St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-21
Landlord Leland Offered a
Million to Stand in With
the Gang.
Trap Set for Worlds Fair
Directors by a Wealthy
Corporation.
Powderly Explodes False Ac-
cusations Made Against
the Knights.

CHICAGO, June 20.-The ownership
of the Lake Front park, 1000 feet wide
and extending from Randolph street to
Park Row, nearly a mile in length, be-
tween Michigan avenue and the lake
shore. has long been in dispute. The
RIPARIAN right is the bone of contention,
and claim is laid to it by the state of
Illinois, the city of Chicago and the Hi
nois Central railroad. Mr.. Leland, as
the owner of property aOutting on this
park, has been fighting all encroach-
ments upon it, and has declared his IN
tention to fight the location of the
worlds fair thereon, negotiations
to which end have been in
progress between the directors
and the Illinois Central company.
Mr. Leland is quoted as saying: "A
bride of $1,000, 900 was once offered me
to cease nv warfare in behalf of the
preservation of the Lake Front park,
and vet there are those who believe
that / am fighting a phantom. and who
ridicule the idea of there being steal
on foot" "a steal!" he echoed. his
eyes flashing. IA steal! Why, sir.
there has been steal on foot beside
which the aggregated operations of the
notorious Tweed ring pale into IN
significance. 1t was one year ago that
the bride was offered me. If the steal
were of such gigantic proportions
then, before the proposition to extend
the park one thousand feet into the
lake was made, of what size do you
think it is now? 1t is over $500, 100000.
Who is
Back of the Steal!
SIS it the Illinois Central railroad, or
the CITY council? | do not know. Per
haps it is one. Perhaps it is the other.
Perhaps it is both A stretch OF the
Imagination may enable one to belle We
that it is neither; but as such steal
could not be accomplished without the
consent of the city council, and as the
Illinois Central railroad is commercially
more greatly interested in the DISPOSE
ton of the property than any one else,
the belief that neither is Interested can
be but of short life. l will fight any adj
ditlon being made to it OF any buildings
being put upon it so long as have a
dollar of my own and any credit, unless
the property be turned over to
the South Park commissioners and
their right to it confirmed by
the council, the legislature and
by congress with the understanding
that the property shall be used eXclu-
sively for park purposes forever.
fought hard to get the fair here, but,
hard as / fought, it was nothing to what
will fight to prevent the gobbling up
of the Lake Front park by the Illinois
Central railroad. What! foreigners
own our breathing place? guess not.
was offered million to keep my hands
off, but will spend million and Dor
row more to keep foreign poacherS, or
any poachers, for that matter, off. The
Illinois Central must not be allowed to
steal the lake front. Its stockholders
want it. no doubt, and will spend mill
ions to get it, for every million spent in
that direction means, if the park be Sc
cured to them, ten millions in return.
The value of the property cannot al
present be estimated. One hundred
millions would be freely paid for the
Lake Front park as it stands now, the
Riparian Rights Included,
but when one thousand feet more shall
have been added to its width and the
whole built upon, it would be increased
in value, not one hundred per cent, but
many hundred. And with such rich
feast in store for those who secure it, is
it to be wondered at that corrupt public
officials are willing to sell their trusts to
have a seat at the table. This Stuy-
veSant Fish, the president of the Hi
nois Central, is a shrewd mana capable
man of affairs, and in his hands the
stockholders of the Illinois Central feel
that their interests are safe. lie was a
worlds fair director and resigned
Why? Because of business" Mr.. LIE
land is then quoted IN detail as to his
efforts to maintain the lake front free
fro,, I,,ildiDnc ino1116ipn tho q re
industrial exposition, and the Oppo-
sition which he has met from successive
city governments, intimating that there
We're monetary influences back of theil
opposition. Returning to the offer OF
the milliOn-dollar bribe to himself, Mr.
Leland then told how well-known
citizen came to him a year ago and
talked about the value of the lake front
from a commercial point of view, and
continued: "Well, when he had finished
he asked me if | did not agree with him
and admitted that l believed his cal
culations were not overdrawn. Their
he turned suddenly to me, sat down anG
said: Leland, do you want to
Make a Million DOIIars?'
OF course do, if honorably,' II re
piled. We'll, Leland, you can do sc
easily. If you will simply bother your
self no more about the Lake Front park
but remain passive to whatever is done
/ can let you in on deal so that yOI
will get million dollars Thunder
struck at the magnitude of the plot anG
amazed that any one who knew me
should think me bribable. | Sprang VI
and ordered the man to go back to the
gang that sent him and tell the mem
bers that for S1,000,O00 they could no
buy hair of my head; that | had chill
dren, and had no desire that wheI
they had grown they should have me
their father. pointed out to them as the
man who, for sl,000,0OO, had solo
the city's lungs. The man left ant
did not return" "What is his name?
"That L may not tell" Mr.. Leland
somewhat excited as he related thu
story, replied. II may not tell, becaus,
obliged to do so should not reveal hi
name. But the fact is exactly as l hav,
related. And because of it | have NJ
hesitancy in saying that steal was an,
undoubtedly is on foot" do yol
think the Illinois Central is back of tn
steal now?" II have no positive knowl
edge of such fact. But the spectacle
of that corporation, which has neve
been noted for its generosity or evel
liberality.
The Spectacle of 1t,
] say, offering to furnish the means t.
fill in the lake front 1000 feet into tn
lake is, think, worthy of some careful
consideration. and the worlds fai
directors in dealing with the Illinoi
Central should exercise the creates
care lest they fall into trap. For
trap is, truly believe, being set TO
them. This sudden generosity on tn
part of the Illinois Central gives it
very suspicious look. The stock of tina
corporation is held principally in Hol
land and England. What do the stock
holders in those countries care for on
worlds tairl Moreover, what SHOULD
prompt the Illinois Central to favo
holding the fair on the lake front Whel
by holding it in Jackson park its rate
from passenger traffic would be quad
rupled? Why, indeed, unless it has de
signs OH the lake front. The idea o
the directors of the fair calling on tn
Illinois Central, and especially goin
down to New York to do it, is wrong.