The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-07-04
one evening.

Eve OF that went for manure but some Of
that manure is now on hand, as found the
land 80 rich last year as not to need much
more than half Of It. This season I shall
have two hundred dollars worth of straw
berries, If nothing happens unusual"
And you don't have to work any winters
to do this"
"No, four months labor is about all l
can lay out to advantage on it."
Walter went to his store, and during the
rest of the evening he wondered how it was
that some folks had 80 much luck.
During the second season Peter had cx-
pcrience for guide, and he filled up raany
gaps that he left open the year before. His
strawberries turned out better than no had
anticipated, and he made better ARA nge-
ment for his melons. And then from all
that land whereupon he planted his carly
peas, etc., he obtained second crop OF
much value. 1t was but one hours drive
into the city, and he always obtained the
highest p ices, for he brought the earliest
vegetables in the market.
On the first of the next November he had
cleared seven hundred dollars for the season
over and above all expenses.
One morning after the crops were all in,
Peter found man walking about over the
land and as the young man came up the
stranger asked him who owned the hill side.
alt is mine, SIR" replied Peter.
The man looked about and then went
away, on the next day he came again with
two others. They looked over the place,
and they seemed to be dividing it of into
small lots. They remained about an hour
and then went away. Peter suspected the
land was wanted for something. That even.
Ing he stepped in at the post Office, and
there he heard that railroad was going to
be put through the village as soon as the
workmen could be set at it.
On the next morning Peter went out up
on his land, and Us he reached the upper
boundary ho turned and looked down, the
truth flashed upon him. His hill side had
gentle, easy slope, and the view from any
part Of 1t was delightful. A brook ran
through it, from an cxhaustless spring up
in the ledge, and the locality would bo cool
and agreeable in summer and warm in win
ter. At the foot Of the hill, on the left, lay
small lake, while the river ran in sight
for several miles.
"Of course" soliloquized Peter, "thcy
think this would make beautiful building
lots. And wouldn't it? Curious that
never thought of it before. And then when
the railroad comes here, people from the
city will want their dwellings here. But
this land is valuable. 1t is worth-let me
see say six hundred dollars a year. can
easily get eight or nine hundred for what l
can easily raise here, and 1 know that two
hundred dollars will pay me good round
price for all I perform on it. And then
when my peach trees grow up, and my
strawberry beds increase-lIo-it's more
valuable to me than it could be to any one
elsc."
When Peter went home he could not re-
sist the temptation to sit down and calculate
how many house lots his land would make ;
and he found that his hill side would afford
fifty building spots, with good garden to
each one. But he didn't think Of selling.
Two days afterwards, six men came to
look at the land, and after travelling over it
and sticking up some stakes, they went
away. That evening Peter went down to
the hotel, and the first thing he heard was
"Aha, Pete, you've missed it."
How so?" asked Peter.
Why, how much did you get for your
hill sidc?"
"What do you mean"
Haven't you sold itT"
"No, sir"
"Why, there was man here looking ut
il week or 50 ago, and to-day he came and
brought Eve city merchants with him, and
can take my oath that each ono of them en-
gagged building lot Of him. One OF them
spoke to inc about what lovely spot it wa
and told him nobody would have thought
OF building there till you got the rocks off. '
"But haven't you sold it, thought"
NO not an inch Of It,"
"why that man told me he had engages
to pay four hundred dollars for choic, lot
Of twelve square rods"
"Thcn he will find his lot somewhere els
l guess, till l sell out"
Some more conversation was held, ant
then Peter went home. On the following
forenoon, the very man who had been tb
first to come and look at the hill side, calle'
to see Peter, and introduced himself Ms Mr.
Anderson.
"Let's sce-l believe you own some tw
or three acres of land up here on the hi
, side," he said, very carelessly.
T "I own four acres there" replied Peter