The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-06

Mr.. MCAdoo, my family never sells
real estate"
So the property had 10 De condemned.
Referee Van Wyck decided the value ut
the property was $4,000 NJ Wendc.
refused - take the award on the ground
that the company was not a common
carrier and that i had ,pken his prop
cry for gain. since Il had erected a tal.
Office building. The money Is Stil ur-
claimed and the case l. still In tho
courts, Mr.. Wendell il said To have
spent $50 .oOo IN This case o. uphold the
slogan Of his family
This was not the only time Mr. Wen
del and his family. slogan have stood
In the way OF civic betterment. When
the Hall Of Records was being planned
part of the site was found Ia he owned
10y Mr.. Wendell. II had beea taken by
/ his grandfather in payment of "a deb,
which the city uwed him When the
deed was given for the property. which
fronted on Centre street. the city gave
assurance that his interest would he
protected forever An ac' of the Legs
iature was necessary TO force Mr. Wen
del TO surrender the property.
! Hoboken wanted a site FOR q school
The location selected faced park,
After much search former Mayor Lank-
ering discovered that John q. Wend"l
was the owner so over he came 20 the
Wendell loft, as brokers often referred
to his office. But no price that IIoboken
would offer could get Mr., Wendell q
surrender the ownership of the block
| of wooden buildings.
Several pIots IN the vicinity Of the
Metropolitan Opera House are owned
by the Wendels. Very little OF the prop
erty has substantial buildings. Most OF
the structures are old frame buildings
erected when Broadway was ii highway
leading to Albany. ON the west side
OF broadway about half the block be-
tween Thirty seventh and Thlrty-eighth
streets and all OF the Flock between
Thirty eighth and Thirty-ninth streets
are Wendell property. ON the south side
of Thirty-ninth street from broadway
to Seventh avenue, and facing the Met.
ropoitan Opera House, is Wendell prop
erty, used as a lumber yard. Other
property nearby is covered with stable,
and one and two-story frame buildings
Mr., Wendell was opposed to tail
buildings. Six stories is as high AS
any building should he. according to hi,
view, and he scoffcd AT the efforts OF
his neighborS to pierce the clouds with
structures. His opposition TO- intensive
construction has kept down land values
in that part OF broadway, for he woulc
not improve his holdings nor lease then
for longer than three years AT one time
Saloon keepers and proprictors ol
White Way restaurants or pool rooms
could not have an inch of Mr., Wendel's
property at any price. Just before h,
left for California he had his attorney.
protest to the Mayor and tho Public
Service Board against the buldinl
which subway contractors had erected
, In front OF his Broadway and Thirty
, ninth street corner ON the ground tina
It was erected without his consent. IL,
claimed that II did not help his prop
erty, The increased value his propert,
would have when I've subway was II
, operation made no difference. for i
: must be understood that sentiment anC
not wealth was the motive for man,
things that Mir Wendell did
iIe told IA broker who asked why h,
did no, increase the corning power o
his property by improving II that h,
was getting sufficient from his rea
estate to keep the wolf from the door
tie told THIS man that the manner Il