The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1897-12-17
ENORMOUS WEALTH.
VALUE IN POUNDS OF SOME OF LON
DoMS GREAT PLACES.

''Have you ever thought what Lon
don is WORTH" remarked valuer to
the writer the other day, ''and will you
believe me when tell you that all the
money in the world piled up in one
enormous heap would not buy the treas
ures on which Londoners may gaze at
will every day of their lives?"
There was copy" in the idea, and
took my valuer friend round London on
valuing intent.
We came to town on the under
ground. "Two thousand yards of this
railway" said my friend, "cost g.
600, 900, or, if you like to have it SO,
$50 an inch. If you wanted to buy this
bit now, you would probably be asked
95, 600, 900 for it. There is another mile
on the same line which would cost you
something like SO, 900, 600, having cost
a third of a million to lay down. But
that is comparatively moderate. If the
electric railway were put up to auction
and you were fortunate to get it at cost
price, you would need the wealth of
seven millionaires to buy it. These ~
miles of railway are worth quite e12,-
900, 600 as prices go nowadays.
"Get out at this station and look at
the monument. You would not buy it
for e20, 900. In five minutes you will
be at the Mansion House, which cost a
mere e70, 900 to build, but is now worth
nearer ESQ, 900. The Royal Exchange,
as a building Of bricks and mortar, is
worth e200, 900, but it stands on land
worth e2. 600, 900. Not long ago land
in this neighborhood was sold-at the
rate of e2, 900, 900 an acre.
1.-THE Bank of England would prob
ably fetch a4.000,000 in the market,
but as there is always ego, 900, 900
worth of gold in the cellars its standing
value is about e24.000, 600. Go west
ward over Holborn viaduct and remem-
Der that that short stretch of highway
is worth over go, 600, 0OO You would
want nearly 1900, 600 to buy the gen
eral postofice, which you have just
passed, and the law courts, with the
land on which they stand, are worth
G2, 500, 000
w d1h d1OuS Liz OtIuuQ anu SLduQ
for five minutes on Waterloo bridge
The property you see here would make
dozens of your friends millionaires at a
stroke. Two million pounds would not
buy those two hotels, and Somerset
House, at building cost only, is good for
$500, 600. The bridge you are standing
on was a disastrous failure when it was
hT7f1 617f
the 81, 1000, 900 which it originally cost.
There are seven bridges on either side
of you, which cost between them over
lMe4, 900, 600. The tunnels underneath
river are worth millions as COM
= property, and the embankment
horth probably double the e.
5,C00 WHICH, = eIgs - Inahe.
/If st. Pau1's were private property,
you might induce the owner to sell it
for SO, 600, 600, but the likelihood is
very remote. Those tattered banners
which you have seen SO often would
arouse pretty keen bidding at the sales,
and if you got one for $40, 600 you might
think yourself extremely lucky. West
minister abbey is difficult to value. 1t is
one of those things that cannot be
bought, but the sales give us some idea
what historic treasures are worth in the
market, and I should not be surprised if
the abbey-prt up in lots-realized
ESQ, 600, coo. Fancy putting ticket on
Jacobs pillar or the royal tombsl
You have admired the magnificent
exterior Of the houses of parliament and
the splendid interior, hut you will per-
haps be surprised to know that you could
not erect these buildings today for e5,-
900, 600. St. Thomas hospital, and the
Albert embankment running along the
front Of it, are worth together over 81,
100000, and the bridge leading to it
cost a250, eco
Perhaps you lave never reflected
what privilege you enjoy in being
able to visit SO many places free. The
British museum, which anybody can
see for nothing, could not be bought up
by all the millionaires in America. If
it were absolutely empty, it would be
worth 81, 500, GEO, and it is full of price
less treasures, one collection alone be-
ing worth nearly e250,000. The Ma
tional gallery is worth millions. 1t cost,
with the new Tate gallery section,
1850, GOO to build, and has one picture
which cost e14 an inch and So others
which cost 81, 700 apiece.
1.-The Albert hall and Royal aquarium
are each worth about e25O. 900, but the
Crystal palace cost more than three
times the value of both these, the bill
for the palace being 81, 500, 600. Earl's
court, the great show rivaling the pal
ace, has millions worth of treasures
which you can see for shilling, and
even when it is empty the rs acres of
gardens and Buildings are worth $500,
900.
1.-The hotels and public houses of
London could not be bought up for &C.,
600, 000 to say nothing of the land on
which they stand. Two Of them pay
e450 week between them in ground
rent. Buckingham palace isapot very
gorgeous, but it is worth "a, GOO, 600 as
it stands, ard if you wanted to rent it