Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-05


city Of Chicago was springing up out OF
the prairie-or, rather, out of the mud
there were dwellings right in the re-
gion which is now occupied solely for
business purposes. And right in among
some Of these dwellings was a lot on
which the owner proposed to erect
store building. Those who owned
homes in the vicinity objected TO a
store building being erected near them
and dubbed together TO buy the lot,
The owner asked the exorbitant price
of 81 500. but ii was thought best to
pay It and keep the neighborhood free
from what would mar it for residences.
There were four persons who Clipped
in to buy the property. but, since one
owner was deemed more advisable
than four. three Of them proposed to
play a game of freezeout poker, the
winner to receive a deed for the lot
But one of the four, being deacon in
the church and averse to card playing,
suggested that they make over the lot
TO a trustee, to be decided TO the oldest
grandchild of any one of the owners
fifty years from the day the trust
was made. The men were all between
the ages of twenty-seven and forty
years. and no one of them had a grand
child. One was not even married. New
ertheleSs. he aSsented TO the plan; the
document was drawn up and signed
and placed in the hands of the trustee
In ten years from that time two OF
the men interested in the lot were
dead. The dwellings in the district
where the property stood were much
run down. being occupied for sa-
looms and small shops. In ten years
more the other two owners had passed
away and the trustee as well, and a
successor had been appointed by the
court. The Immediate vicinity Of the
lot had been steadily deteriorating and
was now the worst location In the city.
But handsome office buildings were be
ing erected two or three blocks distant
Since it was probable that that part OF
the city would eventually become valu-
able, the adjoining property was now
held at a high figure. Inquiries were
made for the lot in question. but II soon
came to be known that there was q
reason why it could not be sold. and in
time it was dropped ont as a possible
purchase.
When forty-nine of the fifty years
of the trust had passed Edward Eli
son, the man who held the trustees hip
at that time, one day. looking over
some papers in his safe. came upon
the deed of trust and saw that in
about a year from that time 1t would
be his duty to turn over the lot men
toned to the oldest living grandchild
OF any one of the men who had made
the deed. II therefore beboOved him
to take measures to discover the per
son entitled to the property.
The first step he took in the matter
was TO learn the value OF the lot, and
he found that in the opinions OF real es-
tate men it was valued at two or three
hundred thousand dollars He next
made inquiries as to the descendants
OF the original owners Of the property
and found that while one family had
remained in Chicago the others had
drifted 10 other places. He found also
that none of them knew OF the lot in
question. and he deemed il advisable
to say nothing about it until he had
learned to whom the law would com.
mel him to deed It. He succeeded in
learning the whereabouts of the chill
dren Of three OF the parties To the
agreement and there were eleven in
the second generation and twenty eight
grandchildren As to the fourth man
William Brown. who had been unmar.
ried when the agreement was made
the trustee could learn nothing about
him. An advertisement in the Chicago
newspapers failed TO bring any re-
Spouse
Some time before the expiration OF
the deed Of trust Ellison called meet
ing Of all the descendants Of the -four
men who had owned the property he
had been BILE to reach Twelve per
sons attended and nine responded by
letter Having got all the informa
ton he could from those who were
present. including their ages. Ellison
dismissed them and wrote to the 9th
ers who had written him. asking theil
ages OF the twenty-eight grandchil
NTeU he udI uedTu OF ut no" udu tIF
names. addresses and ages of twenty
one OF the others he had no informa
ton whatever
However. week before the fifty
) year period expired Ellison had mar
rowed down the probable ownership 4
! one person. Edith Moore. a girl O.
nineteen. the oldest daughter OF a sol
OF one Of the four original owners o.
the lot. The trustee had proof that sh'
, was the rightful owner unless the IN
married member Of the quartet hat
: married and had left grandchild olde
than Miss Moore.
Edith Moore was an orphan in yer,
poor circumstances. She lived in Chi
cago and was endeavoring 10 supper
herself and her younger brothers AM
J sisters. by her needle Ellison did no
like to inform her that she was proba
bly, heir to fortune until he felt wa:
ranted in turning II over 70 her. Bu
? the matter by this time had becom
generally known. and she heard of
through others. This was unfortunate
FOR until II was definitely proved tina
the fourth man Of the quartet had lef
no grandchildren the trustee could no