The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-10-17
Chicago Squatter Has to Raise
$4,000 to Settle for Fees
of His Former At
torney
CLAIMS VALUABLE PROPERTY
Seeks to Establish Right Of Ownership
TO Strip Of Land Made by Swirl
ing Currents Along Shore of
Lake Michigan.

Chicago, Oct. 17.-Unless the unex-
pected should happen and cap"
Streeter should raise $4,000 before to-
morrow noon. to satisfy a judgment
for that amount obtained for legal SER
vices by his former attorney w. G..
Anderson. the Captains" interests or
alleged interests I'm the "Deestrict of
Lake Michigan" will be sold TO the
highest bidder tomorrow noon. under
orders of the court. This would put
an end to Streeters squatter career
and shatter his dreams of wealth
which were based upon his alleged
claim to a strip of made land along
the shore OF Lake Michigan extending
for several blocks north and south
from the foot of Chicago Avenue.
Well Known Character.
Captain" George Wellington Stree.-
er has been one of the most noted
characters in Chicago for more than
twenty years. Every child in the city
knew him and at times the newspa-
sensational doings in "Streetersville"
as the renowned District of Lake
Michigan" was popularity called
Streeter's history is quite interesting
and of unusual character. The Cap
tain" Is an old man now, somewhere
around the seventies and OF his early
life comparatively little OF any interest
to. ~ Il Ar
that Streeter, then running a small
vessel. the "Renten". engaged IN gem
eral transportation on Lake Michigan,
became. in the literal sense of the
word fixture in Chicago. His boat
was wrecked or rather stranded upon
sand bar off the foot of Chicago Av-
cnue and Streeter, having no other
home. remained upon his stranded
craft which defied all efforts to re-
move IL from abe bed of sand upon
which IL had found a resting place. In
The course OF time the presence OF the
vessel upon the bank caused such
changes in the swirling currents along
that part of the shore, that the Lake,
which i'm some places greedily swallow
the gravel and earth banks along the
shore. began TO add more sand and
gravel TO the bang surrounding Street
ers boat. After while a connection
was formed with the land and as the
years passed the area of the accretion
continued TO increase. The City and
many contractors and private individ-
uals helped in making" land by fill
ing in the lagoon between the old
shore line and the bank.
Basis For His Claim.
Streeter. who continued to live upon
the gained ground fully realized the
value of the made" land and early in
the nineties sought to establish his
right Of ownership to the valuable and
steadily growing strip of shore land
| which adjoined one of the most fash
ionable sections of the North side Of
the city. From the authorities i'm
Washington he obtained some kind Of
a charter for what he called "The Dis
trict of Lake Michigan" and he became
| Commissioner and in fact the whole
government of the new established
| territory. At the fremont House.
where Streeter had been living for
long time, he established his head
quarters and there he sold lots i'm the
"deestrict" to a great many people
who had faith in his claims. II is be-
lieved that some wealthy citizens
were backing Streeter financially, in
the hope of making a fortune out of
the big land scheme. Although hold
ing no position and having no visible
means OF support. Cap" Streeter used
to be a flush in those days and looked
Albert coat and his tall silk hat. when
he received his friends at the old Tre-
mont House.
Carry Fight to Courts.
But the property owners along the
Lake shore Drive. fearing that the
building up of "Streetersville" would
depreciate the value of their property.
began a fight in the courts against
Streeter and for years the litigation
was carried on with varying success
Efforts were made by the City to oust
Streeter and his retainers from the
"deestrict" but the cap" had grit and
defended his alleged property by force
of arms against invasion. on one oc-
casion one of the attackers was shot
and killed and Streeter was sent 10 the
penitentiary for a year. Attorney w.
q. Anderson was instrumental in
bringing about Streeter's release and
for these and other services he claims
$4,000. AS Streeter could not pay. An
derson obtained judgment against him,
to satisfy which tomorrow's sale IL to
be held.