Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-05

The Manchester sW1ndle WAS calculated 10
deceive greenhorns and ignoramuses. 1t
would be difficult to believe that any
educated or experienced person would
fall into the tolls. But according to in
disputsble evidence-that of deed Of
"city lot" in the mythical town-an in
telligent, well-to-do business man made q
"hoWing ass" Of himself, as he personally
acknowledged to the Herald correspsn-
d snt, by investing in the aforesaid lot and
received the deed, which he exhibited.
The Herald correspondent, after men
tally absorbing the description of the
mundsne delectations of Manchester,
i0urReyed thither to feast his vision on
the aggregation of corn and wine ard
olives, esger to listen to the lowing of fat
cattle and to hear the hum Of happy,
contented population. Every ore was to
prosper st Manchester. a brief resi-
dence there would induce comfort, ease
aud, it was glitteringly limited, wealth.
In order to attain this ultima Thule Of
South Cslifornis, assuming the City of the
Angels as the starting place, you have g
choice of two practicable routes. One is
via Cotton aud the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railway through the Cajou Pass
toward the old military road skirEing the
border of the terrible Mojave desert. The
distance between the railway and your
destination must be covered on the back
of the local ship of the desert-the plod-
ding, long cared burro.
A sCHooLMARM'S WOE.
The story is told OF an eastern school
teacher, mature, specialized female, who
possessed the proud ownership of Man
chester title deed. She was enthusiastic
over her California real estste, and was
eutent on planting her substantial New
foot on earth belonging solely to
herself. The narrowing narrative of her
suferings en- route after leaving the rail-
way, is 1t not q recent addition to the ex
tensive repertory of "Tales OF the Ten
derfeet," highly priced by the indigenous
Californian
The other way Of reaching Manchester
il by the Southern Pacific Railway
through the San Fernando valley and the
to Alpine Station, where you are
again confronted by sharp backed mule,
unless you are willing to wade for miles
through the sand and bruise your ankle
against the cactus plants. Alpine is
forlorn collection of rudimentary apollo
gies for houses.
ANTELOPE VALLEY WASTES.
The Antelope valley, speculative dis
trict, lies adjacent to and north of Al
pine.
The vale OF antelopes is the locality
which a poeticsl real estate sharp who is
advertising it describes as
"Cheap, good land, with perfect title;
good well, artesisn and mountain water,
sufficient for ali mechanical power or ir-
rigation needed; good markets, good rail
,old facilities, good climate and as
healthy country as the world affords,
ire all to be found by those in pursuit of
health, wealth and happiness in Antelope
Valley.
Come and see
"Come all and view the pastoral scene;
With critics eye the valley scan,
For flowing wells and grapevines green
Give promise of bonanza land"
1t is chiefly in the promise" for q sin
gle glance over this vast em1-desert.
which is as large as the state of Rhode
Island and generally as sterile as street
pavement, would cause cold chill to
raVerse the spine of an intended settler.
The sbsurdity of the falsehood about |
plenty of water "for al mechanical pow
,r or irrigation needed" stamps the hum
pug nature of the scheme to foist general |
y worthless desert on ignorantpurchaser
DAILY about cne-tenth Of the entire valley |
PRESENTS signs of surface water. The |
remainder is now and will forever be lust |
Is nature intended it, squalid waste Of
slkali desert. And yet il you were to sec |
he photographic views Of Antelope valley |
displayed about Los Angeles you might,
L unfamiliar with the characteristics OF
he region, be led to think that you were |
confronted by one of the garden spots Of
he world.
MANCHESTER AS IT IS.
Passing over the trying Journey en- |
nuleback made by the Herald cores
physical suffering of the
mount ought to do pensnce for long |
category of earthly sins-the city of Mar
chester or its alleged location was with |
ZONE difficulty attained. You will GER
ainly require guide to find the spot. |
What is there to be seen? asks the reader. |
Well, there are powders, scanty,
iwarfed vegetation, sand, gravel |
md q dash of alkali. "Only this |
md nothing more" Nay, it is the locA-
ion of brszen sw1ndle as much rob-
,eIy as II it's perpetrators had placed |
heir hands surrep itiously in the pockets |
If those who bought the miserable sand |
leaps yclept city lots. Sans the shsntY
hotel" of some of the bogus towns, sans
he spark" Enclosure, sans "banks,"
'theaters," churches" and even desti- /
ute of the Cathedral" there is only the I
iesert as 1t was once rosmed over byJ
qualid ssvsges aud as it will doubtless
emsin until the end of time.
To the right is the Caiou pass, to the
eft Alpine settlement, in front the low
Kern county hills and the awful Mojsve
lesert, with its sirocco winds-leIy
blasts, as it were, from the gates Of
'heol.
The especial feature of the Manchester
windle WAS that lots were sold at very
oW price to large number of purchasers.
Then the sharpers would inform the lot
folders that an adjacent lot to the one
lresdy bought could be obtained
It certain price-generslY a
Iundred times greater than the
um paid for the first. OF course, the
immediate rise in the value was dwelt on
nd the favor shown to the original pur-
hssers expstiated upon. Tee entire
ract Of land as plotted out has been sold
D silly people whose scalps dangle at the
elt of the swindlers. The records of
he Recorders Office at Los Angeles show
\