WEST KOXBURY PAPJv. 39 



market out of season. This property was bonded once 

 to the city, very rehictantly, for sixty days to Jan. 1, 

 1880, for $80,000, deducting- |9,317.50 from a former 

 sale, simply to help you carry out your plans. And I 

 have shown every disposition, from the first inception of 

 the park project, to ftivor its establishment, except to 

 sacrifice my fortune. 



These are my views and honest convictions, bnt I will 

 try to reconcile our differences. 



Respectfully yours, 



Samuel E. Sawyer. 



The following correspondence with the Park Com- 

 missioners will, perhaps, more clearly explain the situa- 

 tion of the owners of these lands in their relation to 

 the undervaluation process, to which they so strongly 

 objected. 



In November, 1870, an agent emploj^ed b}^ the city of 

 Boston, after earnest appeals to the owners, succeeded 

 in obtaining bonds from most of them within the park 

 area, aggregating $1,135,425. This was done after the 

 valuations had been so unmercifully cut down to $532,- 

 200. But the Park Commissioners concluded that they 

 were smart enough to do a better thing for the city by 

 ignoring the bonds, and after the time had run out they 

 put the screws upon the bonded values, and many of 

 the poor owners were forced to accept the extortionate 

 prices of about one-fifth of the real value of their 

 property, not having the means to contest the wrong. 



These lands in question were all on the eastern side 

 of Walnut avenue; one of the lots, called Newstead, 

 containing 476,360 square feet, belonged to me, which 



