The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-10-13
of such concern. One blunt old gen.
fleman remarked

dpout Hu" d-udyS, 10 SOuSe tue uHWdly /,
that it's impossible to keep the hang or
run OF 'em, sir"
But this is large concern" says
Gympsum; "best men of the State
agents all over the country-office is in
Wall street,
Pother!" exelaims the old gent !;
"large consarns-umph! best one for
shaven fools Agents out-aye, they're
all up TO them schemes Wall street,
in garret or cellar, concocting schemes,
over rented desks, how to gull the green
horns ~
Gympsum looked wild at the old gent,
whose matter-of-fact harrangues he
sof enyyof rogue,
and feeling for his wallets safety, left
in haste what he took for dangerous
company
Eventually, Gympsum found Wall
street, and after some investigation, the
redonbtable Grand Consolidated Me-
tropolitan City and Land Company, up
stairs, in an eight by ten coop, bristling
with Autographs, maps, mahogany
desks, plethoric looking ledgers, spit
toons, fire proofs, &c. Behind the desks,
sundry stif-dickeyed partners in the
Grand Consolidated Metropolitan City
and Land Company were writing away
for dear life, and the entrance of a Gus
toner seemed to create as little atten-
tion as though James Gympsum was a
coal-heaver or errand boy.
But Gympsum no sooner opened his
business than he was attended to in
iiffy. A first men" looking person.
age. with an amplitude of paunch. fob
chains, dickey, whiskers, broadcloths,
and land-talk. took Gympsum in hand.
They retired to a private coopy- hole,
and in less than half an hour Gymp-
sum was convinced that the time had
come to invest, and after viewing any
quantity of elegant designs-various
views of the famed city and country of
Metropolis-its broad, elegantly paved
streets. hotels, market-houses, court
houses. jail, banks, squares, stores, de-
pots, warehouses, &c, he out with his
wallet, and took ten shares, 500 each,
down upon the nail.
The professor (of shavetail,l gave
him the superbly appropriated certif-
Gates, emblazoned with the signatures,
seals, and incomprehensible medal
lions. &c., of the Grand Consolidated
Metropolitan City and Land Company,
and Gympsum made for home. as tick
led and excited as an amateur beau at
fancy ball.
Mrs. Gympsom was strong-minded,
practical woman. and the way she put
it TO Gympsum for his apparent rash
ness and nonsense was quite blister
to his buoyant feelings. But in ten
days time the thing was to be decided,
whether Gympsum was to be the lucky
holder of the ticket to row of new
bricks, hotel, bank, depot, plaza, the
first sites of Metropolis, or the drawer
of mere ten acre lots, which the agents,
and presidents, and directors, and trus.
tees, q and the rest promised every
ticket holder in the suburbs of the
great Metropolis !
The day came-Gypsum rushed TO
New York he rushed into the office of
the Grand Consolidated Metropolitan
City and Land Company the drawing
was all over; he jerked out his certifi-
Gates.
What has 1856 drawn"
No. 1885," says ';director"-" four
lots on North Avenue-fne lotsn
And 1901 2" asks Gympsum, drawing
out another certificate.
No. 8301-ah! ten acre lot A, 61-
that's it, in the suburbs, SIR" says the
+" Director tapping the lithographic
city and suburban plan of Metropolis.
And 1860, 11oS, 1916, and 32sO?"
continues Gympsum.
"All ten acre lots, sir; there is 1860,
here is 1916, there 1l0s, and here $3.50
see gu
EYES," says Gympsum "land dry,
and good for buildingm
"Dry ~ says the " director" q dry as
a bone, sir. and worth 500 foot in
few years 2'
Well, here's 1900, s46o, 1858 and
lo1o," says Gympsum.
All, sir, now you've hit it; 1900 is
the Metropolis hotel, stable and yards,
sir-grand !"
Gympsum stopped to hear no more !;
he rushed home, got his clothes, put
couple of hundreds in his wallet, and
started for the West, to take formal pos
session of his vast estate. He found |
the location, and also many dupes like
hunting up their lots, and other
property. They found wild tract of
and, some 10000 acres, covered with |
hazel bushes. frogs, and snakes, bound
I'd on one side by a crooked, dirty little |
liver, and the other side By swamp,
-edolent of fever and ague and mosqui-
oes.
7 A native stated that some fellers,
rom the BASTARD, had entered the land
! year before. laid it of. said they were
going 10 build a town, neve. paid for
he land, never came back again, and
hat was all he knew about the fellers
If the land.
1t was enough, however; and the
'Ictims made tracks in bod dy-some
lone, with fever and ague. in their
.lothes, some with heavy heart under
heir vests, some with revenge in their