The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1838-03-31
DECLINE AND FALL OF THE
CITY OF DOGSTOWN.
From 7YitersceWs Tankee Notions.

come great city. In fact Dogstown has
already one story church, part of school
house, and an elegant pond
Dogtown is finely and advantageously
situated. II stands on Eel River, stream
ofwater which runs into another stream, and
that into third, which runs into Connect
cut river, which running into Long Island
Sound, finally reachesi the Atlantic; who
does not see, therefore, that Dogtown may
become great seaport The territory in
the neighborhood of Dogtown is remarka-
bic for its fertility, batting that part Of it
which is covered with rocks, the salt mead
ow, the pine woods, the clay ponds and
ewamps. 1t is past a doubt, therefore, that
the territory, if well cleared; drained, peo-
pied, and cultivated, would become per-
feet garden, abounding with the richest pro-
ductions Of nature, and afiording a mine of
wealth to the country. AS TO the facilities
of communication with the great Atlantic
cities and commercial marts, they are admi-
rable. Dogstown has Boston on one side
and N. York on the other. Montreal and
Quebec are in the north. while in the east
is the rich and thriving state of Maine, with
Bangor and Owls Head to boot. Rail
roads can be made to connect Dogtown with
all these places, and they will certainly
form such connection, when they are built
That the place will be great focus Of
trade when this is done, nobody l think
will deny.--The neighborhood of Dogtown
has all the advantages that can be desired in
young country. There will be as many
towns within thirty miles Of the place, as
people choose to build. The population
cannot fail to increase rapidly, for man
can get married for rs cents. Town clerk
fees included. The attraction for settlers
must therefore be considered very great.
The Dogtowners are remarkably industri-
Gus, for they get living, although constant
ly grumbling of hard times. They are
moreover ingenius, for they manufacture
axe handles, wooden bowls, birch brooms,
and white oak cheese, and invent mouse
traps and washing machines. Last of all,
the inhabitants of Dogtown are literary and
intellectual, for they talk great deal Of the
march Of improvement, and the minister
and the lawyer take the Penny Magazine
between them.
All these attractions togetherform a COM
bination truly wonderful. But the reader
will be astonished when inform him that
the inhabitants Of this favored spot lived a
great many years without the smallest sus-
picion of what have been describing. They
thought very little of themselves or of the
town they lived in, and continued TO yege-
tate from year to year without imagining
they were better off than other folks. ln
fact, the world might have continued to this
day in utter ignorance that Dogtown was
such wonderful place, but for an accident
an accident / call it, for the Dogtowneri
having lived for many years without open
ne their eyes, the fact they did open then
Of sudden, on certain day in the year o
grace 1894, must be considered purely ac
cidental. Sons people are inclined to as
cribe it to the approach ofthe comet, whiel
had a powerful influence in opening peo
ple's eyes--to say nothing Of its effect il
driving them stark mad. But that is Meth
or here nor there. The people ofDogtow
opened their eyes and saw; that was enough
thew saw in an instant their immense sd
yantaees, and were astonshed that the,
never had seen them before. They say
1neH aQVdHldS osI say, dhu "ciS uo'Oiiiiiii
cd to turn them to account.
Straightway Dogtown was all alive; ev
ery body was confident that Dogtown mus
become a great place; and as every bod
told every body else so, there was no dout
about the matter. Every man went to buy
ing land who could pay for it, and thos
could not pay, bought upon credit, sure {
selling il again at ten times the cost With
swear. Nothing was talked of but the i'm
mense advantages of the place. The rich
es of Dogtown were indeed immense, an
how they could have been overlooked S
long was mystery that no one could III
derstand-The land within the limits Of III
town was computed at 72O,0OO,O0O squar
feet, which is cheap enough in all consc
ence, would amount to $7,2O0,00O. VIII;
a sunni Half this land was covered wit
trees atthe rate Of one tree 10 every five fet
square, or quadrangle Of twenty-five fee
this gave computation Of 10, 100000 trees
and as each tree on the average containe
seventv-five cubic feet of timber, it followe
that there was actually within the tow
7sO 900, 600 feet Of timber, worth on tn
lowest calculation Eve cents per foot, whic
would amount to s39, 100000. This ado
ed TO the value Of the land as above, mad