The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-20

railway has never been completed south OF the
head OF the bay, the Great Norther,1 il not con-
structed south Of the city, tho seatso d Tacoma
AIT Line railway 10 not yet built, aed tho Port
land s Puget Sound railway whose docks
ana stations figure conspicuousIy. has not yet
been constructed At this end.
besioes this the perspective 10, 70 say the
Ieast, faulty, a. u Also the statement that Merlin
Park 10 In south Seattle. The Northern Pacific
instead OF being shown - running on the east
side OF the Duwamish river has bsen deliber-
afely changed over to the west back and made
to appear Is If it ran close to the park. when ss
matter OF fact, the nearest point on the North
srn Pacific is Black River junction. nearly i've
miles to the east
West Seattle il entirely built un with fne
blocks and churches aud forms continuous
line with the docks and warehouses erected on
the tide fats
OF the view of Seattle from the wster nothing
can be said other than that it is view of Seattle
before the Ere
The descriptive matter in this ciresiar is writ
ten IN the most glsriug prospectus style, and
TWO things are emphasized In this remarkable
document. both of which are highly mislead-
ing. The frss 10 that Merlin Park il a suburb of
Seattle, or, in the language of the instrument,
"a queenIy suburb of the Queen City of tie
West" with corner lots worth from $50 to $50
As stated In Mr.. smyth's letter. TIE second il
that Seattle 10 rapidly extending to the south.
the north to meet 1t. In the Language of the
document: Remember that Meriit. Park IL In
South seattle-there are no lakes or barriers be-
tween Seattle and Tacoma to prevent their be-
coming in . few years what nature has as surely
destined for them ~ the sun shines, one gigan-
tic city. This park, being on the sos1therly or
Tacoma side OF Seattle, its future prosperity is
positively assured, and no one can r,iss 1t who
invests here"
The facts of the case are about as follows:
Merlin Park is situated eight miles south of tn
business portion of Seattle and about 1--WE milea
west OF Black River Junction, which IS its near
est and only railway station. V. Hugo smith
bought 100 acres of this land some time ago and
subsequently laid it out in twenty five-acre
tracts upon numbers Z, 10, IL, IA and Ii. OF which
Merlin Park il situated. These tracts were
Plated and sold to James Dillon by V. Hugo
Smith in December, 1890, for $3.50, On Feb
ruary IL, 1891. James Dillon sold tie land in
question to Frank Northwood, of Detroit, Mich,
for &, 500, reserving nothing for hiiaseif. On
December s, 1892, Frank Northwood, ST DetraGt,
Mich, sold the whole tract. consisting of over
800 lots, to Henry swift smyth, also Of Detroit,
self five lots in block and threa lots in
block D.
These are all the trainers shown upon the
record, and the only owners Of record are frank
Northwood, eight lots, and Henry s. smyGhe,
the writer of the above letter, who owns the re-
maindeE.
The only price that has been paid FOR sny of
the land, upon which estimate Ct the lots
can be based, is the price paid by Scrthwood,
February IA. 1891, and as he paid $e.50o for over
800 lots, the value of them would seem to be
little less than IS per lot The prices paid for
adjacent land seems to bear out this ultimate.
There are about twelve 25x100 lots to fine acre,
and in January, 1891, tract II, couta .ning five
acres, was sold for $500. Again, In Jane, 1891,
the eastern half of tract sold at tae rate OF
about 500 an acre. From these fguss, one IL
rather astonished at Smyth's assertio on that cor
ner lots are being sold at from $500 to $3.50.
This circular and letter is made up q a lot of
Misrepresentation and half truths, wish a view
to mislead Eastern investors aud 70 obtain, I'M
der the assertion that Merlin Park is suburb
of Seattle price for lots which is over twice as
much az they are worth by the acre.