Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-14
Real Estate In Leadville.

S~iase, contains q notable paper on
Leedtille, written by. Krnest Ineersoll,
and illustrated by Mrs. Mafyi Hallock
Foote and Mr.. r., II. Mills, from which
We quote this account oil an interesting
phase 81 mining life: TT Cd ;..o.!
| All this excitement and influx of
masses Of men and the consequent If.
regular squatting1 anywhere upon
unoccupied ground, began ct oonce
TO produce discard and . fever Of spec.
| ufation in real estate. A certain cor.
poration claimed to own the whole town
site under Q patent from the govern
ment, and tried to exact payment from
every tenant; but the illegally of this
was asserted, and pending decision, ev-
erybody not only laughed at the com
pany but proceeded to buy and sell orig
inal squatter.claims as though no better
title was ever in existence-a supposi-
ton probably true at that time. Town.
lots rose from nothing to fabulous
prices in day, and fortunes we're made
and opportunities neglected accord
ingly. o+'n 'a:' ',.!t7 i''r....i %.
Next came q period of j" jumping, :"
that is, getting forcible, or fraudulent
possession, of property, Mon would
call with q paper having legal appear
ance and politely inform some man
occupying the cabin they "a GOV.
eted that they Had bought the property
from the owner. ..,,it'r
"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, bnt it looks like you'd have
to vamoose." - -'.-'ifH ,..- d.
''"That's all tight,-no offense," the
shaggy.headed cottager would reply,
quietly; tbut I reckon ef the owner or
anybody else wants this. yere cabin
they've got to take it, and they've got
to hold over me, and get up 'airiy in
the mOrnin,' too" and he lays loving
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
tendency of land where no title was
held, and here the occupant, If unruly,
was likely to find his cabin timbers fall
ing 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 in.
hsist upon putting their trading shanties
or dwelling-houses anywhere in the
streets and alleys set apart for public
use, and then down would come o
squad of police, hitch span OF horses
to the urderpinning and raze the OBJ
struotion in ten minutes. Hard words
were matter of course in all these lit
tie public and private transactions in
real estate, and every day or twoa man
was shot or beaten half to death; but
public opinion and the numerous wit
nesses quickly and loudly decided the
right Of tho case, and the coroner's jury
was very likely to formulate the popular
verdict. Truth to say, the vor populi
in these cases was usually about right.
Outside of o case of robbery by " bun
10 thieves, y if a mum gets shot in Lead
Vile: it is safe to conclude that he has
got bis deserts. .Ypu1nf. psj~t>,
Speculation in town-lots did not last
very long, however, and now real estate
is down to a pretty solid basis Of value.
The probability is that the future will
see decline in prices, as a whole,
rather than an enhancing Of the, value
Of real estate within the corporate linn.
it's, 40 no doubt Leadville has seen her
highest tide-mark OF population. =