Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-01-09
mi M COST A FORTUNE.
STILL A MYSTERY WHY MILLION.
ARE ROGERS KEPT HOUSE
VACANT.
To Crafty Fancy That He Conceal
ed in Some Corner of His Brain
He Lost 100000 in Rentals From
Piece Of New York Property.


in some corner OF his brain Jacob 5.
Rogers. the Paterson millionaire loco
motive builder. who left $6.000,000 to
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. lost
100000 in rentals from one of his
many pieces OF property in this city.
For fifteen years he allowed a five
story building on Broadway 10 remain
empty. refusing an ffer of $3.50 900 for
il outright. paying $4,000 year taxes
on ii for all these years with never a
shadow OF o reason in explanation of
50 costly freak.
This building is No. sol Broadway.
AMI for fifteen years it has stood 81
lent and empty among the great build
ings which surround H. each one alive
with activity from cellar to roof.
There is pro5aly no building of its
kind in New York waich has been al
lowed 10 fal so absolutely into decay
as this. FIcm sub cellar To roof tnere
is scarcely sound beard in it AMI
il is Gn.y prevented from tamblius
into a heap OF ~. : by the :r2 ssive
t.mhers of its S&e ctan framework. Ii
is five stories high and runs through
from Broadway 10 Mercer street. The
facade is Of iron. originally painted
yellow. but now dirty brown. rusted
and weather stained. The ceilings
are unusually l:sn and the present
emptiness OF the great rooms gives
them a vast appearance that comes
more or less As a shcck n these days
OF economical space. The natural de-
cay is increased by the food of water
that sire ans in through the roof III
heavy rains and percolates through
every section of the building. running
along cornices. dripping fr0m was
an falling in runnels and cascades
down the rickety staircases. After
the heavy rain last week more :han
five inches of water stood on the first
f.nor of the bui ding in many OF the
hollows where the flooring had sunk
Ell. The sub-cell1r was a miniature
lake
The only person who has entered
tbs building in the last eight years.
except for the rare visits of the agents
VI the tstdtt. II luC ltldH tut
Ir.vilege of keeping small candy
stand in the doorway of the store
in return for sweeping OFF the side
walks and keeping the ground floor
ifee from debris.
For a period of fifteen years before
merchants. who offered him frcm 500.
900 TO s3O.000 a year rent for the
building. Often the lease had been
prepared apparently to his satisfaction
by his lawyers and a pen Offered to
him for his signature. Then. all of
sudden he would find fault with some
claus. in the deed. throw down the
pen and declare he would not accept
the tenant. On several occasions. af-
ter tle terms of the lease had been
satisfactorily arranged by the lawyers
for both parties. Mr.. Rogers insisted
on having personal interview with
the prospective lessee before proceed
ing further The interview generally
was brief. consisting OF a few seem
ing,y pointless questions put by the
Old millionaire Then he would an
nounce To his lawyers that he was not
favorab!y impressed with the would
be tenants manner or appearance,
and so dismiss the matter
At other times. when merchants OF
high standing proposed to pay a lib
era rental for The building. besides
making all necessary repairs. Mr.. Rog
ers would declare tnat he did not want
TO rent the building. and that he
would not he bothered about it. In
answer TO one lawyer who sought TO
induce him TO rent the building. he
said pe;tishly:
Il don't know what TO do with all
the money have now. and | am not
going to be annoyed by having 10 col.
lect the rent for that store
When the matter of keeping the
building in repair was called to the
millionaire's attention ne would fly
into a rage and assert with forcible
emphasis that il made no difference
70 him how far ii sank into decay.
Tie strangest thing about his eccen.
trio attitude toward this building was
that he never grumbled wheI he had
TO pay the taxes.
In the later years of his life Mr.
Rogers entertained an unusual secret
iveness about his private affairs. He
was also slightly leaf. He was ver::'
sensitive about his deafness. A Chi
cago merchant. who was DESTROYS of
renting the Broadway building for a
New York branch OF hi; business. had
heard of the millionlire's eccentrici-
ties. but thought by display of I'M
usual tact he might overcome his
whimsical scruples. He learned that
On Friday evenings Mr.. Rogers gen
orally visisted the Union League Club.
and that during his visits TO the ub
| he relaxed 10 a degree that would
admit of delicate approach. Unfortu-
nately for him he had heard also that
| Mr.. Rogers Was deaf. and after being
introduced 10 him he talked very close
to the testy cd gentleman ear. Be
fore he got well into his plans for
leasing the property. he was cut short
with:
We. if you think you are going
| to get into my store ny jumping
| through my ear you are very mucn
mistaken No one will get lease to
that property by trying to break my
ear drum"
Grim and forbidding as the old