The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-10-27
JUDGE TAYLOR'S REPLY
OBJECTS TO THE KNOCKING
or PROPERTY VALUES.
Says Chairman Van Dusen's Let
ter Docs Not Deal Fairly With
the Site Negotiations.

ASTORIA. Ore. oct. 26.-Ed.tgr As
t0rian. am ayerss % carrying on
negotiations Tor sale Of my property
In the public press; but. az some gem
tIernen. who claim % be deslrous of OBJ
taining ute TO some property which I
claim to Own. have been given space
In your columns to knock" my yalua-
tions and Itle. trust that you will
allow me space 70 reply, In a meas
ure.
A letter, signed BY the honorable
chairman Of he mill site committee. aO-
pearei N your issue Of yesterday.
20 n; believe the said chairman IL the
author Of that lerter-hrst. because
when he says that the state has not
parted With is interest In the water
frontage. outside ot low water marx. in
front Of the proposed -four mill site.
he practically destroys the claim for
great ubsrality waich he has made. on
account Of the great area Of water
frontage, above Tongue Point. which
he gave % the railroad subsidy: sec
end. because the letter Is devoted 20
knocking" property values and titles
in the town. which Is not character
Lstic Of the chairman. and. third be-
cause 30 not think the chairman would
have thought Of the subtle legal dis
tlnctIons embodied In that letter. The
letter has the earmarks 1f one 5r more.
combating the mental qualities Of law
yer enl scaemer.
While these gentlemen are pretending
- BE- working in the interest Of the
whole community, they are. In reality.
engaged in trying 10 destroy the
values of other peoples properly:
FOR what reason. I presume we all
know. I only regret that oue worthy
chairman, in an unguarded moment, got
eniangied In their net.
All desire, in answer TO these at
lacks upon values and titles, and the
assertion that prices asked are pre-
posterous." is TO call attention to a sale
OF water frontage. made by the Asto-
ria Company 10 the Clatsop NH Com
pany. in June. 1850. The tract sold
IS described as all that oortlon Of
the water frontage and water and
wharing and riparian rights and privil-
eyes north Of. In front Of. and now or
formerly lppurtenant to lots 4. and
s. o. block l46. Of he town (now cltyl
OF Astoria. as laid out and recorded bv
]. NJ Saively. hat lies north Of the
bulk head line in front OF said lots es-
tablIshed under authority Of the Unit
ed States, and extending from sad
bulk head Ina 70 The ship channel OF
tie Columbia river. excepting only
small fraction Of said water frontage
on the souther,y sde thereof. hereto
fore conveyed" etc The above de-
scTibed tract OF land is not more rhan
$50 feet wide. is less than 800 feet long.
north ami south, lies wholly outside Of
low water mark. .s unconnected with
any street CT highway in the town.
was as far or farther from the center
= the town than Is the proposed -four
mill site, was waited BY company with
an established business AMI a large
payroll in the town, and yet the deed
has upon Il a cancelled revenue stamp
II 81, importing a consideration Of A.-
OO0 for the property. This deed Is exc
cuted in the name II the Astoria Com
pany. by A. B. Hammond, rs president.
and W. C. Gosslin. its secretary and
is deed II general warranty. thus
showing what are the real views Of
the Astoria Company and its officers
regariing values and titles Of water
frontage In the town. when selling.
The deed to this property Is recorded
,at page SIS Of book SO, Of records Of
deeds for this county.
I shalt not enter into controversy
with the gentlemen regarding the num-
brr Of acres n the proposed -four mill
site, nor as 10 the ownership thereof.
II the title is IN the state. the gentle
men should apply to the state to pur-
chase it. II the title Is in the "Tay-
lors," than the gentlemen are in small
business. in trying to knock" the val
ue and title OF the property, through
publications in the press.
l have but a general knowledge OF