, 1881-02-20
THE LAKE-ERONT.
Revival Of the Opposition to Sell.
ing It to the illinois
Central,
An Earnest Protest Against What
Is Pronounced a t'Huge
Land Grab.''
Ex-Mayor Heath Believes the 0ity's Rights
Should Be Maintained.

The public interest in the Lake Front wa
awakened from two or three weeks sleep yes
terday By tho circulation for signatures Of
protest against the passage Of tho Logan dill
now pending In Congress.
A few days ago John B. Lyon, an owner Of con
siderable property on Michigan avenue. for
wardcd his individual protest to Washington, IL
which he called attention to the efforts OF ths
Illinois Central Company to capture the prop
erry,
IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE:
"Tha mere enactment of the pending bill,
without any action on the part or the city al&-
Injunction laid upon the Company in 1859 by
the United Statcs Circuit Court ar Chicago fsee
Bssselis Reports. page l1f} at q time when 1t
lake-front from tho Chicago River to beyond the
Company's round-houses, about one and one
half miles southward on the lake shore. md ex-
tending one mile into the deep Writers Of the
take. This enormous claim is founded upon IN
act OF the Illinois LEGISLATURE, passed April 10.
lM9, and repealed in 1873; but it is ques-
and the perpetual Injunction which the pending
bill destroys Is the only sure protection which
the community has agnnst the practical asser-
OF Chicago. Aud yet the bill passed the Senate
without the members Of that uody being aware
OF this extraordinary sweep and operation Of
fact that the title to thar part OF tho Lake Front
IN which the Company then desired, and low de-
slrcs. to assert its claim under the Suite act is
IN tne United States, and that title the bill pro-
poses TO grant and release to the city, and thus
cut aWay the ground from under the injunc-
In 1871 the Federal Government was Sec
ond time obliged to interfere iuaicially TO pre-:
vent the Company from filling in more of the
narpor, which 1.-The the Government was then pro-
day Is worth little, If auy, less than $50 0000 900,
and iIs net profits range. from $',0N.UOU to S5.-
000,00 It's stock is largely held by NONRESIDENT
aliens. W6nSR Fen1fPd
00o, to obtain the land and the harbor monopoly
which the passage Of the pending bill will surely
into the City Treasury, and. nothing ut all into
the Treasury OF tho State or the United States.''
~, a reporter interviewed Mayor Harrison and
new light. but they had nothing further to say
than what had been published recently.
Ex-,iAr0R IIE<AXH, +
on being questioned. snid he ibid no occasion to
change the opinion entertained by him three
years ago. The great object to be attained was
the reservation to the city Of its riparan rights.
These ought never to be retinqnlshcd, or In the
doubt that ut some future time the shipping Of
Chicago would be obliged to seek facilities for
loading md unloading on docks to be built ulong
would be- extended all the way to South Chi-
eago. This might not not huppen in his lifetime,
but the young man now starting 10 life would
ess ess inportancs ahaf the city onsht
in no way to lose any of the advantages which
1t now possessed. The city ought in the first
the property, and in regard to this phase OF the
subject he thought thar Congressman Davis had
acted wisely. After acquiring this title it might
convey to the Illinois Central portion to be
used tor depot purposes. In this way tie city
could preserve its riparian rights. He never
believed that the Railroad Company had any
the land. If it did not include these rights, was
fair: bur ii the railroad wanted to include them
tn the transfer, 1t did NOT begin to be sufficient
1Trr1Y Il hN- 4fAd
that a syndicate could be formed in New York
willing to pay per cent per annum on $50.ecG.-
ooo for sho privilege Of using M ~ the la:s-front,
in running order. 1t was evident to him that
the city. with proper management, coNld derive
Il large income from this property, that would
very materially reduce its taxation He knew
OF no existing agreement between the Illinois
Central and tho city through Its officers provid-
ing for the transfer. ALI that he could SAY. and
what the people ought to maintain, was that the
clty's claim should be jealousy guarded.