The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-15


to get an option. From the first he
found the old man who owned the
piece unwilling to give an option at
any figure. He would sell-yes-but
lis price at the first Interview was
$4,000, which was just $4,000 more
than the maximum set by the pro-
moter from Chicago. So the broker
had been obliged to report his failure
and had been finally told it made no
ditrerence-the property was not at
all essential and the Chicago people
did not intend to be held up"
Finally, after everything else was
we'll in hand the man from Chicago
sent his lawyer around to see the own.
er OF the forty feet frontage. He vas
authorized to buy the property out
right, paying $4,000, II that should
prove necessary to get it.
Strangely enough, when the lawyer
called he was told that the place was
no longer for sale at $4,000. 1t had
gone up greatly since the brokers' last
interview. In fact, it would take an
even 100000 to buy it. The lawyer
went back and reported to his princi.
pal and the latter threw up his hands.
Never" said the Chicago man. I'm
willing to be robbed to a moderate ex-
tent, but when it comes to plain
case OF holdup like this 1 quit Well
build all around the measly little for
ty feet and let it stay there. Certain
ly We'll never pay more than twice
what the property is worth for the
privilege Of owning it,"
Then he asked the lawyer to go
down to the dining room with him.
The two men sat down at little ta-
BILE and good dinner was ordered.
Between and during courses they dis
cussed the business In hand Almost
all the tables were 1l1ed~ and they
talked with the freedom and security
which comes from Mhe presence Of 4
large and noisy crowd. ~. =,
Nov l think" said the lawyer,
that you had better send over to-
morrow and pay the $10O, 900 for that
forty feet. You've really got to have
it, sooner or later, and every day you
put of the purchase makes it more
likely that the price will go up. II it
ever gets out that you intend to cover
the whole block with a single build
ing you'll have to pay more than
twice as much for the property. As
matter of fact, you could better af-
ford to pay 100000 for the piece than
to have your Nhole plan spoiled by
not getting It,. You can't bufld q de-
cent-looking building. and leave that
little squat four-story building In the
middle of it. It would look lik1 the
deuce. My advice is to buy the prop
erty at 100000 and buy it now -
At the next table to the lawyer and
the promoter sat a young man who
just then WAS the proud possessor of
an even 10000. His ears were quick,
and he strained them to- catch every
word that was said. Presently he left
the: table and the room f.~-'' =
AS. the result of the lawyers argu-
ment the man from Chicago was ANAL
| ~ convinced that, it would be to his
best interest to pay 100000. for. the
missing piece OF land and he author
lied the attorney to cali the next
morning and get deed for it.
The two men sat long over, their
coffee and cigars, feeling relieved that
the end of all their planning and hard
work was at last fairly Id sight. Then
the Chicago promoter paid the check
for $s.751 and went to bed. The law
4 yer drove home with the determine
tion Of stopping on his way to the
Office and closing up the deal for the
last forty feet. ~. II =; "a, S-Is 3
A little before. il o'clock he called
at the aof1ice Of the owner. z. ". ,:..S 8