Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-07-21

ality the property not of the few but of the many
The very heart Of the third city Of the q. 5. A
belongs to the "ho polloi" There is no Boishe-
vism about it-no ffty-ffty division of property
The only stipulation is that your name is Baker
or that you can prove your connection with the
family tree of a supposed Colonel Jacob Baker,
who roamed these parts in Revolutionary war
days.
Just imagine this! Some morning soon COM
muters stepping off trains at Broad street station
swarming up out of the Market street subways
in ye ctye of Brotherly Love may find lock and
chain the whole of Philadephia's busy center
There will be Hands Off" and mo Trespass"
signs everywhere. Pretty soon the sheriff will
appear Upon stated day he will auction OH
all this property at sheriff's sale.
The proceeds to pay off the claims of the
heirs of Colonel Jacob Bakers" estate A forS
tune valued at something like even billion
of dollars, long withheld from its rightful owners
Is at last to come into legitimate ownership.
Ever hear of the Baker estate" before?
quarter of a century ago someone started the ball
rolling. According to the story, Colonel Baker
an officer in the army of George Washington,
leased tract of land in the heart of Philadelphia
upon which now stand city hall, the big depart
ment stores the skyscrapers and what-not of the
central city. The lease was to run for period Of
SO years. 1t appears that the lease either
lost sight of willfully destroyed and the prop
erty passed on to Others
At first the claims took in nearly all the terri
tory between the Delaware and the Schuylkill
rivers and from Poplar to South street.-the very
heart of the city. AS the years rolled on, the
claims considerably modified Lawyers
pointed out how for a slight consideration" they
could restore the ground to its rightful owners
and bring half the banks and trust companies of
Philadelphia to their knees
AS the story developed, it seemed that the fam
lily of Colonel Baker" removed to somewhere up
. in Canada, after his death in Philadelphia intes-
tate. Then the squatters lived the land in
accordance with the famous 99-year lease made
during the Revolution. Forty years ago the first
talk of claim aired. There a lapse
of some Is years and then the bubble was brought
forth again to gsten in all its rainbow coors.
Now there Is an old-fashioned renaissance of
the Baker bubble on scale not heretofore at
tanned All over the country there expectant
people just aching for the money with which to
doll themselves out with limousines, trick clothes
and flashing diamonds.
And there's plenty of wherewithal, so far as
the value of the district in question is concerned
The map given herewith gives a hint of the
values.
The city hall cost $26OOO,OOO; the Adelpha
hotel "a is valued at 100000; the Ritz
Carlton (9) at $2,200OOo, and the Bellevue
Stratford close BY at $5,0OO,00O There are scores
of buildings with than a million EACH such
as the Real Estate Trust $3,75O000; Widener
S63OOOOO Lincoln, $2,350,000; Liberty, $285OOOO; ;
Union League, $S1OO,OOO; Land Title, s73OO,OOO !
Norris $2,7OO,OOO, and Finance, $2,3O0OOO.
Independence hall (D is in the district; so is
Franklin square and Franklin's grave (49). 9th
er noteworthy structures in the district are:
2. Vendlg.