The Portland daily press., 1895-10-15
of thousands of eyes, followed by an out,
burst of pent-up enthusiasm that could
be heard for squares around.
CHicAGo,s RECORDS.
How Titles to Real Estate Were Recovered
After the Fire.

After the great Chicago fire the most
serious feature of tho calamity seemed
to be the destruction of the public
records, by which title 10 all tie real es-
tate was apparently destroyed when the
bell fell from the Court House cupola at
2. 05 O'Clock on the morning of the 9th.
10 rebuild, money must be raised by
mortgage. And how could this be done
| if title could not be proved2 The solu-
ton of that problem reads almost like
the telling of miracle. A thread of title
was in the possession of three abstract
firms-Chase Bro, Shorthall & Hoard.
and Jones & Sellers. These were private
firms and their offices were all in the
vicinity of the Court House So the sup
position was that their records met with
the same fate as the public records But
here was given another illustration Of
where the concern of all is no ones con-
Germ, and where private interests are al
ways sure of better protection than pub
lic, These three firms realized the dan
ger when it threatened and protected
themselves as far as possible and at the
same time performed service to the
PUBLIC THAI is D6HOuu OiuIulfhUioA
John q. Shorrall had BEEN impressed by
the story Of the fire of Saturday night as
told him by Mr.. Hubbard, and when he
saw the reflection in the sky while re-
turning from church he was impolled to
"run to fire. for the first time in ten
years. He saw the flames lick up the
"Caton house in the prairie in exactly
eight minutes, the air filed with blazing
boards and rafters, and realized that
condition and not q theory confronted
him. The office of Shortall & Hoard
was on the northeast corner of Washing
ton and Clark streets, opposite the county
record Office. The burning binders were
falling like rain and Mr.. Shortall broke
open his Office door and cut down the
awnings. Loaded wagons and trucks
were flying through 1.-THE streets. He en-
gagged fifteen Of them to come back at1any
price, but not one returned. Then he dis
covered that all of them were in forcible
possession of men trying to save their own
household goods. James W. Nye helped
him capture wagon by force and gave
him revolver. Later John u. Stock
ton came up with truck, which was
loaded, and with Mr.. Shortall perched on
top with revolver in his hand and the
swaying volumes supported on either side
by two prisoners, who had been forced
into service, the procession moved to a
place of safety on the South Side. Chase
| DrQS. ttIlu .JOu0S c Dollcrs hiso SshFCu
many of their records, and all lost some
But by coincidence that is suggestive
Of the proyidential the parts that were
lost by one firm were saved by another,
SO that when all were pieced togetherssthe
chains of title of thousands of blocks of
property were preserved.
The past history of all Chicago real
estate and its future lay in the hands of
six men. 1t was their private property,
| and it was in their powerto dictate terms
to the real estate interest of all Chicago.
They were approached by hundreds of
scoundrels with propositions to use this
power.
But history has told how these six men
com bined their records, gave free access
to them to the surveyors of the city, and
protected the interests Of the genuine
property holders They male fortunes to
| be sure. but not 1.-THE of what they
might have made and still not have ex-
ceeded commercial and professional rules
The Legislature was called III special
sessions to enact measures of relief tor the
stricken city and it@passed a statute con-
firing the abstracts of title. This was
known as the 'sburnt record act" Suits
brought under it had a calendar of their
own.