .'vss .,s
s's1n8' ~ Metaa1s " .ue s"eAs w. ~
pto". ineao men ses ~ "orh Ana cutea iou Iat
tno .ecoraH u oooh Uounsy eso4s'u1ue .na'
s1oc'oa fea1 ea.ato' ~ suo eAape - - ~ a..1a ~,
uens' e'o', maAns 'onplote eua ~ ssso .H. ~.
sse1s lanu1u"n'l' % IN :" ssppeaIeo ~ Wv puo"o
recoraa. Hnen man "anseo 70 oofrom .:s money,
and had to produce an abstract OF title to the
property to bo mortgagod, ho went straight
wy w euo =. raa .1on, t1,a raoar;1a =. tas
sno aoS'1act ptopareu = isom tno tecU1ao 10 10y
appeared by their BOOKS. denoraly' as tho
trustworthy character Of the work came to 10
known, these abstracts wero accepted ns thor
o,oh,v .at;ufoctorv hnt vhen tbc n,oonnt ,xna
e1eNls H1'.1' o1s' 80 -
unusually las6e' or tno lenuoln VI tnon Gounao1
were more thhn ordinarily prudent, tho apdtracs
was carefully compared with the public records,
uhicr vera in thoHe ifnvs ACCESSIBLE to eyerv-
ho71 Tha fra avont tha nrhlio rocorda awav
ooa5 - ~ a"op' w fuouo .oea' ~"s,
ont tho @pstfaot nfMs "efo lucky enough TO eh7o
their books. Had they not been, there would
have romained positively no means whatever Of
nscorto;n,np thu t,t,o to n einulc eorc os land
,no,a an +ho ,,,,5o, .,-,. ~ G1;o,r, ,~,n,t
atsoAS al tao eo4uou @eioo =! eIe"eo' oAseps
from tho occasional aud questionable deeds held
bore and there by solitary individuals. Being
AS ~ - soJ {,
men to- so a o unt
por1ant interest IL Inc o'1y anoIf wa was ID.
..".naa na tS" y ;ys,.nor tlov nant ~ tbo nti1on ,
~ oso .o "o e w 10, e a.,st lss .nsa.s .at
sid to , the reporter. % III they had omigrsted to
tngf M own pfico.
Ihs GonntY Of Coek, t authofazed ny lay, pross
DOT come to torms, and finally the three
firms referred to made q common partner
ship. Of their interests, throw their books
2k La
tso oao e1u;nuotn, au1 .oAnou snoti W
o, tao nfm & Of nenay, summons uowc9m tlg
above firms, and much trusted by them, who on
loved general confidence on pro rata terms ;
which amount to an income, at . rough caloula''
ton, of nearly ESQ, 900 per annum.
ArTEMPr TO CURB TIE NEW POWER.
Tho solitary law passed. by the Legislature
attempting to limit or regulate the dealings o1
the Abstract-makora with their customers, con.
tanned the following words, IN Section 2s (Burn
Aaf1 htef1h all A.
Tor the prosent purpose:
ero71os -. Nlens and 1ncumbrances)--
And that any ali persona Who my 10 engaged IL
the business Of making writings or written entries con
corning oF relating to Leg. sna rsal sstste ~ n an'
o. r. 70 Hss
copiaa oisuah w1tings q wtsn antilles - aforoas
for feo, reward, or Compensation therefor and sal
pot mhfe Tho sans truly Ind without alterson Or IN
tepeation IN eny matter Of sunstance With the view
sna intent 70 atet OF g snnngS The ZANE i5 e. ny mt
h @ e foran1v snd nMn.cd sacardtn9Sv I ~;
spy Ind !. sash person Or persons shail iurnist