New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
800 Bogota, n. J., Homes Result
OF Fight Against 'SIlarks'
George B. Hitchcock, Town Builder, Started One,.
tions for Revenge; Now Proud Developer Of
One of Jerseys Most Pleasing Communite

George B. Hitchcock. Of Bogota. real
estate broker and town builder, per
haps the most active producer OF small
homes in Bergen County for the last
five years, made botch OF his first
attempt at house building The story
told by Mr. Hitchcock is one that could
be told By thousands of other am
bilious young men who have tried to
get away from landlords and aave .
home of their own. He fell into the
i@lutches of land sharks, unscrupulous
men who deliberately plan the con-
fiscation of wage earners' savings.
Their abuse of his confidence and
the great disappointment which these
men brought to his ambitions when he
set out to buy home for himself and
his wife had not been forgotten, which
is one reason for the great success
which he has had in disposing OF
dwellings which he has erected or
which he has been commissioned 10
SELL ~
Trained Newspaper Man
Mr.. Hitchcock learned the building
business in the last twelve years. Pre-
vious TO that time he was a newspaper
man, employed on a small Schenectady
paper he covered stories came hack
to the Office and wrote them and set
ehem IN type. He placed his views on
eAe poNtcal situation and other i've
questions of the time in editorials
which attracted wide attention upstate
About 1908 Nj Hitchcock came IN
New HOrl. iLa
the rent payer was appreciated and alb
norred by both Mr.. aAd Mrs. Hitchcock
VINO decided that they would own thei-
own house. Coming from country
place, the wide open suburbs made tn
strongest appeal. Mr. Hitchcock reached
q decision at a time when the market
was crowded with land sharks. who
urged folks to leave the city and build
IN the suburbs. They called it The
pack-to-nature movement"
Many reliable developers supported
the movement, but strange to sav the
sharks seemed to get the - atest
patronage. Hitchcock was one Of the
many who had the misfortune Of fall
ing into their hands.
tie bought all the land they wanted
to sell him, which was efficient to
take all his money anG .ouch OF his
income for q loag. time , come. This
ma; MAS paft OF the game iney played
Ihey did not want him 10 bald, the
wanted MS money. so sold him more
lana than he could pay for in many
years unless his income was greatly
! increased
he paid and paid and paid for those
lots. They became u burden, for the
payments were hardships. After nav
ing lnstalments for long time he dis
covered that for about half the monnv
he still owed on>the lots he could buy
your acres d lew blocks from tais
property.
Next Venture Successful
This proved to be the awakening Of
George Hitchcock He investigated
the plans Of The company from winch
ne bought the lots. The instinct which
ne developed running down stores i'm
Troy and in Schenectady came 10 hin,
and in a short time he had rnravellrd
the plan OF the glib gentlemen who
urged him TO buy more land than thcy
knew he could pay for.
Hltchcock was never SO disappointed
in au his life. Realization of his
dream of home was further away
shan. ever. Disappointment turned to
veXatlon, the spirit which made nm
the champion of the people upstate
was awakened in him and he decided
'~i44Set4' iS5 oisVu-Q OS gone TO pre-
vent these Shylocks from DESTROYING
tor life the happiness and ambition %
trusting folks
The law had no teeth for them. be-
cause they We're within the law. Thev
were not taking money without givin'.
something in return. Mr.. Hitchcoci;
decided that he would ente~ the field In
opposition. 1t was decision when
indicated the tenacity of the man pe
h,,t l.
"ouIo nave some some day. His onlv
prospects we're his weekly salary as a
fressman on one of the big dailies.
i|Hck "ak with him and in short time
he mad several hundred dollars when
ne rooiea wito anofher's savings and
together Shey bough. the four acr5s
c.ose % H'tclcocls's first purchase. Tae
acres '7cra suodivided into 100 lots and
as " small prntt was satisfactory the
lots wer" quickly marketed.
Became a Builder
Mr. Hi.crsock Gecided t,.en that ne
%oaia buliH ir1seif . bone. Ills search
!or cue 1roughs h.~ 10 Dogota. A
tTac- Or s'r!en acres. from 'ng on the
Fort Lee road ana east Of he West
sn"te "a,'raaa sta-iaa -sas +, the
markes Tor eale Hitchcock bought the
sract' certain o. bis venture. Within
year Gr had d;.pose6 o5 the nron'
erty, at profit Of $4,000 Fort Lee
road frontage bsnugbs b. much So the
entire tract cost him This purchase
led to house building He apprerisfed d
the demand nj the folks IN tie msrkee
ano buIlt homes which they could paw
;or Wl1hln ten years, which in his opia-
ION is long enough to be paving for 9
house Ao1 q
Following the Fort Lee tract dca,
Hitchcock bought thirty-five acres ad-
joining and has added to this land
every little while until now his control
extends over the newer section OF
bbogota. which Is the east Of he West
, Shore Railroad and on a knoll overloos
ing the Hackensack on the west and n.