New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-26
A NEW WASHINGTON RING.
Is PUBLIC OFFICE A PUBLIC TRusrr
GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO AID PRIVATE sPEcuLA-
TIoNs-How DISTRICT TAXPAYERS ARE ROBBED

| ZINE SAMPLE OF DEMOCRATIC "REroRM."
| ifHoh REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rRfBuyEI
WASHINGTON, Oct 25.-The facts were given
!" ~-uays TRIBUNE which show that there Is no
| p"'io Necessity Tor the heavy expeniitu'es pro-
! poscd by the District authorities in the oomparn-
| uVey uninhabited region OF Rock Creek. that
most OF the money there expended and 10 be used
| .'us year should have been dc oteI TO necessary
| improvements which would have ben flied tho
taxpayers and people at large that Suburban
'.eeN ana country roads through which thousands
poop,c pass anu repass daily and the property
along which Is assessed at millions OF dollars. bayo
o"h shah 'hlly nee ted and some Of them left
IN dangerous condition. while money has been
deVoicd with a Lbershty restrained only bv tho
i'iiis OF aIpoIriaton TO roads over which few
score people travel daily, and the a ssrnents OF
inc properly alonz which am0ants only Ia tens OF
thousands OF dollars The objects and rcsvlts OF
'hs Pbcy AMI the instrrn MS by which IL Is
carried out remain 10 be disclosed
When Mr. Whitney bought "Grpssland- loss
year Tor 5000 an acre, there was little or NJ actiy.
lty In real estate In that vicinity II is true that
syndicate had invested in strip of land extend.
ing from Rock Creek to Tenallytown Real, somo
distance south OF Woody Lane. with the expecta-
tlon that 1t might become valuable at some future
ume-nVe or ten years hence. Some eight years
Wl8
aid oat In villa sites west Of Rock Creek on
Woody Lane. Recently one or two lots bav.
peen sold but not house has yet been built ON
the property, which has been drug in the market
There was no tendency of population i'm that d.
rect1on. and eighteen months ago that rgion
onered slight inducements even to the most hope
ful Spectator seeking investments with a view to
prohtabe returns within five six years. To
man seeking home the region offered natural at
fractions indeed. and II he could afford to keep n
carriage and maintain country place in order 10
i've IN secllsion few weeks In each year. no
might be induced to invest but such men are ex-
uemely rare in the District Of Columbia And
yet shlewd Democrats believed that they had dis
covered here an opportunity for tidy speculation
which could be made to yield speedy and rich re-
turns The purchase of farm by Secretary
Whitney was followed by a substantial improve
ment of the roads which lead to it, The President
felt desire to become the possessor OF suburban
home in the District. For some reason this desi,e
was carefully guarded q secret by the fwpr
sons TO whom it was confded, AMI when they be-
came satisfied that "Pretty Prospect" would suit
hm they were not Slow to take advantage Of ID.
VI course, there was nothing wrong In that They
were simply speculating on the strength OF ad-
vance information. obtained, it Is to be presumed,
in legitimate way. Mr. Cleveland became tie
owner Of "Pretty Prospect" The deed to him
was executed by A. A. Wilson and wife on May
2s 1886, and the consideration as expressed therin
was s2l 500. A. A. Wilson is the United States
Marshal for the District OF Columbia He WAS
appointed by President Cleveland in December,
1885 According to the official records Marshal
wilson became the owner Of "pretty Prs cct N
May 26, 1885. the same day that he transferred
It to Mr ClcvcanL The consideration expressed
IN this deed also was sal 500. The Jassin. OF
this property from the real owner through Marshal
Wilson's hands to Mr.. Cleveland is one OF the cir
upon which many persons seem to base
their belief that the latter received il as a Gift.
or that at most he paid for II much lss
than the amount expressed I'm the deed. They
say that the double transfer inlicated desire to
conceal something in regard +, tie ira sa-ion:
That no cOncealmcnt in direction was nccts .ary
in order to protect the interests OF the President.
nasmuch rs the real owner knew that the plup-
erty was To PASS into his hands AMI that It's tians-
fer would benefit himself by enhancns the value
Df his other property Another matter upon
which some stress Is laid by PERSONS who bclic,o
hat Pretty lroslect' n gift 10 Mr. Clevc-
and is that his ownership and c,upancy OF t
would SO largely enIIane the value Of Ijacent
property that the owIcis of 1t would glay and
ibeay contribute To that ob lect as an investment
or their own benefit OF course the SUI g,stn n
S not for a moment to be entertained that Il such
contributions werv male. they INJURED 10 the bcnc
1t of any lcIsOn pcIsJ other llan the one for
whom they asst ned
On July 3, 1886, piece of property cOmpris-
ne lOo acres was transferred TO Do' 'sey Cha cit
Who, month later was uncN peclcdly. and TO the
ulprse OF many District D,.mrcrJ Is appointed
;c ister OF Wills. The property has u fr maze on
|cnallytown Road few handled feet north Of
lbotf, Iol
toward Rock Creek The considerl
ion expressed in the deed was S36.600. or at tho
ate of about $3.50 per acre. This. it will be
loted, is less than half the amount at which
Red Top rated in the transfer TO the Pies
dent by Marshal Wilson. which was about $3.50
er acre. The difference in price may he parity
ccounted for by the fact that the latter has q
'Oniage on two roas 1t has been publicly as
.rted, however and thus far n [ ,enicd. that an
ption the l0s obtanod hcloe tho
ansfcr 10 the President became generally knJwn.
he assertion las been male in REAR to
thcr property in that iciDity which las ,han.c cd
ands within the last few months, and which has
assed into the osscsson of syn iicatcs the MEM
cr>hin OF which in more than one case has Teen
ualced as an important secret Dorsey Clagctt
al not been e2aIded as man # means which
ould enable him to nlulgc in the luxury OF u
iilrban home at cost for the land alone of
81 900. In fact. he was un eIstool 10 be- IN ex-
emely moderate circumstances 1t Is tie gen.
ri belief that several Prominent Democratic
hceholders in the District Of Columbia are part
Els OF Mr. Ciasctt in this suburban speculation.
mon. the names mentioned 10 a TRIBUNE corrc-
r,nient by a prominent real estate owner were
uneI S. Lamont A. A. Wis, n an several Others.
course, there may be no objection in law or
oras 10 real estate sleculatioIs by men who
.ppen " be in Office
Several syndicates control large share OF the
main Of the area which is TO receive the Dis
ct benefit OF the public eXi enliturs now max
Z and 10 be made he, eaitcr under the plans Of
e district Commissioners. who have full control
such matters regardless OF tic wishes OF tic