92 HISTORY OF THE 



from George AVm. Bond's, at 25 to 35 cents. Such 

 witnesses as those wlio gave the low fignres must have 

 been nnder strange influences, and if the land had be- 

 longed to them instead of me, 25 or 30 cents a foot 

 wonld have been too cheap for it, the difference being 

 in valuing other people's property. 



Thus my cause was severely handicapped, while I 

 was poAverless in my efforts to obtain simple justice 

 tempered with mercy. Still the average of all the tes- 

 timony presented was 15 cents a foot, o cents more than 

 the values given in the verdict, or $60,000. 



In combating the law department of the city govern- 

 ment, I had to contend against the board of park com- 

 missioners also, with whom I had so often tried to set- 

 tle my claims, out of court, certainly an uneven and 

 unfair struggle for ni}^ private rights. I have now had 

 convincing evidence that in going to the courts, with 

 such powerful odds against me, became a farce, pi'esent- 

 ing my equitable claims under the greatest disad- 

 vantages. 



You know how earnestly T tried to have my claims 

 presented to and adjusted by the honest judgment of 

 three intelligent and competent referees, capable of 

 measuring the true value of estates of such magnitude, 

 or to submit m^^ claims to the good judgment of even 

 one of our justices, an ofter that was fail- and safe 

 for either party, but my reasonable ])ro])osition would 

 not do; the motive of such unwillingness I can not 

 comprehend ; to me it was a mysterious problem. 



I am neither a bankrupt nor an anxious seder of real 

 estate, but simph^ an innocent owner of valuable lands, 

 that I do not wish to part with at present, consequently 



