The evening world., 1894-08-13
GTIIlGo's TALL BUILDINGS.
M.uy Of the Sky-Scrapers Said to
Be Against tho Law
r...,.d by Corporations, Who
Thereby Exceeded Their Powers.

cItcAGO, Aug. 13.-The Pullman Com
-, ia not the only concern which is TO
sroupb, into court for alleged viola
lion of the powers conferred upon 1t by
~. state of Illinois. The quo warranto
.roceedinss against the Company. OF
hitch George NJ. Pullman Is the guiding
sn,rt is only the beginning of a series
=, suits against interests whose aggre-
o,t. Importance equals that Of the Pull
man Company, go far as Chicago is con-
cerned.
Tbese interests are the building COM
NAMES of Chicago, which have for ten
Years been engaged in race in erecting
,sv.scraping structures. They are to be
made to show cause why they should
not be punished for alleged violation
of their charters, which in the cases of
the majority provide for the building of a
safety deposit vault or Il structure de-
voted TO the arts and sciences. The an
roIncement that this Is to be done is
made by people close TO the Attorney
General, and 1t Is coupled with the state
lnent that nine out of ten of the modern
high buildings in Chicago are erected in
clear violation of the law.
With few exceptions all are owned
by corporations organized as safe de-
post companies bearing legal titles DIFF
ferent from those painted over the en-
trance doors or chiselled into the stone
fronts of the structures. The Rookery
Natona Bank of Illinois. Continental
National Bank. Chicago Opera House
buildings and the Unity building are en-
smples, All have been built it is as
serted, with the proceeds of stocks and
bonds issued upon the building and the
leasehold, for in the majority of in
stances the. ground occupied is not
owned. but held under long leases.
In the aggregate they represent in
vestments amounting to a great deal
more than the sum total of the Pullman
comnanys capital. Probably $4,000, 900
would not cover the. sum which has been
expended OH these buildings. No corpo-
ration, so il is stated is permitted by
aw TO- engage in the buying and selling
VI real estate or the erection of build
ncs for rent as business. To evade
ms provision, says an eminent legal
ormed to erect buildings in Chicago for
'fiice and store purposes have taken out
harters for the erection of safe deposit
aults or buildings devoted to the arts
v n theatre.
Having secured the charter the COM
anies have proceeded to establish
afety, deposit vault in the basement
nd then to cover 1t with structure
VI the way from eight to eighteen
tories in height. In some instances, 1t Ia
tated by the man whose statements
re herein given, the companies have
allied even to build the safety deposit
aults but have contented themselves
With constructing ordinary vaults in
heir buildings, sufficient to comply with
he law. Some of the buildings are
wned by associations which have is
ued stocks and bonds.
This is declared to be in violation of
he laws as Interpreted by the late
'hief Justice Schofoeld. of the Supreme
curt. In a decision rendered by him
n 1883 he laid down the rule that no as
ISOLATION could exercise the power Of a
In short. says the man re-
erred to. the high buildings of Chicago
ire Illegal entities and they are to be
assed upon by the Court.