The Washington critic., 1890-04-09
THE CALLED JADE wrNors.
A Cock and Bull story Invented by
Chicago EakIr.

Chicago Fakir.
The present opposition TO the Worlds
Fair bill in the Senate, says the Wash
ington correspondent Of the Chicago
Herald, is in essence simply q Wash
ington real estate enterprise. A
coterie of spectators wanted In the
first place to get the fair in Washington
at the Governments expense, counting
on the boom which would follow. with
an advance in prices and the marketing
at large profits Of m enormous interest
in both actual holdings and options.
This did not work because the fair was
voted to Chicago. But determined
not to be left out in the cold, these
spectators, whose interests are in that
section Of the District lying beyond the
limits toward the property which ex-
President Cleveland is alleged to have
owned, hatched out a new wplan.
This first made its appearance In the
bill to create great national park in
the pretty valley of Rock Creek. II
happens that Rock Creek runs directly
through the section of country in which
the syndicate of spectators are inter
ested. Either side of the site Of the
proposed park is plastered with options.
which the syndicate holds. If the park
can be created at an expense to the
Government of many millions of dol
lars all these options can be made prof
table investments. Already the Senate
has passed the Rock Creek Park bill,
and the lobbyists are now at work on the
House.
The park scheme is q good thing for
the syndicate, enchancing three or four
fold the value Of their holdings, but
this is not all. These Washington
vices. The park plan is not new one,
but the manipulators have cleverly con-
trived to turn it to their own uses and
magnify its advantages. This they did
by changing the name of the park from
National Park to Columbus Park,
ostensibly out Of respect to the memory
of the great discoverer. Very nicely
was this change of name designed to
prepare the way for the biggest grab of
ala Columbus memorial hall to cost
million or two of dollars.
No sooner was this part of the plan
hatched than Senator Daniel was in
duced to introduce an amendment to the
Chicago Worlds Fair bill, providing
for the erection Of such memorial hall
in Washington. Nothing was said
about the site for the hall, and all talk
of the site has been carefully kept in the
background. But with q $4,000, ,000
Columbus Park in hand where else
could q Columbus memorial hall be
placed? OF course the park and the
hall would have to go together, and the
result would be an unprecedented boom
in all the property lying contiguous tC
the narrow but very long tract which il
| is proposed the Government shall take
| under its protective wing and nourish
with many millions into thing OF
beauty.
So the Daniel amendment was skill
fully drawn, Chicago was to be fright
ened into accepting it, on penalty OF
having the Worlds Fair bill defeated
Great naval displays were to be pro
vided for in the harbors of New York
Boston, Philadelphia and other cities
and it was thought this would catct
the New York, New England ant
Pennsylvania vote. Thus the park
scheme would go through and the
hall scheme would so through; the co
terie Of spectators, who have their
grip on thousands of acres of land ly
ing along the valley of Rock Creek
would all become millionaires in the
name of patriotism and Christopher Co
lumbus.
Some of the largest holders of Rocl
Creek property are members of the Sen
ate. Another large holder is the Vice
President A California Senator ha
large investments. IN that region, anC
just at the moment when his vote !
needed in the interests of Chicago, L
which he has been supposed to b'
friendly, the California member of tn,
Senate Committee goes home TO stay
month. Another member of this com
mittee is interested to the extent o
$3.50, 900 in Rock Creek land. Through
out the Senate there is sympathy will
the Senatorial real estate spectators
who are numbered by the dozen.
For these reasons the Washington
syndicate thinks it has its campaign
well in hand, and, by making use o
the envious and feverish spirit of New
York and the anti.fair feeling in tn
South, it hopes to bring Chicago t.
terms. These terms are Columbu
Park and Columbus hall for Wash
ington, or no fair in Chicago. A yer,
pretty scheme this, but the probabili
ties are it will not work. The Senat
Committee is a little tinctured witt
Washington real estate, as is the entir
Senate, but ii is still safe to assume tina
the Chicago bill will in time be favor
ably reported.