Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-01-14
From Arthur's Home Gazette
SMITH AND JONES!
OR, THE TOWN LOT.
BIZ I. \. ARTHUR.


Once upon time, II happened that the
men who governed 10 the municipal affairs
OF ceraIn growing town in the west, resol.
we'd IN great deliberaliOn assembled, To pur-
chase five acIe loI at The uorlh end of the
ciIy-recently ncorporsted-and have il i'm
proved FOR park or public square Now, il
also happened, that all the sslesble ground
ItIng n"tlh of the cIiy, was owned by a man
named Smrh-a shtewd, wide awake ndi-
Tdua', whose motto was Every man for
himself, wnh an occasional addition about
ceIIain gentleman 10 black taking "ihe
| hIndm0si."
SmIlh, II may be mentioned, was secretly
ai the bOttO:n oi thls scheme for a publlc
square aud mad himself suggested The mat
ief 80 dn I'fi Ieuia member of the Councils;
n"t thai he was moved by what is denOmIna-
| icd public spfil-nO; The spfIug 1f an action
~ the case 4yas meie "rrivdie spirit" or a
regard iOr hls own good. II The Council de-
cIGsd upon public square, he was he mau
rom whom The ground would have TO be
bought; aud he was The man who would pet
ms own pilCe therefor.
As We have SAID. The park was decided up-
on. aud d committee "ftwo appointed whose
business n was To see Smith. and altAnge
"i'h han tor the purchase of suitable lot /
d ground. la due form Tue committee call /
ed upon the land-hOlder, who was fgllv pre- /
pared Tor the Interview.
100 aIe the owner OF those lots al the /
notth end! saId the spokesman of the CON.
mItee.
Il ann,' replied Smith, with becoming grav
ny.
win you sella pottiou OF ground, say
i've acres, 10 the cry!
~ "a. = a..
ioi ~hai utpOse the ldnd was wanted
we have dedlIcI 10 set apart about five
acres ui gtourd, ard Improve It as a kind Of
PARK, or pubic promenade
Have you, indeed! well, like that said
Smhh, Sih ANIMATION. 'lt shOws.ihe iight
KIND Of public spItIt.
We nave, moreover, decided that the bes;
location Wi be d The uOrta eui OF the towu
Decidedly NY own opiuou,' returned
Sm,ih.
VIII you sell as he required acresr asked
one ol tne cOunclimen.
That viii depeuc somewhat upon where
you wish 10 locate tue park
The particular locauon was named
Ihe verY spot replied Snlth, promptly.
'up"n winch have decided TO erect four
rows ol dwellings,
But II S too Tar out Tor that, was natural
ly objected
% NO. Not Tod. The city is rapidly
gtOwiug IN that direction. | have only TO
pui up the dwellings referred to, aud dozens I
WIZ De anxious 10 purchase lots, aud build
s around Them Won't Ihe ground to the 2
elt OF that you speak of answer as well! :
'Bu' the committee replied IN the negative.
The lot they had mentioned was the Que de- 2
;lded upou as most suI!ed tor the purpose, 9
iDd rhey were not prepared TO think uI any h
JtheT location. ,
All this Smith understood very well He i
vas not Urly willing, but anxious for the CITY a
o purchase the lot they were negotiating Tor
Nj he wanted was to get good round price
or tue ssme--say four or five times the real a
IaIue. 80 he lelgned indifference, aud d
brew difficulties IA the way. n
"A lew years previous 20 this time, Smith n
had purchased considerable tract Of land
Il the north end OF the then nourishing viii a
age, at fifty dollars an acre. Its present val n
le was about three hundred dollars an acre. u
After good deal OF talk on both sides, Ia
smith finally agreed TO sell the particular m
OF pIiched upon. The next thing was TO el
Taoge as TO price. n
Aud what do YOU hold this ground per ri
creP m
IL vas some time before Smith answered
his question. His eyes were cast upon the b,
oor. aud earnestly did he enter into debate 50
nth hImseli as to the value he should place Ill
poD the lot. At first he ihOnght of five ST
hundred dollars per acre. But his cupidty I'll
oon caused him TO advance on that sum,
Though, month before, he would have d,
sught at such an offer. Then he advanced es
SIX, to seven, and 10 eight hundred. And hi
iill he felt undecided. in
j can &c, my own price said he TO him. lir