Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-09-18

His first essay was, 70 md the grand
consolidated, Metropolitan city an,
If land company, and be was astonishe'
Il to find that the first man, second, o
d third, Of whom he inquired, regarding
] the gigantic company. knew nothing a
: all of the earthly existence of such
D concern. One blunt old gentleman re
D Marked
Don't know, indeed, anything
! about these land schemes. so many o
'em about now a-davs. to gouge th.
( unwary, that it's impossible to keep the
hang or the run of 'em, SIR"
} "But this is large concern" says
Gympsum; "best men of the State
agents all over the country--ofice is in
Wall street"
"Potherl" exclaimed the old gent;
} "large concarns--umphl best one for
shaving fooIsl Agents outage, they
are all up to those schemes. Wall street,
in a garret or cellar. concocting
schemes. over rented desks, how to
gull the fstsl'
Gympsum looked wild at the old
gent. whose matter-of-fact harangue he
took for the slsnderous envy Of q 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
redoubtsble, grand, consolidated. Me-
tropolitan city and land company. up
stairs. in an eight-by ten coop. brIst-
ling with Autographs. maps, mahogany
desks, plethoric looking ledgers, spit
toons, 6reproofs, etc. Behind the
desks, sundry stiffdickeyed pai tners in
the grand, consolidated. Metropolitan
city and land company, were writing
away for dear life, and the entrance OF
a customer seemed to create as little at
tention as though James Gympsum
was a coal-heaver or errand boy.
But Gympsum no sooner opened his
business than he was attended to in a
jify. A first men" looking parsonage,
with an amplitude Of paunch, fob
chains, dickey. whiskers, broad-cloths.
and land-talk, took Gympsum in hand.
They retired to 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 desiens-various
vie,os Of The famed city and country of
MetroPnlis--its broad, elegantly paved
streets, hotels, market-houses, court
house, jails, banks, squares. stores.
depots. warehouses, etc, etc., he out
with his wallet. and took ten shares,
500 each. down upon the nail.
The professor (of shavetail,) gave
him the superbly copper-plated csrtjf-
Gates, emblonzed with the signatures,
seals, and incomprehensible medallion,
etc., of the grand. consolidated. Metro
politan city and land company, and
Gympsum made for home as tickled
and excited as an amateur beau at
fancy ball.
Mrs. Gympsum was strong-mind-
ed, practical woman, and the way she
put it to Gympsum, for his apparent
rashness and nonsense, was quite a
blister to his buoyant feelings. But in
ten days time the thing was to be deci-
ded, whether Gympsum was to be the
lucky holder of the ticket to a 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 direc-
tors. and trustees, ~ and the rest,
promised every ticket holder in the su-
burbs of the great Metropohsl'
The day came; Gympsum 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 certificates.
"What has 3l56 drawn?"
1885," says a ''director;;" "four
lots on North Avenue-ine lots"
"And s3OI" asked Gympsum,
drawing out another certificate.
"83O1-ahl ten acre lot. A. 61-I
that's it. in the suburbs. SIR" says the
"Director," tapping the litbogrsphrc
city and suburban plan Of Metropolis.
."And 1860. 11O8. 1916, and 328O?"
continues Gympsum.
"All ten acre lots. sir; there is 1860,
here is 1915, there 11O8, and here
398O-see?''
"Yes." says Gympsum; Gland dry.
and good for building'"
"Dry?" says the 'Director, "dry
as bone, sir, and worth 500 foot
in fen years?"
"Well, here's 1900, S460. $3.50 and
10lo." says Gympsum.
"Ah, sir, now you've bit it; 1900 is
the Metropolis hotel, stable and yards,
sir--grandl"
Gympsum stopped to hear no more;
he rushed for home, got his clothes,
and couple Of hundreds in his wallet,
and started for the west, to take formal
possession Of his vast estates. He
found the location, and also many dupes
like himself, hunting up their lots and
other property. They found wild
tract Of land, some 10000 acres, cov-
cred with hazle bushes, frogs, and
snakes, bounded on one side by a
crooked, dirty little river, and the 9TH
er side by a swamp, redolent OF fever
and ague and mosquitoes.
A native stated that some fellors,
from the BASTARD, had entered the land
year before, laid it of, said they were