The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-20
RIVALS THE KLONDIKE
Curriers' Sand Lots
Turned Into
Gold.
DAVE HARUM OUTCOME.
How Israel Made the
Desert Blossom Like
the Rose.
DAVE HARUM OUTDONE.

'eeH the observed of all observers.
The exclusive story published in Tn,
spy detailing his real estate operation,
at Windsor Locks, Ct, was the them,
Oh lively conversation yesterday, par
ticularly among the real estate men O
me city, who knew I. L. Currier like :
book.
According to The Spy's dispatch from
Hartford, as printed yesterday morn
ing, Mr.. Curriers' land deal at Wind
scr Locks was sharper than the horse
trades described in David Harum. L
snowed the workings of Won Moltk,
hand. ''p'ie0Aii'
!, worcester men mentioned in connec.
tlon with this boom of sand lots in the
picturesque Connecticut town are no,
Eoklhg for housetops from which Il
sn0ut the story They are all honor.
aDle men, well thought of in the com.
Hlunlty, and disclaim any intention OF
sites. "a 'ioi'i'
Mr.. Currier purchased 50 acres OF
Iand, which is said to be as sandy AND
snlItlng as the sands of the seashore
NAY 10, 1895, from Clinton Phelps OF
East CRANKY, for small sum. This
was divided up by John E. Egan. a
GlE!i engineer Of Windsor Locks into 65I
lots' ana map prepared that had
streets by the score marked on it. To
one unacquainted with the district, the
property had an imposing appearance
on paper, and a clever talker could
really dispose of house lots to pros
pective buyers.
information received in Worcester
Yesterday IN relation to this property
indicates that it is located in a most
undesirable part of the town of Wind
sor Locks. 1t is near the scene of one
OF the most frightful triple murders
ever committed in Connecticut. In a
road house, Is years ago, two women
ana man were killed, and the muir
defers sentenced for life. One is dead
but the other is still expxiating his
crime behind the bars of the state
prison.
The land where it is not clear sand
is stuhble, and as uncultivable as the
sands of the Sahara.
Charles A, Sanborn, whose name is
mentioned in connection with the
at present resident of Worcester. hav-
ing left this city about six months ago
after a partnership with !. L. Currier
in the wrapper business Mr.. Sanborn
held mortgage on 1872 of the lots for a
sum aggregating s31, $50, and it was i'm
possible yesterday to gather anything
from Mr.. Sanborn regarding the phe3
nomenon. He never was credited with
having great wealth. His suspenders
did not give evidence of sagging from
kings ransom.
VIM. A. Warden, of the real estate
firm of Warden & Phelps, was aware.
when talking with a Spy man last
night, that at one time he had done
some business for Mr.. Currier, as the
offices of both men adjoined in the
Stale Mutual building, but he never re-
executing any mortgages for
him although he said such a thing
might Eave been done in his office and
by him, and yet he might possibly for
get it. The total sum of the mortgage
placed on the sand hill property, which
is sail to be worth $3.50, was $50 O53
and it is claimed that they were all ex-
acuted before Mr.. Warden, who is a
notary public.
Several real estate men in Worcester
Of large booms on land in
Connecticut al one time, and yesterday
they were al! smiling, but said nothing.
f. F. Carpenter, who was mentioned
in Tuesdays dispatch from Hartford,
as printed in The Spy, was formerly in
the real estate businesSPwith an office
in the Burnside building. He is no
longer there. Mr.. Carpenter is a man
with a notable history back of him.
For years in connection with relatives,
he has been endeavoring to secure the
of a fortune of many mill
ions, now sai6 to be held by the French
He claims descent from
/ royalist exile of the time of the revo-
uticn, and a friend Of Lafayette, who
came to America and settled in Pom
ret, Ct. The royalist estates that were
during the reign of terror
reverted back to the original owners,
or their heirs, and 1t is one Of these
states that belonged to the expatriated
French petrician that Mr.. Carpenter
and his family have been trying for
years to prove heirship to.
The Spy reporter went to Clapp
street, where the only Samuel Davis in
he city was put down as living, but
was informed that Mr.. Davis had left
here some time ago and was now
oaTding-where, the occupants of the
house on Clapp street did not know
Mr.. Davis, too was said to have held
big blocks of mortgages.
Among real estate men, The Spy re-
porter heard divers opinions in regard
o Mr.. Curriers' case. Some said it was
/ remarkably sharp dear, apd proved
lim to be as smart as lightning. One
lr two justified the enormous imitation
n values, shown in the exploitation of
he mortgages for sums aggregating
so, 900, much as they would the action
If a sharp lawyer in keeping as a fee
he lions share of the money paid in
settlement of a case.
There were others, too, that suggest
ID the propriety of Mr.. Curriers' COM
ne back to the city and renewing old
The Hartford Courant had two-col-
INN story yesterday on this case. and
n the course of 1t, says;
Land in the vicinity has sold, when
nybody would buy It, at from SO to So
,cr acre: and the outside value of the
windsor Park" settlement, for dust
viii settle. is put by a resident at $780,
I is questioned whether more than that
mount was paid for it In 1895, and it
! easiest for land of that character
nd in that location to rise when the
Wind rises.
On Feb. 10, less than a month after
he map was filed, Currier decided to
'nvell V. Brown of New York. eight
ots Cor the nominal consideration of
Two weeks later he conveyed 40
ITS TO Ellinda T. Burdick of Brooklyn,
" Along the latter part of April,
'urrier conveyed to e. F. Carpenter Of
Worcester, 16 lots, which four days Ia
ar were conveyed by Carpenter to CAL
IN II. Brown of Providence
currier apparently found a customer
= New Haven who was willing to in
- IN Windsor Locks sand estate, for
n June 16 he sold to Isaac Brown of
hat citv Is lots. Mr.. Brown three
avs later bought ten more lots. Mr..
,rown has apparently realized some
hIng' for on Aug. IL, 1899, he sold one
: fhe lots TO George A. Upham Of
waterbury. He has "a more on hand.
George w. Doane Of Brooklyn, n. X.
n. -