The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-16
A Rorin1 Capitalist Sfi likes
Burffngtoa.


The Hack Eye says that few days
ago gentleman with his coat tail copk-
cts full of baggage, strolled into the Cor
ham house ana registered in bold, free
hand, the name of " Aristachus Ii. Des-
plaines Crestline, Ohio" Then he lazily
picked upa toothpick and leaned grace
fully up against the counter and nodded
afia5ly at Andrews, who wore on his
usually placid brow the expression of a
man who is anxious to have something
to hold. Mr.. Desplaines apparently failed
to notice this expression, and said, with
a sudden glow of enthusiasm:
al like this town"
No one dissented, and the stranger,
after moments pause, to allow the
sentiment to impress itself upon his
audience, went on;
Yes, sir, like this town. There is
an air of enterprise, of activity, of rest
less progress and tireless industry about
it that invites investment. The streets
these people have hewn out of the solid
rock, the elegant business blocks that
have risen from the painless wilderness,
the ceaseless 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 cut of the rugged rock, the mine,
the quarry and the loom. Yes, sir, | like
this town. This is the place where my
money stops"
The stranger paused again. Most of
the audience had ceased to chew their
tooth-picks and were looking at the ora
tor with an air. of interest. Mr.. Andrews
brushed an impereeptible grain of dust
from the sleeve of his coat and softly
whistled a bar from the Bohemian
Girl" Mr.. Desplaines continued:
" Yes, sir, l like this town. l hadn't
been here half an hour, hadn't talked
with dozen business men, before said,
Here is the place. ! know the spirit
of true town. And it isn't only live,
but it's safe town. | can put my money
into any one of the half dozen en-
terprises that have been brought to my
notice here, and turn it at eight per
cent. Safer and more profitable by far
than the wild speculation so rife in most
other cities, that promise the operator
twenty per cent. but give him naught
but ruin. And will what 2" he added,
suddenly glancing at the clock, !" half
past one already7 How the time has
slipped by. | had nearly talked away
my dinner. The way to your dining;
room, if you please" he added, little
haughtily, as man not accustomed to
ask for things, but attended by SER
wants who anticipated his requests and
orders.
The clerk, instead of flying around
and marshaling Mr.. Desplaines to the
dining-room, merely glanced at the cap
italists clothes, and murmured the GUS
tomary remark about the duties of bag
gageless guests requiring them to deposit
something before banqueting.
"Whatf' shouted Mr.. Desplaines,
"you want me to pay in advance Me (?
Me ? Pay in advance Why, dash your
i'm pudence, I'll buy your beggarly little
town and have it moved into the river.
Pay in advance? Here, give me blank
check book, somebody. Pll drain your
miserable little village bank 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 pres
ident of the rolling mills and tell him to
dine with me at the Palmer in Chicago
next Thursday. Pm off, Pm out OF
this poverty stricken town by the first
train that will carry me-"
And half an hour afterwards Mr.. Des-
PLANES was seen walking across the
bridge, comfortably eating piece of
bread and chewing a raw onion, regard
ing, with lofty disdain, the policeman
who stood at the Burlington end of the
| l.. g., <bar