The city of Chicago decided to widen Rockwell Street, which forced the city to condemn certain parcels of land, including some owned by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. The city filed a petition for the condemnation of the land and asked for a determination of the just compensation to be paid to the railroad company for its loss of a right of way. A jury determined that the railroad company should be paid a total of $1 for the loss of its right of way (railroad track). Incidentally, Justice David Brewer wrote that the railroad company’s receipt of $1 dollar amounted to nominal, rather than just, compensation. “The abundant promises of the forepart of the opinion vanish into nothing when the conclusion is reached,” Brewer wrote.