, 1897-12-22
ENORMOUS WEALTH.
VALUE IN POUNDS OF SOME OF LON
DON'S GREAT PLACES.
The Underground Railway At $50 -
Inch-The Bank Of England-Immonse
Riches Represented In Auselms, Art
Galleries.. CHI rches and Bridges

I.ch-The Bank of England-Immense
Riches Represented In Museums. Art
Galleries. Churches and Bridges
"Have you ever thought what Lon
don is wortb?' remarked "A valuer to
the writer the other day. land will you
believe me when l tell you that all the
money in the world piled up in one
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 I
took my valuer friend round London on
val,ing intent.
We came to town Oh the under
ground. 1.-TWO thousand yards of this
railway" said my friend, "cost e.
f3O al inch. If you wanted to buy this
bit now, you would probably be asked
f5, 600, 900 for it. There is another mile
Oh the III line which would cost you
something Ike 90. OG0, OCO, having cost
Il third of Il million to lay .own. But
that is comparatively moderate. If the
electric railway were put up to auction
and Won were fortunate to get it mt cost
price, you would need the wealth OF
seven m~illionaircs to buy it. These 31a
miles Of railway are worth quite Ga,
OOO, eco as prices 90 nowadays.
"Get out ut this station and look at
the monument. You would not buy it
for $40. 900. In five minutes you will
be at the Mansion House, which cost u
mere go, 0G0 to build, but is now worth
nearer e7j0, 600. The Royal Exchange,
as IA building of bricks and mortar, is
worth G200, 600, but it stands OH land
worth G2. 600, 600. Not long ago land
in this EeiShlorhood was sold at the
rate of e., GOO, 0O0 an acre.
1.-THE Bank of England would prob.
ably fetch ca, 600, 900 in the market,
but as there is always EGO, 600, OOO
worth # gold in the cellars it's standing
value is about ga, 900, 900. Go west.
val over HolEorn viaduct and remem
Der tina hat short stretch of highway
is worth over g., 600, 900. You would
want nearly 60. 600, eco to buy the gen
eral p~ostoffice, which you have just
passed, and the law courts, with the
land on which they stand, are worth
e., 800, OOO.
walk along the Strand and stand
for five minutes on Waterloo bridge.
The property you see here would make
dozens Of your friends millionaires at q
stroke. Two million pounds would no:
buy those two hotels, and Somerset
House, at building cost only, is good for
$500, OOO. The bridge you are standing
Oh was a disastrous failure when it was
built, but it is worth now more than
the FL, OO0. 900 which it originally cost.
There are seven bridges on either side
Of you, which cost between them over
"a, 600, 600. The tunnels underneath
the river are worth millions as q COM
mercial property, and the embankment
is now worth probably double the e.
600, coo which it cost to make.
eff st. Paul's were private property,
you might induce the owner to sell it
for elO, OO0, coo, but the likelihood is
very remote, Those tattered banners
which you have seen go often would
arouse pretty keen bidding ut the sales,
and if you got one for GlO, 600 you might
think yourself extremely lucky. West.
minister abbey is difficult to value. 1t il
IL Of those things that cannot be
bought, but the sales give US some idea
what historic treasures are worth in the
market, and 1 should not be surprised il
the abLey-prt up i'll lots-realized
ESQ, 900. 600. FaG"y putting u ticket on
jacobs pillar or the royal tombs!
You have admired the magnificent
exterior Of the houses of parliament and
the splendid interior, but you will per
haps be surprised to know that you could
not erect these buildings today for Co.,
900, 900. st. Thomas hospital, and the
Albert embankment running along the
front of it, are worth together over Ell,
900, 600, and the bridge leading to it
cost G25O, 900.
Perhaps you have never reflected
what a 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. II
it were absolutely empty, it would be
worth Ell, 800, 600, and it is full of price.
less treasures, one collection alone be-
ing worth nearly e25O, 600. The Ma
tional gallery is worth millions. 1t cost,
with sthe new Tate gallery section,
1850, 600 to build, and has one picture
which cost ETA an inch and 3S 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, O00. Earl's
court, the great show rivaling the pal
ace, has millions worth Of treasures
which you can see for l shilling, and
even when it is empty the 20 acres Of
gardens and buildings are worth $500,
600.
1.-THE hotels and public houses Of
London could not be bought up for e2O,-
600, 900, to say nothing Of the land Oh
which they stand. Two of them pay
e45O u week between them in ground
rent. Buckingham palace is not very
uoroopur lint II 10 xportb "a nOO OOn =.