40 HISTORY OF THE 



was taxed in 1874 on $42,900, sold two years before for 

 $89,317.50, and rednced in vahie by Ihe assessors to 

 $18,000, a remarkable history of one parcel of real estate, 

 being an nnacconntable depreciation! 



The writer has already shown that the process of 

 rednction in assessed valnes — the downw^ard move- 

 ment, — was gradnal, nntil the final taking, when the 

 "jump" was sudden and more eifectual, there being a 

 much larger slice cut off at one time, and the property 

 was then doomed for the park scheme. Meantime the 

 taxes were annually levied, and paid by the owners, 

 until the valuations suited the appropriation of the city 

 government. A large sum of money was thereby paid 

 into the hands of the city treasurer, while the estates 

 were beyond the control of the real owners and tax pay- 

 ers; and besides, many of them were also obliged to pay 

 interest on their mortgages, thus saving to the city 

 large sums of money both in prices and taxes, the writer 

 alone having paid at least $20,000 in taxes to the city 

 since the park inception. 



Moreover, in rendering my tax bill on Newstead for 

 1883, the full amount for the whole year was charged, 

 and paid under protest, the estate having been seized on 

 the 25tli day of May. This, however, was in keeping 

 with other transactions. 



The writer has already alluded to a petition gotten 

 up by twenty-nine of our most respected citizens, which 

 is here copied verbatim, simply to show that the treas- 

 ury of the city of Boston is paramount to the jiatient 

 land owners and tax payers. It appeal's on the last 

 page of the commissioners' report for the year 1879: 



