The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-08-29

months, during which time more than
300 letters were written. Finally
they were located. There were six
heirs in all. The situation was ex-
planned.
The title company people finally got
them to sign quitclaim for 5000.
each, or $1,000 in all. That isn't
much, but then neither was the land
to which they were Internationally
the heirs. 1t amounted, in fact, to
just one and half square feet.
But if New York can claim the
smallest and the highest priced pieces
of real estate, Chicago can point with
pride to the worlds costliest COW
path which runs right through mod
ern 22-story skyscraper known as the
100 West Monroe building.
The cow path dates from the early
SOS when DR.. Jared Bassett bought
the entire Clark street frontage, $50
feet deep, between Monroe and Madi-
son streets. In the center Of the
block he built his home with a cow
barn for his COW, Bessie" AS time
went on, Doctor Bassett sold most of
his property but always with pro-
vision for 10-foot easement so that
Bessie" could make her way to the
barn.
So in 1925 when the 100 West Mon
roe Building corporation took over the
lease for the property they found the
late to do anything about it. The
deed was subjected to litigation and
it stood the test. While their solution
of the problem was a little costly, It
was rather unusual. for they usurped
the air rights and left Bessie" her 10
foot path with an 1S-foot clearance,
just in case she should desire to bring
in wagon load of hay some time.
Above the 1S-root level the building
juts out at right angles, covering the
COW path and extending upward for 20
stories. While setback buildings are
common sights in Chicago this is the
only "set-out" building on record. And
the space lost would bring about $12,-
600 in yearly rentals.
Another curious situation, caused by
a flaw in title, was reported from
New York recently. The story of it,
as told in the New York World, fol-
lows:
"a legal catch in the title of what
used to be known as City Hall place
a street only about 300 feet long that
ran from in back of the Munipical
building at Duane street to Pearl
streets holding up plans for the
proposed civic center around the new
county court house and Foley square.
"The riddle which Assistant Cor
poration Counsel Joel ]. Squire of the
bureau Of street openings is charged
to solve is what can the city do with
the forty-foot roadway which bisects
one Of the most valuable plots of real
estate in New York.
part of this riddle is what will the
Church of st. Andrew, which stands
on the west of the old street, do about
its parish house which stands on the
east Of it. Under the plan drawn by
Joseph Johnson, City Hall place was
to be scrapped to make room for the
new federal building and the parish
house was to be torn down and re-
built on plot adjacent to the church.
"This new plot was to be exchanged
by the city for the old site of the
parish house. A section of City Hall
place was included in the new site.
But when the church officials asked
for title deed to the land the city
was surprised to find that it could
not be given. The reason was that
the city owns only right of way case
ments which were obtained in 1900
from the original owners of the plot,
but that some unknown heir of the
original owners holds the free title.
"Had the city or federal government
actually erected costly building on
part of the old street and had the
true owners turned up and set forth
their claims, the money loss to the city
would have been tremendous according
to real estate authorities.
"Old City Hall place is estimated as
worth close to $1,OOO,OOO. Mr.. Squire
says he is not ready even to venture
guess as to what can be done abour
: western Newspaper Union,