The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-06-07
Liked the Town.

Yesterday q gentleman with his coat
tail pockets full of baggage. strolled into
the office of the Gorham House and regis
tered in a bold, free hand, the name of
Aristachus Fl. Desplaines, Crestline,
Ohio" Then he lazily picked up tooth.
pick and leaned gracefully up against the
counter and nodded sffably at Andrews,
who wore on his usually placid brow the
expression of man who is arfxions to
have something to hold. Mr.. Desplaines
apparently failed to notice this express
sion, and said, with sudden glow of
enthusiastic
~ like this townl'
No one dissented, and the stranger,
after moments pause, to allow the senti-
ment to impress itself on his audience,
went on:
Eyes, sir, like this town. There Is
an air of enterprise, of activity, Of restless
progress and tireless industry about 1t that
invites investment. The streets these peo-
pie have hewed out OF the solid rock, the
elegant business blocks that have risen
from the painless wilderness, the cease
less hum of machinery and stroke of the
hammer call loudly for Eastern capital to
come here and hand in hand with labor,
coin new and added wealth out OF the
rugged rock, the mine, the quarry and the
loom. Yes, sir, / like this town. This ID
the place where my money stops"
The stranger paused again. Mosto the
audience had ceased to chew their tooth
picks and were looking at the orator with
an air of interest. Mr.. Andrews brushed
an imperceptible grain of dust from the
sleeve of his coat and softly whistled bar
from the Bohemian Girl" Mr.. Des.
PLANES continued:
Yes, sir, do like this town. hadn't
been here half an hour, hadn't talked
with dozen business men, before said,
Here is the place. I know the spirit Of
a true town. And it isn't only live, but
it's safe town. can put my money
into any one of the half-dozen enterprises
that have been brought to my notice here,
and turn it at eight per cent. every year.
Safer and more profitable by far than the
wild spirit of speculation so rife in most
other cities, that promise the operator
twenty per cent but give him naught but
ruin. And I will-what?" be added,
sudde lily glancing at the clock, half
past one already! How the time has
slipped by. had nearly talked away my
dinner. The way to the dining-room, if
| yeu please" he added, little haughtily,
as man not accustomed to ask for things,
but attended by-servants who anticipated
his requests and orders. Z
The clerk instead of flying around and
marshalling Mr.. Desplaines to the dining
! room, merely glanced at the capitalists
clothes, and murmuring the customary re-
mark about the duties Of bsggageless
guests requiring them to deposit some
thing before banQueting.
"What?" shouted Mr.. Desplaines,
:" you, want me to pay in advance Me ?
Me! Pay In advance? Why, dash your
impudence, I'll buy your beggarly little
town and have it moved into the river.
Paw in advances Here, give me blank
check book, somebody. III drain your
miserable little village banks SO dry they
can't change ten-cent piece for three
| months to come. Porter, bring down my
| trunks and boxes and carry them over to
the other hotel. Take them to the depot
and carry my card to the President of the
rolling-n,ills and tell him to dine with me
at the Palmer, in Chicago, next Thursday.
! I'm off. I'm out of this poverty stricken
town by the first train that will carry me. :"
And half an hour afterward MIR. Des-
PLANES was seen walking across the
bridge. comfortably eating q piece Of
bread and chewing raw onion, regard
ing with lofty idisdain the policeman who
stood 1t the Burlington end of the bridge.
and warned him farther away.-Burlfag-
ton Hasok- Eye.