The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-04-06

IK-
down 10 solid go!d.'
Slow long ago was that 20
give years."
"What would you ask 70. il now 20
"Why. as farms are selling, | suppose i,
worth about FIFTY dollars. shouidn's lik.
to take less,
"You have made D, great improvement,
On IT since you purchased"
"No. bu, the price of real estate has ad-
vanced wonderfully here since then. There's
Jones, who bought about the same time |
did, for 81 900, and be has just sold his
farm for s., 0oo."
"What has caused this increased value
in real estate 20
swell. you know the land around here
wasn't thought to be worth anything few
years ago. IL had been run awful hard,
and folks thought a good crop Of xhea,
couldn't be raised on it. When Mr.. Harris
bought that old farm Of Lees, nobody sup-
posed he could make a living on it. Blu,
when be got in and turned under clover and
brought up his land lille, and succeeded
IN raising twenty bushels of wheat to the
acre, the rest Of Us began to think that our
farms might be made to raise better crops.
SO We followed up his plan, and did as veil
as he did. OF course, when we found we
could raise something we put high price
upon our land.''
"Mr. Harris is an intelligent nan-why
did he purchase this light, worn land, in
preferences to that rich loan down the river,
where he talked of buying at first. Surely
he could get rich faster there"
''Yes, hut he said the people down there
had DO enterprise, there want no schools
there, and he wanted TO live where he could
send his children to good school"
$50 the school facility OF this neighbor-
hood led him to settle here I"
eyes, and Messrs. Brown, Wells, Solo
mon, and dozen others, have come in here
on the same account, and those who have
sold, seeing how things were going, have
asked great price for their farms, and got
too, and the rest of Us, Of course, won't
sell any lower than they have. Wilson
offered me forty dollars an acre last week,
but told him there was no use taking
shouldn't sell under fifty"
"Then it seems that the advance in the
value Of land may be referred primarily TO
the building of that new school house on the
corner An enterprising aud intelligent
class Of farmers has been attracted here by
IL; and these men understand the princi
pies Of agriculture, and are restoring this
this barren soil to fertility. They are also
building up a society which is rendering the
neighborhood still more desirable place
of residence, and hence, real estate is likely
TO advance in value more"
81 think 40 !; catch me selling for forty
dollars. It's ali the land is really worth for
farming, but farmers around me are selling
for fifty, and may US well have the benefit
Of the rise as any one"
"You paid one hundred dollars tax to.
wards building the school house -
lone hundred dollars. 1t come hard
though, tell you, neightor Noble. to take
clear hundred out of my pile Of whea,
money. paid it, but I'll never send a
chick or child to school - ....
"You're onl wrongins yourself, friend
Hardman."
''Wropgng myself, or not, I'll not sub
NIT to such injustice without protest."
s'But the building of the school house,
and the consequent incoming of n better
class of people, has doubled the value of
your farm within four years. ! don't think
it was a reyy bad thing for you-not rery
unjust, neighbour"
Mr.. lardman was little confused, but
reasured himself by the affirmation that he
had helped build the school house, and that
was enough that those who wanted the
school should support it that rich men
ought not to be obliged to educate other
peoples children.
"But," said Mr.. Noble, ''suppose the
school should be given up for lack Of means
to sustain 1t, would not real estate in the
vicinity again decrease in value People
would reply, when Intercepted with regard
to the matter, that there were no schools
there, that the neighborho0d was gradually
running down. The more intelligent, if un
able to effect change, would sell out and
leave, and those who remained would very
likely find themselves, in a few years, poor
men again"
"But come. Mr.. IIardman." he added.
ego along to school with mel was going
to visit it this afternoon perhaps you will
feel more interested in it after you have
spent few hours there
.Spent few hours there No, sir ! !
can't waste my time in that way. I've got
TO 90 down to the village this afternoon
Rather expect chance TO trade of Billy
Wouldn't loose a good chance anyhow, can't
think Of winterin' on him again"
"Can't you spare your boys to 60 this
afternoon? There are to he some exercises
in which think they would be very much
I rested"
s. Go, to dig potatoes; no, l don't want
ZEN to get any school notions in their
heads"
Sim sorry you feel so, Mr.. Hartman.
Your boys have capacities, which, if prop
erlv developed, would render them eminent
Iv successful in life. As they are gazing on,
see little that is pleasant in their future
MIR. Noble. as ] said before, Fve been
successful, an nv brothers has been sue
cessful; reckon my boys will do "a we'll.
jim can drive as sharp n bargain now rs |
ca. and Joe wop't he far behind. They'll
make their way in life withou; any Of your
book Iarniu'-Fl take care o that; and
don't ask any Of my neighbours to interfere
with me in my plans. As have said. it's
none Of their business what | do with my
own children. They're old enough to work
now, and they've got to earn their own liv-
in"
81 fear. aeighbor, that you will sometime
have reason to regret your present course Of
action" said Mr.. Noble, turning sorrowful-
~ away.
Mr.. Jardman was obstinate, IN he had
m further hope of influencing hlm TO edu.
cate his children.
CHAPTER II.
ssJim and doe Hartman both in States
Prisonl How does it happen ~
Jim was committed as "A burglar three
wears ago. and Joe WAS only sent there last
week for horse stealing. He has been a
hard case long time though, and John 10
not much better" ....
..Usw are the other bays com ng on -
sBIll ran away to sea var ago, and
has not been heard from. and | have just
heard that Mr.. Hardman has esn obliged
to settle up large bull which Jack made at
the tavern last winter. Prospect IL that the
old man will have to dIsinheris the boy soon.
or he will lose all his property. In fact
presume it will 90 away soon any way. and
he has taken % drinking h'mse'f. AMI some
Ill asl. hav jnu