The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-05-05
The Local Lounger.


most remarkable dividend paying concern 10
this country, perhaps, is the Elyton Lane
Company Of Birmingham, Ala. The record
shows that for the years 1883, 49, IS, SO, 's'
and three months Of 'SS the Company has
paid in dividends $5,770 600 or 2ss5 per cent
Of its capital stock,-all made by the ma
tursl enhancement Ia the value OF lands
brought about by the building up OF small
village into a great city. The Company was
liberal one; and statement OF the amount
Of lands and moneys given away by II would
have been interesting.
The Highland Park Land Company, or syn
dicate,-as the latest play on sound names
company, illustrating the old saying Of the
author Of Donnelly's cryptogram, that rose
by any other name would smell as sweet
no doubt expect large dividends from their
Investments in f. VIM. Won Shreeb's late
farm yard and woodland side.hill and rayine.
without a question, they will enjoy hand
some profit. The opportunity for profit is a
magnificent one,-whch occurs but seldom
in the lifetime Of city not destined ever,
perhaps, to exceed $4,000 population. Lots
in the city proper, at an equal distance from
business, Certainly not within the range Of
such possibilities as the Highland Park add.
tion,) are very scarce. There appear to be
many vacant spots, here and there; but when
one offers to buy, the price is excessive or
they form part of residence plat and are not
for sale at any price. Perhaps this is one OF
the reasons why modern cottages or tenant
houses, which have any claims TO comfort or
respectfully, are so scarcc in this city ut this
slime almost, if not entirely, impossible TO
secure. The rapid withdrawal OF lots IN
choice localities from the market is bat nat
ural, when it is remembered that one real es
tate man in the last three years has sold up
wards of 50 such buildings spots where today
are homes. Unless new lands are opened up
then, the available lots are not plenty.
This was doubtless the view the syndicate
took of the matter: and it must be said the
young men about town who had begun think.
ing Of making homes of their own heartily
endorsed the idea, knowing that a tract Of
such size could be plated and the lots sold
at low prce-very low compared with other
city property-and still pay the projectors of
the scheme a thousand per cent. Moreover,
buyers were promised an improved addition,
with graded streets, water, &C., &c. The
prospect was inviting, and more than one
renter began sounding his friends on the sub.
ject of going to the Highland Park Add
ton" as neighbOrs.
1t cannot be said that this bright picture of
the plan as outlined last fall is developing
with Dis de Bar rapidly. True, the timber
is being cut away-on the bluff where il is
necessary to do it, perhaps, and on the side
hill where it is not neccssary-eXccpt for the
profits in cord wood; true, streets are being
laid out: the sod is turned up, the road
"piked" and film of gravel deposited there
ON, and being practically undrained about
next spring or after "A few good beating rains,
with little travel thereon, the management
will be found with shcriif's warrant hunting
through the addition for the aforesaid gravel.
There does not appear to be foot of sewer
pipe in the whole tract nor an inch of water
pipe; and there are no il cations that there
are to be any, unless in The dreams of man
sions unbuilt of those who may in the future
buy lots.
1t thus appears that all the possibilities of
the place are not being improved. In the
first place, the Cation water pi pes should be
laid on every street. If iron pipe is too ex-
pensive, a tirst-class quality of salt-glaZed
sewer pipe would answer as WE'LL and is very
much cheaper. Many small cities to which
water works are a necessity, but to which the
expense of iron is prohibitory, are now using
selected sewer pipe mot common drain tile)
with excellent results. The distance from
the source OF supply is here SO short that ii
seems astonishing the water is not already on
the groand. This. is the more surprising
when it is remembered that on any part of
this addition, except, possibly, the extreme
south end, the Cation water flows readily in
the second story, Mr. Porter's residence, for
example, having splendid flow of W alter for
bath room or closets in the second story.
With the water, there must also be sewers
not the drain tile kind with lea ky joints by
which, when used ss sewers, the soil soon be-
comes saturated with moisture and filth,
breeding pestilence, but the saltglazed sewer
pipe having water-tight and air-tight joints.
with T joints for each lot all running to a
common main ana thence to an outlet. By
running six or eight inch main through the
centre Of the tract, the branches need in
no case be larger than two inch pipe, which is
abundantly large to carry off all sewage that
should properly enter sewer pipe, while the
flow Of water would keep them clean and
pure. The sewering of the whole tract would
cost, therefore, but a comparative small sum,
while the benefits would be incacuable.
These, it would seem, are natural parts Of
the Improvement of the Addition by the syndi-
cate. 1t would be beginning right. 1t would
be the making of the property. Surely, no
one can expect buyers in these days to 90 to
property of this Kind where he would be ex-
pected to depend on well for drinking water
or lay the main pipes for himself, or upon
sink hole or a garbage pile in the back yard
for the disposal of his sewage. OF course,
buyers do not expect in Ottawa any such I'm.
provements on Highland Park Addition as
one finds at, say, Auburn, near Chicago; but
it is disappointment to see that the syndi-
cate appears to be doing just as little work as
possible on the property and still make pre-
tense of laying off and improving land for a
residence-'Me" INSTRUMENTATION to Of
tawa.