Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1879-02-22
RAZING A CITY.
fteH Estate Owners for an HourGWhat
: Four Boards and Half, a Dozen Nails
Md

RAZING A CITY. 'iti'ii'h %
Hem Estate Owners for an fHourGWIat
Four Boards and Half a Dozen Nails
Did.
IFrom the Leadville (Col) Reveflle.l ypf
An excitement such as is rarely seen
outside of mining town, which in fact
could never occur from the same causes
in an old-settled town, was experienced
| yesterday. The ground occupied as a
mill-site by the Harrison. Reduction
Works was thronged by hundreds of
eager men who were quietly but nerv-
| onsly erectingl a miniature city, A car
penter on upper Chestnut Street opened
|. the ball. He had read baseless fumor
that the patent for the ground claimed
as plscer location by Tom Starr would
never be granted, but that town site
would be granted instead. He thought
the time had come for a division OF the
spoils and went out during the still
small hours of the early morning and
put up two foundations on the Harrison
grounds, at the upper end of the Chest
nut Street frontage. As soon as this
fact was learned by passers-by in the
morning it caused considerable talk, and
crowd soon congregated. Some
thought one thing and some thought
another, and as Is always the case
there was one man who remarked
that "if they were going to jump
lots he could jump as fast as any one"
He Jumped on a foundation and another
followed; then the scramble began. Or
ders for four boards were rapidly
dispatched to the nearest lImber-yard
or saw-mill, and as soon as. they came
on the ground they were tackled together
and called a foundation. The crowd in
creased in numbers, and the excitement
was augmented by every fresh arrival
By noon nearly athousand people were
gathered in the neighborhood, and every
foot of ground fronting on Chestnut
and Elm Streets was covered with found
ations, and about 200 real estate owners
had sprung into existence. Still the or
ders for lumber rolled into the yards,
and number of uprights began to ap-
pear, the first start of a building This
move was received with general approx
al, and in another hour some SO or 40
buildings began to rise up and assume
proportions. Several real estate trans
actions now occurred. One man who
occupied corner lot and had neat
and substantial frame structure, consist
ing of four boards and an upright 2x4,
received an offer of 5000 for his prop
erty, and took it up. The money was
planked down, and the new proprietor
stepped upor his premises and began to
put up an addition in the shape of an
other 2x4. aE ,. -. -s5.sr'H
Another man accepted .she bid Of $50
for quit-claim deed and passed rapid
ly away. Carpenters were in demand
at $40 day, and none i'm the market.
They were all busy jumping for them,
selves. To give an abstract of the "chin
music'' exchanged with hundreds OF Gu
rious idlers about the fence, by the
jumpers, would have required pages.
In some cases there were three founda-
tions on the same lot, but the joint pro-
prletors did not SEEM 20 quarrel much.
Every one was in good humor, and
seemed to consider it an immense joke.
All this time not the least opposition had
been met with, and so all went swim
mingly. Many wondered that the heads
of the Harrison Works took no meas
ures to stop the jumping, and appeared
to have no special interest in what was
,transpiring. In the meantime, a courier
had been dispatched to the Argentine
Mining Company's works, and the en-
tire working force was summoned to
appear at the smelter office. They all
went in quietly, a few at a time, and at
tracted no attention. The acting Mayor,
DR.. Taylor, went up to the office and
swore in ten trusty men, who had been
selected as q special police, and,
as soon as this had been done,
they filed out, backed by Efty brawny
Z miners, and began the work OF razlng
the newly built city to the ground. Be-
ginning at the upper end of the build
ing, they made rapid onslaught, and IN
ten minutes the, last stick was Hat. Lit
tie or no opposition was met with. The
jumpers, seeing that they would haYe
their hands full if any such thing was
attempted, quietly gave way, and ac-
cepted the situation. The Messrs.
I.oker and Hines were complete masters
of the situation. Teams were employ
ed, and in two hours time not board
remained on the ground to mark the re-
cent city. twill be remembered by all
who were in the city last July that just
such move was attempted at that time,
and when it had signally failed the citi-
zens held q meeting and acknowledged
the right of the Harrison Works to this
same piece of ground, and agreed to
protect them in the possession OF 1t.
An of the yesterdays trouble grew out
of lack of judgment in listening to and
printing every flying rumor: The les
SON learned by the result will long be
remembered by those who caused it.