The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-10-08
Real Estate i'm LeadviIle.

We quote this interesting phrase of
mining life from an article on Leadville,
COlorado's great mining town, written
for ScribHer's Monthly by Ernest Inger-
soil:
All this excitement and influx of
masses of men and the constant irregu-
lar squatting anywhere upon unoccupied
ground, began at once to produce discOrd
and fever of speculation in real estate.
A certain corporation claimed to own
the whole town-site under a patent from
the government, and tried to exact pay
ment from every tenant; but the lie
gality of this was asserted, and pending
decision, everybody not only laughed at
the company but proceeded to buy and
sell original squatter- claims as though
no better title was ever in existence-a
supposition probably true at that time.
Town-lots rose from nothing to fabulous
prices in q day, and fortunes were made
and opportunities neglected accordingly.
Next came period of jumping"
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 kBOw, pard," they would re-
mark, affably, "that you just settled
dowa 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
pl asant, but it looks like you'd have to
vamoose."
That's all right-no offence" the
shaggy-headed cottager would reply,
iafl ly N11f I Of n Ot.
anybody else wants this ycre 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 a 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
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 band of
citizens who proposed to see the real
owner put in possession then and there.
Needless fellows would insist upon put
ting their trading shanties or dwelling
houses anywhere in the streets and alleys
set apart for public use, and then down
would come a squad of police. hitch a
Span VI llOISCS W JllS dAlh
raze the obstruction in ten minutes.
Hard words were a matter Of course in
all these little public and private tran
sactions in real estate, and every day OF
two a man was shot or beaten half to
death; but public opinion and the num-
erous witnesses quickly and loudly de-
cided the right of the case, and the coro-
ner's Jury was very likely to formulate
the popular verdict. Truth to say, the
UOC pOpuli in these cases was usually
about right. Outside of a case of rob-
berry by" bunko thieves" 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, however, and now real estate
is down to a pretty solid basis of value.
The probability is that the future will
see a decline in prices, as Il whole, rather
than an enhancing of the value of real
estate within the corporate limits, as no
| doubt Leadville has seen her highest
tide-mark of population.