Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-10
THE ROCK CREEK PARK.


1<0U0.
MALVERN PARK AND JUDGE RaApLEY's TRACT THE
PRINCIPAL PARCELS CONSIDERED TODAY, AZ
THoUaH THERE WAS soxE EvIprscE PRESENTED
A. TO OTHER LOTS.
The commissionsrs-Messrs. James L. Nor
ris, George ]. suefferle and Norval ". Bur-
cheli-to appraise the value Of the Rock Creek
Park lands. resumed their session in the Cir
cult Court room.
The first witness, James A. Shaw. the owner
OF lot 10. Malvern Park testified that be made
the purchase in February, 1890, for 81, 500, and
was assured at the time that this property
would not be taken in the park. He asked that
In making up their reports the streets and ave-
MUGS be given the owners, ~ IL Was because of
the subdivision that they had purchased. He
regarded the value Of the ground 80 cents per
foot at least; II would be worth that much to
him.
Conway Tibbs the owner Of parcel 49-one
acre and over on the A road. One-third was in
grapes and fruits, one-thfrd In grass and one
third In vegetables. There were about seventy
grspeyines.
Commissioner Seufferle said that they had
counted eighty-three vines.
Witness valued the land, exclusive OF the i'm
provements, at &c. 900 to 81, 900 The improve
ments he put down at S525. He had plums,
pears, peaches and other fruit in the ground.
On cross-examination witness said he bought
the land in 1871 and finished paying the $3.50 in
ISIS. Ihe property was only q stones throw
HENRY CLARK. sR.
Henry Clarke, ST., testified as to parcel IS,
on which he had lived since 1872 He valued his
ground at e5, 600. There we're three houses on
the fand-that occupied by Philip Clark was
worth $500, the Henry Clark house $500 and
the double house $500. There were apple,
pear and peach trees and grape vines.
=, On cross-examination witness acknowledged
that ne paid ESQ per acre for the land.
deep and some Of 1t had to be blasted and cost
him Is per foot.
Walker Clarke corroborated the preceding
witness and valued his part at "a, 300 excluding
the improvements and the improvements az
Philip Clark corroborated the above, claim
ing his third acre to be worth e., 200 and the
J. P. Khngls was recalled and testified that
Iibbs and Clark's lands we're worth cents
per FOOT, s5,oO0 per acre, having line views
north and west.
parcels, 81 and 3s-78 and II 4 acres, respec-
lively, formerly owned by the late Col. B. 7.
Swart He valued the north tract at 81, 900 per
acre ana the southern tract at 81 800 per acre.
James b. Colt was called, but there was no
response.
y. D. RYAN.
E. d. Ryan appeared for tract 81, standing
in the name Of his wife, oil acres on the line
Of the park, and testified that it was one-half of
mile orom Brightwood and one mile from
Tacoma, capable of . subdivision and of $40
altitude. He valued the land at sl.500 an
acre, and the improvements taken by the park
$1,000.
Dir. Saul was recalled and testified that no had
examined the trees on the Freas tract, There
fun bearing, which he valued at $40 each. He
based his testimony of 81 COO per acre as in
Guiding the trees, &C.. and $500 per acre minus
the trees and improvements.
JUDGE sRADLEYs TRACT.
Judge Bradley's tract was taken up and Mr..
B. r, Leighton testified that he had managed
the Eslin tract, Brookland and woodsids, the
latter near Fenwick's. The southern end of
Woodsfde was about one.third of mile from
the extremity OF the park He had been
oyer Judge Bradiey's tract. part of the
6ne view in several directions. There was no
waste ground in tina tnot, and it was worth
81 1000, and would not be exorbitaIt at
$1,000:
Mr.. Leighton testified as to the Lee parcel
that 1t was worth $500 per acre.
On cross-examination Mr.. Leighton testified
that the Eslin property was bought in 1883 at
81, 600 per acre and subdivided and put on the
market The BrooklanG subdivision was
bought in 1886, before the Catholic University
was located. ct $3.50 per acre. On this he did
regard the improvements a. enhancing tho
value
In the Brookland subdivision about one
fourth OF the land was taken for the streets.
and they had expended $40. 600 on it. 1t was
In 1855 when the purchase was made, and there
ara at<snt hon n, %r.n - Ala
was purchased in August, 1889, at s250 per acre,
anda second tractin the following March at $3.50.
A subdivision was made and streets graded, but
until March, 1890. no sales were made. He sold
block with the Mansion house. between seven
and eight acres. At 81. 600 per acre, and number
OF lots subsequently at cents per foot and up
ward. There are thirteen villas at Woodside
now. The houses were Of nice class, selling for
O., 500 and $4,000.
BY Judge Bradley-Taking two acres Of the
man wants from six to ten acres for Q nice
home place.
". RILEY DERBLE.
". Riley Decide testified as to Judge Brad,
ley's tract (No. 20) that he had been dealing in
real estate for ten years, and. the outlook was
beautiful, particularly fine to the northwest
There was no waste land in that parcel. He
would value the two acres taken at q, 900 per
acre.
On crosS-examlnatton-It was q six-acre
track. suitable for one residence. The Lee
tract was worth $500 to $500 per acre.
Judge Bradley said he did not know that his
opinion was worth anything, but he had one.
He purchased in May, 1887, the six acres and
fraction on which he proposed to erect a villa,
but the projected park had stopped this. He
bought it ut bargain, and Judging
how land was selling it was worth $1,000 per
acre. None Of it could be spared. Indeed, it
was barely sufficient for the purposes for which
he bought. The highest elevation is $50 feet
and eighty feet higher than land over It'll street
and about Takoma, where land has been sold
at $1,000 per acre. 1t was about
2, 500 feet from Silver Spring Station byroad.
The road to TakOma is a little longer and he
had frequently used this station. He bought
before the park bill was passed and with
no reference to it. He bought for
Q home, and the taking of two acres will
depreciate the value OF the remainder for his
uses, and three years ago he considered 81 600
the value.
ME-. GREENS LAND.
The case Of James NJ. Green (parccl S1) was
taken up and Mr.. H. Clay Stewart, jr., testified
that his firm sold to MIR. Green in May, 1890,
at rather a bargain (s500 an acre., in a little
over year having doubled. The tract is Is. 80
acres and the park takes IL SO acres. On cross
examination witness said he regarded any piece
of the property in the county west Of 18th
street worth cents per foot.