St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-11-01

repeated the story of that Minnesota
wood sawyer who accumulated half a
million in half year. On paper all
these towns were magnificent. Their
superbly Autographed maps adorned the
walls of every place of resort. The
town might be composed cf twenty build
lngs, or it might not contain single hu-
man habitation. In most cases, however,
he would find one or two rough cabins,
with perhaps tent and an Indian canoe
on the river in front Of the "levee "
Anything was marketable. Shares in
interior towns of one or two shanties
sold readily for hundred dollars. Wags
proposed an act of congress reservine
some land for farming purposes before
the whole territory should be divided into
city lots. Towns enough were started
for state containing four millions OF
people.
UNREAL. REAL ESTATE.
Weston, Missouri, was once a leading
and thriving town. Now the erratic
stream had made deposits in front, until
large buildings, formerly on the bank,
were one third of Il mile inland. At St.
Joseph, forty miles above, and upon un-
DERIVING quicksands, the river was fast
cutting into the city. Several acres had
disappeared i'll single year Brick
warehouses on the levee were now de-
serted, and their outer walls falling. 4
family in the lower part of the town
were at dinner when the ground beneath
them began to trembIe. At first they
thought 1t an earthquake, but it proved
water-quake. They fled to safe dis.
tance, and saw house, garden and al
acre OF land slide into the encroachina
element. One might contract TO sci
lots here and deliver them in st. Louis
1t was flight of fancy TO call such prop
erty real estate
AT st. Joseph the river originally
flowed i'll front Of First street. Now j
ran along Forth, and the intervcnn:
land had disappeared. \ non-residen
who purchased levec lots soon after th,
city was laid out, returned IN 1853 t,
look after them. lie supposed then
somewhere in the bed of the stream. bu
had the curiosity to ascertain bv survey
They proved TO be OH the other side o
the river, in Elwood, Kansas,
KANSAS COURT, 1857.
Once an attorney for the defense tool
his ci gar from his mouth, and behind
huge puff of smoke objected TO certain
testimony on the other side as inadmis
slble. The justice gravely replied:
"Ihe court Sustains the objection. an,
rules that the question cannot be aske,
at h,s stage Of the gDmle.'
The inference was that "the court
played poker.
TRE-EMPTION.
We selected and staked out our quart
er-sectlons, and, after returning to GUM
daro, sent out boards and had Il cabin
erected upon each. But a few week
later, when we went back to lock at on
"dwclllng>," some enterprising scoundra
had carried away every one of them
He did not leave Il single board. rafter o
splinter. Notwithstanding the fort
dollars which his cupidity cost me,
have profound respect for that shrew,
speculator who not only obtained 5
much valuable lumber for nothing, bu
found it already delivered thirty miles il
the interior, when the expenses of haul
ing were enormous. 1t must have ena
bled him to build a palatial mansion
but my experience was a ludicrous satir
upon the ancient legal fiction that ever
mans house was his castle.
From such school must have gradua
ted the --th Kansas infantry, whic
acquired rare reputation for plunderin
during the great rebellion. A numbe
OF Kansas regiments. marching throug
Missouri, revcnged themselves upon thei
old enemies ; but this had unapproachabl
genius for plumber, which the camp storle
used to illustrate with genuine America
exageeration One of them ran thus
In an Arkansas campaign general off
Ger found the entire -th groupe
around saw mill and weeping liz
Nibbes.
why, boys he asked, ''what is I'll
matter -
Matter enough ~ sobbed one enter
prising volunteer. ;.Thus far we hav
never left anything behind us, but W
can't possibly steal this saw mill ~
\ KANSAS LEGISLATURE
] That body meant business but /
parahernalia was not gorgeous. Indee'
it looked a good deal like the Arizor
r Legislature, which used to meet in 4 lc
: cabin with dirt floor. Our session
were held in a Lawrence hall, over II
= "CommcrciaI' restaurant. The men
e bers lived in widely separated portion
Y of the territory. Chilled with long vii
e ter rides, they would enter in slouchC
t hats, top-boots and blue army overcoa
t with enormous capes, crowd around Il
: stove and canvass the latest news
a rumor of disturbance No inferior rar
+ was tolerated every man was gene
al. At the appointed hour Lane er-9i
!, co president, would rap on the table al
, command in his hoarse gutturals:
"The Board will come to order
Then he pulled at the bell rope until
% waiter appeared.
John, bring us one, two, three, four
" Counting the members presently fourte
hot whisky punches and a box of cigar
All john, fifteen hot wliiskies, Gencr
Walker, you are just in time. Gener
> Richardson, you will read the minutes
# the last meeting"
T., The completion of the reading foul
"a the Board warmed externally and int
"a naIly for the transaction of business. l.
der its auspices organization and enro
ment progressed rapidly. The Terrific
al Governor Denver) issued q proclaim
flnn