Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-11-17
The Portland Syndicate Swlndlc
in Iowa.
SHOWN Up IN A TRUE LIGHT.
An Unmitigated Fraud Under the
Cloak of Education.

DtdIe
Register, the leading newspaper OF
Iowa, has for some time past been
training its batteries upon what it calls
1.-THE Portland, Oregon, university
scheme" Letters have been published
from number of victims, and its edi-
torial comments are decidedly pionted.
One OF the last letters published is from
Rev. b. F. w. Cozier, of Colfax, Iowa,
who 1t seems recently visited in Mos
COW, Idaho. He says parties selling
university park lots in Iowa claimed
that the 'site of the university was but
three miles from the center of the city,
and that the were extensive improve
ments in that part of the city where
the university is located. The prices
at which lots were sold were from $3.50
to $3.50. The size of this lots are 25x1l0
and 333xll0. The sales therefore are at
the rate of from $4,000 to $1,000 per
acre and over. Mr., Cozier finds in
Moscow perfectly trustworthy gen.
tleman" familiar with Portland values,
who has lots 50xll2 and larger, that he
wonld be glad to sell at $3.50 and they
are midway between the city and the
university. This is at the rate of about
81 900 per acre. After stating other
facts TO the same effect Mr.. Cozier
volunteers the opinion that the "min-
sters who visited Iowa to put these
lots on the market are not dishonest
men or villains, but he honestly be-
lieves that they have been msled
by the syndicate owning the property"
1t is evident that nothing but the milk
of human KINDNESS flows through the
veins of Mr.. Cozier, and he would be
shocked to know that these ministers
themselves constitute the principal part
of the syndicate to which he refers.
Another correspondent has discovered
that these University lots instead OF
being only three miles from the centre
of the city are "abOut seven miles from
the Union depot by electric and motor
car, but he appears not to know that
the Union depot IL nearly mile from
the heart of Portland and that there
are probably 10000 vacant lots between
the Union depot and University Park,
not to speak of the immense amount OF
vacant territory nearer the city IN other
directions. The Iowa Register ex-
presses amszement "that Iowa people
have been preached and caioled into
buying 500, 900 worth OF these lots" and
says "the scheme has mainly been
wOrl ed among ministers and members
of the Methodist church aud school
teachers" and that "mOst Of the IN
yestors will soon be glad TO sell at any
price 10 escape further taxes etc" The
agents are described as "men who
preach like Rrchanges on sun
sunday aud sell lots on week days "a
those whom they have beguiled'" Ia
its last editorial the Register warns lts
readers 10 nbeware Of all ministers who
b lom real estate projects" etc, These
echoes from Iowa recall memories Of
occurrences here in Oregon three or
four years ago, Eyep IN those HUSH
times every man well Informed ln real
estate matters knew that the poor we
tims who bought these lots would never
see their money again, bat lhe cruel
work vent on, and all lhe way nom
Ashland clear up into the gpiohep ~
Idaho the bard saIned money Sas
eoa1ed out 0f the pockets VI poor Ae'l
odisls Ia TIC name VI religion pp'
higher edueatl0n,and Vim lhs pi"N'ls'
Of great profits % lhs investor lN'
maobipery " . glsai nbufop wa' ~
tsmatioslIy gofksd lp behalf ~ 'N'
.eheme. llr columns ~ lhv ehpiNi
orsan gnd VI lhe secular pifas st''
allsd sllh dsoapilys lsuasV1nH ~ lN'
suhsms, Ahlls in4uily lplp spa it'i''"
mi plotest ssalusl u splr eAiplully ~
auied. Mlplslsu spd other plNlts
a sonsl msp, lfsdes lp lhlf Npp pi"
| fssslous, bot $40 tnss ~ nNf sl'N
/ mal esislt yalufs 40 lhf sffisR' ifal ~
| tstp mau knuW apugl ihp plsu ~ f'lf Z
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ri 40 glgsp, SID smsll u1u'h9 h
a.lls,spls. sua Hay asYlo' tpprg
III s.tub Rudgsans 49, sanWilI li
III gmls ehuhf tnl ilF t'wNa' ta'N
vi ihs miulslsl Raf lslpi ln" lflI''
l..t. l.splis p.uRarur HHl nai