The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-10-11
Real Estate in LsadyiIle.

The October Ecribner contains a nOta-
BILE paIe on Leadville, written by Ernest
Ingersoll, snd illustrated by Mrs. Mary
Hallock Fcote snd DIR. J. 81. Mills, from
which we quote this account of an inter
esting phase of mining life:
All this excitement and influx Of
mesces of men and the consequent irreg-
ular squatting anywhere upon unoccu-
pied ground, began at once to produce
discord snd a fever of speculation
in real estate. A certain corporation
claimed to own the whole town site
under patent from the government,
and tried to exact payment from every
tenant; but the ilIegality of this was
asserted, and pending decision, everybody
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 probably
true at the time. Town-lots rose from
nothing to fabulous prices in day, and
fortunes were made and opportunities
neglected accordingly.
Next came a period of dumping"
that is, getting forcible or fraudulent
)sgassion of property. Men would call
with paper having legal appearance
aud 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 al out it; but
now the owner thinks he orter have
some good from his property, and we've
bought it. We don't want ID be on
pleasant, but it looks like you'd have to
vamoose."
"That's all right, mo ofense," the
shaggy-headed cottager would reply,
quietly; "but | reckon eff 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 right 'arly IN
the mornin', too," aud 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
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
Headless fellows would insist on putting
their trading-shanties or dwelling houses
anywhere in the streets and alleys set
apart for public use, and then down
would come squad of police, hitch
span of horses to the UNDERMINING and
raze the obstruction in ten minutes
Hard words were matter of course ID
all these little public and private transac-
tons in real estate; and every day or TWO
man was shot or beaten half to death
but public opinion and the number Of
witnesses quickly and loudly decided
the right of the case, and the coroner
jury was very likely to formulate the
popular verdict. Truth to say, the v01
popuh in these cases were usually about
right. Outside of case of robbery by
" bunko thieves" if man gets shot III
Leadville, it is safe TO conclude that ne
has got his deserts.
Speculation in town-lots did not last
very long, however, and now real estate
is down to pretty solid basis of value;
The probability is that TIE future VIII
see decline in prices, as whole, rather
than an enhancing of the value in real
estate within the corporate limits, as no
doubt Leadville has seen her highest tide
mark of population.