Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1838-03-31
Decline and fall Of the City OF EogtoSvn
From Titier1reH's Yankee Notions,

Dostown is beautiful place In the interior
OF this State. There is plenty of land around
1t, so that nothing can hinder il from growing
IN every direction, and thus become great
city. In fact. Dogtown has already one sto-
ry church, part ola school-house, and an ele-
giant pond.
Dogtown is finely and advantageously sit
uated.---lt stands on Eel River, stream Of
water which runs into another stream, and
that into third, which runs into Connecticut
river, which running into ong Island Sound,
finally reaches the Atlantic: who does not see,
therefore. that Dogtown may become great
seaport! The territory in the neighborhood OF,
Dogtown is remarkable for its fertility, barring
that part oft which is covered with rocks, the
salt meadow. the pine woods, the clay ponds
and the swamps. 1t is past n doubt, there
fore, that the territory, il we'll cleared. drain.
ed. peoplcd and cultivated, would become
perfect garden, aboundinu with the richest
productions Of nature, and aflording a mine of
wealth 10 the country. As to the facilities Of
communication with the great Atlantic cities
and commercial marts, they are admirable.
Dog'ownhas Boston ore side, and New York
on the other. Montreal aud Quebec are in the
north, While in the east is the rich and thriving
STATE Of Milne, with Ban gor and Owls Head
to boot. Rail roads can be made TO connec,
Dogown with all three places, and they will
certainly form a conncc,ion, when they are
built. That the place will be great focus of
trade when this is done. nobody, l think, will
deny. The ncohborhocd of Dostown has all
the advantages that can be desired in a young
country. There will be Us many towns with
IN thirty miles of the place, as people choose
TO build. The population cannot fail to increase
rapidly. for a man can get married FOR seventy.
five cents, town clerks fees included. The
attraction for settlers mus, therefore be consid-
cred very great. The Do.,owners arc remark
ably industrious, for they yet living. altho'
constantly comrlainn. Of hard times. They
are moreover ingenious, for they manufacture
axe handles, wooden bowls. birch brooms,
and white oak checses, and invent mouse traps
and washing machines. Last &c all. tho in
habiauts Of Dogtown relierary and intclec-
ltual, Tor they talk great deaf Of the march Of
and the minister and the lawyer
take the Penny Magazine between them
All these attractions together form comhI-
nation truly wonderful. Blu, the reader will
be as.onished when ! inform him tina, the in
habiantS of this favored spot lived grca, ma
ny years without the smallest suspicion ri
What have been describing. They thought
very little &C themselves or e the town they
lived in. and continued 10 vcgc,ate from wear
to year without imagining they were better oil
Than other felix's. lni.ct. the ord might have
continued to this day in utter ignorance that
Dog,own was such Il wonderful place. but for
an accident: an accident call IT, for the Dog
towners having lived for so many years with
ont opening Their eyes, the Fact HAT they did
open them Of srdleu. on certain day in The
year ri grace 1884, must be considered pure.
lily accidental. Some people are inclined 10 as
crihc ii to The approach Of the comet, which
had a powerful Influence in opening peoples
cyrs.---to say nothing Of lis effect in driving
them stark mad. Bu, that is neither here nu
there. The rcoI lie Of Dog'own opened ,hei
eyes and saw: thai was enough, they saw /,
an instant their immense advantages, and were
as,onishcd that they had never $ on them be
fore. They saw their advantages, ! say, ane
were determined 10 turn them to acc cunt.
Straigl,way Dogtown was all alive: every
body was confident that Dogtown INNS, becom,
a great place; aud IA every body told ever,
/ body else. so there was no doubt about III,
matter. Every man went TO buying land wh'
could pay for il. aud those who conld not pay
bought upon credit, sure of selling it again "a
ten times the cost within a year. Nothing wa.
talked OF but the immense advantages Of TIC
place. The riches Of Dogiown were indeed
immense. and how they could have been over
looked so long was mystery that no one coult
undrrs and. The land within the limits Of The
town was computed at 72O.OOO.OOO square
feet, which at only one cent per square foot
amount 10 100000 dollars What sum!
But this wns not all. Half This land was CO.
vered with trees at The rate Of one tree 10 eve
ry five fact square, or quadrangle Of twenty
| five feet; this gave computation OF 10000.
600 trees; and as each tree OH an average con-
tanned scventy-five cubic feet of timber, il fol-
lowed that there was actually within the town
| 7SO.O OO, 900 feet Of timber, worth on the low.
es, calcula inn five cents per foot. which would
amount to 3O,OOO,OOO dollars. This added 10
the value Of the land as above, made grand
total of forty six millions two hundred thoos-
and dollars!
The mention Of these sums almost drove the
good people Of Doglown distracted with Joy;
! they could hardly believe their eyes or ears,
but there it was in black and white; figures
could not lie. They were amazed 10 think Of
their own stupidity, and that Of ancestors in
LETTING forty millions Two hundred ,hous.
and dollars TO lie totally idle and unproduclive;
but they were determined not to allow th:ir
wealth to be neglected any longer. A grand
scheme Of speculation and Improvement was
started, and all rushed h.adlong into it. Eve
nv man in Dogtown, was now rich. or villa
was the same thing, was sure Of being so be
fore long. Immense tracts were laid GU. II
building lots. aud specula,ors hocl.ed in from
all quarters, from Ca,syille and WeazIe.owr
and Buzzardsborough and Gander6eld, und
Crow Corner and Upper Bagbury and E.s
Pumpkinon, and Black Swampssnd lie Bot.
tomless Boys. Srrla busy nibe Dog
towners had Of il! Nothing y efbst
buying land, building houses. lfoads.
streets, squares, avenues. rai.r6a3s. carals.
&c. &C.. People lc'i off ploughing and hoeing