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Show Tweed's Methods in Business Illustrated by the Impulsive Manner In Which the "Boss" Bought Some Property He Wanted to Add to Country Estate. When William M. Tweed, who Is no-orlous no-orlous in the history of American graft as "Boss" Tweed, was at the height of his power In New York city when, In other words, the metropolis of the New World practically ate out of his hand ho lived the greater part of the year not in the city that he and his ring were robbing right and left, but in the town of Greenwich. Conn. ! There Tweed bought a farm in 1865. It Is now the country home of Mrs. A. A. Anderson, who Is well known throughout the countrv an A wnmnn at great philanthropy. In the farm as It was when Tweed bought it there were forty acres, and upon the place Tweed began at once to spend a large amount of money. The barn which he built cost $40,000, a large sum for such a building in those days, and It gained national notoriety. About fivo years later Tweed decided that he would like to secure an adjoining adjoin-ing piece of property and add It to his country home. This was a tract of twenty acres owned by the late Frederick Fred-erick Mead, who In his time was a prominent merchant and banker in New York city. Tweed was very anxious anx-ious to obtain possession of Mr. Mead's acres because he felt that they would round out and complete his own place. Whatever else may be said to Tweed's dishonor, this must be said In his favorhe fa-vorhe was a man of a good deal of artistic taste and had a keen eye for natural beauty. "What will you sell that twenty-acre tract for?" Tweed ald to Mr. Mead one day. "I don't think 1 want to Bell it at all," was the reply. "Well," said Tweed, "think it over, and If you can decide upon a price let me know." Several weeks later Tweed, meeting Mr. Mead at the Greenwich railroad station as they both were on their way to New York city, pressed the latter to put a price upon his twenty acres. Tweed, In fact, was insistent that Mr Mead should do so, but the merchant as steadily insisted that his place was not for sale. "But you will sell If you can get your price, won't you?" Tweed finally asked. "You will certainly sell the property for a Tweed price?" "What do you mean by a Tweed price?" asked Mr. Mead. "Why," was the reDlv " nri ho. Tweed will be willing to pay." Mr. Mead laughed. "Well, I -would sell that twenty-acre lot for $55 000 " he said, still laughing. "That is $2,750 an acre. You would not be willing to pay that for it?" Instantly Twed turned to the station sta-tion agent. "Look here," he said, "lend me pen and ink, will you?" At the same time he pulled out a check book opened it, seized the proffered Ink and pen, wrote out a check for $55,000 on the little shelf before the ticket agents window and handed it to the astonished aston-ished and nonplussed Mr. Mead. "Now that I have paid you, Mr. Mead " he said, "you can send me the warranty deed at your convenience." A high value upon the property at that time would have been $500 an acre. Today a high value upon It would probably be a thousand dollars an acr-, almost two-thirds less an acre than Tweed paid in the heyday of hla notoriety. (Copyright. 1W0. by H. J. Edward,.) |