The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1857-07-23
CoUDERSPoRT POTTER COUNTY Pa, THURSDAY 49,

successes-for the proprietor" at least,
whose fortune is rapidly made by selling
land, which cost him one dollar and twen-
ty-fve cents per acre, fer ten, twenty,
forty, fifty and one hundred dollars per
foot front, by one hundred feet in depth.
1t remains to be seen how the purchas-
ers fare AS it is rery true that fools are
not all dead, these first purchasers are
generally successful in getting rid of
their interests at advanced rates, and thus
success number two is the result. But
the fact stares the s.udious observer
steadily in the face, that, in most instan-
ces, these places cannot possibly attain to
any very considerable growth, for there is
not country enough TO support them, sup
posing the land to be divided up into
eighty-acre lots, or, as is most generally
the case, into farms of one, two and three
hundred acres each. Nor are there the
resources of manufactures to fall back
upon for it is fact, which the intelli-
gent observer will not fail to detect, that
the great concentration of capital, ma
chinery, enterprise and appliances neces-
sary for successful competition, are now
centering in Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Lou
is, &C., and only in very limited degree
will the interior and "up-river" towns be
able to compete with, and live in spite of,
the monster enterprises which are now
fully answering to euery demand, in ev-
cry branch of trade, agriculture and
household life. Hence, when a proprie-
tor descants to the newcomer of the
trade and commerce which must centre
at TIE city, the allowance Of ninety per
cent. may be safely made-and purchas-
es should be made accordingly. If the
"city," by any good fortune, should reach
to population of ten thousand, the pres
eat prices of the lots are entirely dispro-
portionate to such success. Twenty, for
ty, sixty and one hundred dollars per
foot-common prices of land in these
settles" of which we are now writing-is
too much by fifty per cent; for, add to
this first cost the necessary Improvements
of opening streets, grading, of building
everything ab itnitio, of taxes and inter-
est, and it will be perceived that property
in New York City is cheaper to-day than
the prospective value of real estate in
"Vesuvius City"
1t is not our purpose to disparage
these enterprises "out West" which are
now absorbing SO much capital, so much
energy, SO much talent; but we would
prevent misconception in the minds of
persons proposing to leave old homes, old
associations, old occupations, to seek the
new upon these Western lands; We would
have them go Cor rather come-since we
write frem the West) with their eyes
open, apd thus incur fewer disappoint-
ments fer the future. We have met
with SO many disappointed persons in our
travels that we but repeat what has been
told us, confirmed as their statements are,
by our own observation. Let Us give an
! instance:
4 farmer in New-England, living CON-
fortably by his thirty-acre possession and
his trade, that of wagon-maker, thought
to better his fortune, and that of his two
daughters and son, by emigrating to Iowa.
He readily found purchaser for his snug
and really beautiful home, and with three
thousand dollars started West. Arrived
in Iowa he visited many of these paper
towns, and finally made location in q
thriving village, nearthe geographical cen
tre of the county, Property commanded
pretty "steep" prices, but he succeeded
in buying out an earlier settler, agreeing
to pay one hundred dollars per foot front
for the lot, and eight hundred dollars for
improvements, consisting of a small one
story frame house, slab shed for horse,
we'll twelve feet deep, and oak-board fence
around the premises, He turned the
shed into wagon-shop and commenced
work, paying very high prices for every
inch of timber which he had to use
Provisions were very high, and, eeono-
mize as his good wife would, it was found
that ten dollars per week were necessary
for his household wants. He could not
get money for his work. In a word, he
could not make ends meet; and, at the