WEST ROXBURY PARTv. 91 



to efl'cct a settlcnicnt with the comniissioncrfs, and to 

 save bemg dragged into the eonrts for redress. With 

 this hope I delayed entering my case njjon the docket, 

 miwisel}^ behevingthat jnstice would nlliinately be done 

 by the city government. Doomed by disap]:>ointment, I 

 was at last forced to commence a snit against the citj", 

 presenting m}^ several claims at one time. 



After many months of labor, tedious and perplexing, 

 I at length brought together moi'c than thirty highly 

 respectable and thoroughly competent experts and oth- 

 er witnesses, who had eithei* lived in that neighborhood 

 or had owned, bought or sold lands there, and knew 

 well their value. 



The testimony of twenty-three of these excellent wit- 

 nesses gave valuations of the several estates, averaging 

 for Newstead, 17 1-4 cents a foot, and for Monteglade 

 and Ravenswood Park 18 1-2 cents, toofetheraveraa'insr 

 al^out 18 cents a foot or foGO,000, without the interest. 

 More reliable witnesses I am sure were never olTered in 

 court. 



After closing our evidence, the city solicitor opened 

 and continued the case by the introduction of seven or 

 eight witnesses, most of whom knew nothing of the 

 value of lands in that vicinity, never having lived, 

 bought or sold real estate there, confessing on the stand 

 their ignorance of values; yet three of them testified 

 that my estates were only woi1h o 1-2 to 4 1-2 cents, 

 and one of them dropped as low as 2 1-2 cents a foot ; 

 shameful statements which should have been dishonored 

 on the spot. The testimony of woithy men informed 

 them that less desirable pi-opeit}^ had been sold just on 

 the other side of the stone wall, dividing my property 



