Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-03
Real Estate In Leadvipe.

The October iSribner contains a nota-
BILE paper on Leadville, written by
Ernest Ingersoll, and illustrated by Mrs.
Mary HallOck Foote and Mr.. j. II. Mills,
from which we quote this account OF an
interesting phase OF mining lie:
All this excitement and lnnuX OF
masses OF men and the consequent IT.
regular sauatting anywhere upon un-
occupied ground, began at once 10 pro-
duce discord and 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 illegality OF this was as
serted, 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 suppOsltlon probaO-
ly 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 jumping"
that is, getting forcible or fraudulent pos
session 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
vamOOse."
That's all right,-no ofense," the
shaggy-headed cOttager would reply,
quietly; "but reckon eli the owner or
anybody else wants this yere cabin
they've got to hold over me, and get up
right 'arly in the mornin, too, and he
laws a loving hand upon the hilt OF his
siX-shooter, while the wOuld-be jump
ers anathematize 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 put
ting their trading shantieS or dwelling
houses anywhere in the streets and al
leys set apart for public use, and then
down would come a squad of police
hitch a span of horses to the underpln-
ming and raze the obstruction in ten
minutes. Hard words were a matter OF
course in all these little public add pri-
vate transactions in real estate, and
every day or two man was shot or
beaten toI death; but public 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 ror popuG in these cases was
usually about right. Outside OF a case
of "bunkO thieves" ii a man gets shot
in Leadvlle, 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 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
tide-mark OF population.