, 1875-07-01
THE ABSTRACT QUESTION.
Something Concerning Elias Ship
NUNS %G4I, 800 Bid.
Rumors that His Interest in the Com.
pany II Nominal.
What tha Work Would Actually Cost,


htracts Of titlrs to lands In Cook County las
moro than ouco been the sutject Ut much ,iin-
cnnson in the Board Ut County ComnlirAIpncra.
Tho file Of 1871 dcntroyed Tho works from wlIlrl4
atntractA could bc made, anil nothing remained
to show tit!es with The exception Of tho tooky
belonging to two or thres private parties. Thoso
indlsidua1s ali ht once found themselves in t,na-
Session nj information 10 VII. .ch lAey attached All
enormous value and which tlay dolod out 10 sf,a
public Gully Il sery large pticts. Persons inter-
entod III the purchase and a4la Of rnai estate
we're At their mercY. and tho charges they wote
complied to ray were accordingly high. 1ha
County H1sstl. wishing to tetiaye tho pubto from
this yo1stlous e1peuse, made all effort to pur.
chaso tlIosa rc1ords. Iha oSnata Loil them at
tile modest rato OF &80o.0 900. The action Of tho
Board sud TIE a.nount Of diacu.Aiou Ito matter
provoked II probably vol remembered. The
price was thought mucll tpo gluat, and tue
county eventually rofuseI to bug.
Hfnce then tho abntract question has mt boen
ono Of great prom1neHca in the tihsIAat.Ln1la Of
tho 1snaul. 1t occasionally l"apcsrut IL: tho bt,k
ot some Commissioner mora nearly Ielated 10
rca! csts:e tra,lsacsloEH than the others but Rs
there bocmai no ttlnetIy It WA aIIpw.a 70 rc-
matt mcst OF the time III nhscnrIty. 4 few
mouths ago, however, II wan brought up,
NEW EHArE,
1t wna accompanied with tho h,lggebtisn that
Il full rot Ut ahttrautH Which woni. ut luspt rave
tho history Of MI Cuuk t:ottnty land bncs TO the
limo Ut tho llrc. Al tho four yes.a ta:
lAso paered hlHcs that event have somewhat ret
tied rea!-attato taatters, aud ths Antc-ti,s
history Of land il not 10 often inquired .utp,
such Hot Of bookA. It Wan t!oHest ~uuth haze
nErott vni1lc, and reiIess Psol'Ie from t.Ie ur.
denHome chnrEcn eaked ut HE hbttrnct Offices.
doris records, thaugbt it inyo!yen grrn, doat II
labor. 3y audInB to tlle iutot,nasnll CUR
tAihed in tl'a1n the proceedings Of lilo COURTS
having rcfcreDoo to 1eal.sntata tra.lsactlo4s,
Wills, jn1gmcntH. tnx-eafes, eto., pury cu1sl-
ptcte sot Of abstract booth could he compiled.
Tho proposition waa urged In the Board a,,d
.nat with nu small amount Of favor. Ii was
claimed, however, By homo tllat tho Recorder
Hat NO TIME
to attend to II. tilat 1la wonll l,avc to employ
largo Oh tra futcc. mud thut It could HI HcII he
dono by private parties OF experience.
Accordingly, fow "enlsH as, tho Doard ad-
yos received ia that of
ELIAS RH1rsfAH d co.
Of eol, 800, though others will likely bo SUBJ
mitlcd. No qua but MIR. Elias bhipInau kuuwA OF
Mr.. Eliza Stinm&n's qualifications for the wotk.
lilo IN far more widely known as ward politician
than a cunvoyancct OF a1atract mau. An \
"wotker" for Tho rat,y" III enal way no
may bo emlncntly of1iciant. but As . successful
abstract man ho ''as yet to mako hs rsp-
Of slt. 4. y. rarwcIrr, wl'ono practical
cyo diHccrna iu tho scholn" chance for profit
able speculation. 6hipn1Rn t Co. aro SAID to ho
simply tho middle met. "Compuny IL COM
pnscd Of lfonry Jones. mtn HOW in tile employ
of Handy. Simmons d Con who has experience
III abstract work, and QUO Span1llnG, a farmer
Board uf Trade operator. Jouoa tB probably tho
pFactical tuan Of tho firm. though # Is s.ia his
knowledge Of lho nbstract business il not rru-
di4iouH. However. from !lia connection with tho
finn abnye moutIoned he II looked upon by the
others az tic individual upon whom most 0f Tic
work will fall III tho ovont Of their getting tho
eoltEacs. Tue bid Of those parties Is
OF what the work viii actually cont, and II fair
competition III allowed tho board will rcrtsro
scyolal hn,acr oncs. 4 prominent real estate
nlan, # llc soes that It IL not Rctlod thing to
will nut in a t,d Of $4,000. aui
l,ls character is such that no ONO will
doubt thnt no would honestly Aud faithfully fnl-
gu The contract il 1t is nwarded i'm. hut tho ill.,
tiicatsors aru that this Did, alleged to como IRON
Farwofl. ia tic fAgos.to by innE oddr. and that
1t will Hncura tile contract The rea1 estate n1xa
soforre.! 10 was IcocutIy offered $4,000 bv per-
son whom Ito loilasod to b. nu ttnisAary Of
Farwell's to 1u. IN \ H:raw tii. C. Z. /. iiol-
dcn 1t il eali, il tho Commissioned who il on
giAocsinK tho matter.
Au inquiry at tie snver4I hbHtrac: Office. el,ows
tllat tia price is far aboyo tho esl.nalud value OF
tho work.
HANDY. E1slMoSs co,
tie llccorlar's Ottice estimates Of tho expense
hnva been mado. aud tho highest figures It acl.cd
ara 515.Ql0.
II tho Board does It's duty in Ibis matter tl,ero
IL no doubt but the coatrart ean be let fnr ut
loaat $50 0o1. aud that to EArtoB of experience
ana responsibility
1t III hut fair howovos, to state that Mr. Slip
man statas ti.at II l,e gets tue oattract ha will
faithfully parfoEm tho work. Ho consempla,aa,
n tho event Of bth baine tho successful bidder
to engaRe large forca Of experts aud keep thctn
of the work night and day until May i, lH7G. BY
which time TO promises to lIaye tho work written
up to tlaIe.
In view Of tho fact that the#o rumors ars
aapat. It would be we'll far tho County Board to
70 slow In thia mntter, to aunit other aud lowar
bids. and to call upon tho Recorder to geo for
what ho can do tim work. II IN hsA hands It can
ba doos for alb, ,0QD loaa than Shlpmnns ot1or,
tlcn 1t is thelr duty to secure tho difference for
The county, and not Let it 50 10 aid outAidp par
ties who lave no special qualifications for ner-
forming tho work. A lower bid will doubtless
b I'ut IN to-day, and the action cf thn Cuuuty
Commissioners concerning II will 10 watcAud
with interest.
YT1TrEE