Sharp County record., 1879-10-16
Real Estate in Leadyille.

All this excitement and influx of
masses of men and the consequent irreg-
ular squatting anywhere upon unoccu-
pied ground, began at once to produce
discord and a fever Of speculation in
real estate. \ certain corporation
claimed to own the whole town-site un-
der a patent from the Government, and
tried to exact payment from every
tenant: but the illegality of this was as
serted, and pending decision, every body
not only laughed at the company but
proceeded to buy and sell original squat
ter-claims as though no better title was
ever in existence-a suppOsitiOn prOba-
bly, true at that time. Town lots rose
from nothing to fabulous prices in day,
and fortunes were made and OppOrtuni-
ties neglected accordingly.
Next came a period OF dumping"
that is, getting forcible or fraudulent
possession of property. Men would call
with paper having legal appearance
and politely inform some man occupy
ing the cabin they coveted that they had
bought the property from the owner.
You know, pard," they would re-
mark, affably, THAT you just settled
down here cause it was convenient like,
and nobody said nothing about it; but
now the owner thinks he Orter have
some good from his property, and we've
bought it. We don't want to be on
pleasant, but it looks like you'd have to
yamOOse."
"That's all right-no offense," the
shaggy-headed cottager would reply,
quietly; "but | reckon eff the owner or
any body else wants this yere cabin
they've got to take it, and they've got
to hold over me, and get up right 'arly
in the mornin', too, " and he lays allowing
hand upon the hilt Of his siX-shooter,
while the would-be jumpers anathema-
tie their way out Of the door.
There were, however, clear cases of
tenancy of land where no title was held,
and here the occupant, if unruly, was
likely to find his cabin timberS falling
about his ears in the middle of the
night, under the vigorous stroke Of a
band of citizens who proposed to see
the real owner put in possession then
and there. Needless fellows would
insist upon putting their trading shan
ties or dwelling-houses anywhere in the
streets and alleys set apart for public
use, and then down would come a squad
of police, hitch span of horses to the
underpinning and raze the obstruction
in ten minutes. Hard words were a
matter of course in all these little pub
lie and private transactions in real es-
tate, and every day or two a man was
shot or beaten half to DEATH but pub
lie opinion and the numerous witnesses
quickly and loudly decided the right of
the case, and the Coroner's jury was very
likely to formulate the popular verdict.
Truth to say, the rOD pQpuH in these
cases was usually about right. Outside
Of a case Of robbery by " bunko thieves" u"
if a man gets shot in Leadville, it is safe
to conclude that he has got his deserts.
Speculation in tOwn-lots did not last
very long, J0wever, and now real eS-
tate is dowF to a pretty solid basis of
value. The probability is that the fu
ture will see a decline in prices, as a
whole, rather than an enhancing Of the
value Of real estate within the corporate
limits, as no doubt Leadville has seen
her highest trademark of population
Scr56ner for October.