The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-12-01
Special Privilege


What is a special privilege?
| think it may be defined as the pos
session of something or Of right to
do something which gives the posses
sor an advantage pecuniarily over OH
ers, and which others are forbidden
to do. The exclusive right to sell po-
tatoes in Lincoln. l think would be
called a special privilege.
The possession of a wharf where
great number of ships are compelled TO
land because there is no other place
near. where they can get. to the shore
might be called one and SO would the
exclusive right to carry passengers IN
q certain manner in the streets OF
city.
| would like to give the history OF
a couple of incidents OF the exclusive
use of some things; whether they an
be called special privileges may be
open for discussion.
About ninety years ago the men who
were attending to the business OF the
people of the United States gave 70
man named Symmes the exclusive
right to use a large tract of land near
the Ohio river. Not long afterwards
Mr. Symm transferred to a man
named Smith the exclusive right to use
piece of this land so by $50 feet in
size near thu village of Cincinnati, for
which Mr.. Smith gave him three hum
dred dollars Mr.. Smith wanted 10
start grocery in the village. Mr..
Symmes also transferred to Mr.. Smith
the exclusive right to use piece or
land containing two acres about en-
minutes walk from the grocery, for
which Mr.. Smith give him two hum
dred dollars 1t was here that Mr..
Smith built his dwelling and stable
About the same time that these trans
actions occurred the men who did BUSH
ness for the people of the United States
gave to man named Jones the ex-
elusive -ght to use 100 acres OF land
up in the country about 40 miles from
Cincinnati for which Mr.. Jones gave
two hundred dollars. Mr.. Jones
wanted to use the location for the pur-
pose of raising grain and stock. he
built a. house and barn, planted an
orchard and vinyard, and spent his
life cutting down the forest that COW
cred the and and then in cultlyatlng
hi crops of grain and taking care OF
his stock. So did his son and his
grandson. The son of the latter is
now living there, and if he wanted
to transfer hi- exclusive right to tie
use of that 100 acres of land including
the use E the house.. barns, orchard
and vinyard which his forefathers had
put there with their labo-, he could
get $4,000 for that exclusive privilege
and if he wanted to lease the right to
use the whole outfit for year or two
only, he could get about four hundred
dollars. If wanted to lease the privi-
lege of using the lane alone without
the improven, onts he would of course
get less than that.
Now let rs look at Mr.. Smith in Gin
cinnati. He sold groceries at his place
as long as he lived; SO did his son anc
his grandson, but during this time
very great changes took place. Many
other people came to the village ane
built houses and stores arL factories
and Mr. Smith found that the spo
where his exclusive right was located
was very desirable to transact many
kinds of business, SO he transferred thu
exclusive right to one-half of his bus
mess lot to another man for thre'
hundred dollars per year. He woult
not transfer it in perpetuity. but onl,
for ten years at time. The grea
grandsor Of NJ. Smith now receive
twentv-one hundred dollars for tn
use of that 25 feet front Of land ever
year.
The town increased in size so muc'
that it extended out to and bevond hi
two acre piece, and the demand for it
use became so great that Mr.. Smit
concluded tc live elsewhere and 81
vided his two acres into 80 foot lots
making twenty OF them. and he dc
clined to convex perpetual right to us
these, but leased the right renewabl
everv ten wears. HIS great grandso
now receives twenty thousand dollar
for the use of these twenty lots. TIL
II