WEST ROXBURY PARK. 71 



lots on the western side. The road is private property, 

 it never having been conveyed to town or city. The 

 lots on Walnut avenue, Glenroad and Ravenswood 

 Park are finely located and are worth 50 cents a foot. 

 The frontage of this property on the several streets is 

 very large, being 5814 1-2 feet, and every lot is pleas- 

 antly accessible. 



The property on the eastern side of Walnut avenue, 

 called Newstead, being Lot Ko. 17 on the park plan, 

 has also been held more than thirty years, waiting for 

 the growth of population, which now has almost reached 

 it; these being the first lands to come into the market 

 for dwellings. An enterprising city like Boston must 

 have room to spread itself out, and no adjacent lands 

 are more beautiful, l)cing a natural I'idge or knoll, over- 

 looking the loAV lands in the vicinity and the long stretch 

 of valley intervening to the Milton hills, having a fine, 

 sunny, southern aspect. 



This estate, containing 476,360 feet, was taxed in 

 1874 on $42,900; it was sold in 1872, fourteen years 

 ago, for 18 3-4 cents a foot, $89,317.50; the price then 

 demanded was 22 1-2 cents. The assessors commenced 

 running the valuation down, till in 1881, it Avas taxed 

 on $28,600. Then one of the commissioners asked me 

 if I would take the 25 per cent, additional, or $35,750, 

 but I declined, believing it to be worth a great deal 

 more. Two years later, May 25th, 1883, the assessors 

 again cut down the valuation to the incredible sum of 

 $18,600, and then informed me that they had seized it; 

 to which I cried out, "Robbery! Robbery!" 



The object of this summary treatment was, I suppose, 

 to make the meagre appropriation of $600,000 cover the 



