Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-03-11
GREAT CHICAGO LAND CASE
FORMER DANE COUNTY MAN
SEEMS TO BE IN LUCK.
LamoreaX Decides That 1868 Acres in
North Chicago Belongs to II Nj.
La Toilette and Others

Madison, March 10.
The great Mckee land1scrlp case, in
volving the title to 1868 acres in the
very heart of the north side of Chicago,
has been decided by the commissioner of
the general land Office in favor of the
holders of the scrip, Matthias Benner OF
Chicago, Harvey NJ, La Toilette of In
diana and others. The land and im-
provements thereon are worth $50,0o0,-
600, and the decision is said to be the
most important ever made by the gov
eminent land office or the interior de-
partment. Owners of every factory.
warehouse and dock. every store or resi-
dence between ST. Clair street on the
west, Chicago avenue on the north and
the lake and river on the east and
south are, according to Commissioner
LamoreuX's finding, trespassers and
squatters. Bullen's warehouse and
other immensely valuable dock proper
ties are left without apparent title to
the land they occupy. Charles Barry. a
lawyer for the scrp-holders says; This
is virtually final adjudication of the
matter. An appeal will lie to the Sec
rotary of the interior, but only on err
rors of record. He will not again go
into the merits of the case as was done
by the general land office. The SUI
preme court has not been in the habit
of reviewing the decisions Of govern
ment department. The commissioner
has found, first, that the area in dis
pute was United States government
land, and, second, that the United
States had parted with their interests to
occupants of the land are squatters, and
they are not Invested of property rights
because they never had any"
Two things contributed to the plight
in which the men who thought they
owned this land are placed One was the
a government surveyor back in 1921 to
include the tract east of what is now st.
Clair street in his survey. 1t covered
thirty acres then, but has grown to
1853 % acres. The other thing was the
generosity of the United States congress
| III SlNiuS ING vi NoioiNl HiSiNt'
a Mexican war hero, quarter-section
apiece, to be located upon any vacant
land of the United States. And land
is vacant" until Uncle Sam sells and
surveys it, even If it is covered witt
soap factories and docks, so Mr. Ben
ner and his associates, who acquired
the rights Of the Mckee heirs from
Louisville banks are happy.
Harvey M. LaFollette who figures In
this important case is cousin of ex'
Congressman r. NJ. La Toilette Of
Madison. He was born In the town o.
Primrose, being a son of Harvey M. Ii
Toilette, chairman of the town in thu
latter part of the SOS. At the age d
IS, he left, with his parents for Indiana
He later went abroad and studied fou
years at Paris. He was superintendent
of public property Of Indiana for foul
years and shortly afterward became
one of a company that purchased 1000
acres Of coal and wood lands In Tennes
see. 1t was through business dealings
Of this company that he became inter
ested in the Mckee scrip. Elk Congress
man r. NJ. La Toilette has large rol
of briefs bearing on the matter which
he has not yet had time to examine.