Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-06-08
A DAKOTA CIRCUMSTANCE.
Illustrating the Way in Which the Cheer-
full Boomers Boom.

| met the man in Omaha who doomed
Palestine City, OAK. and as | had been
out there and found it tract of land
without house or an inhabitant, | was
naturally anxious for further particu
lars. had received one of his circu-
lars, and | asked him:
"You spoke of six railroads as GER
tain to come to the place. What was
to bring them"
Geographical situation, sir.
couldn't see how they could POSSIBLY
get by the town. | had the finest bed
of gravel you ever saw, and railroads
always want gravel. put the number
at six, but that was low estimate"
in speaking of the climate, you said
a man could go in his shirt sleeves in
January"
$50 he could-did it myself; it would
have been more comfortable with two
overcoats on, but | was experimenting
with the climate"
You said you gathered Strawberries
il December"
Exactly. They were in a can, but
| forgot to state that fact. | write
carelessly when in hurry"
And you said that blowing was 60
ing on all winter"
so it was. Did l state the sort of
plowing?"
Il think not"
Careless in me, sir. We begin snow
blowing in November and keep it up
until April. | am always cheerfully
willing to explain these little matters"
You had n thousand inhabitants, and
were to have five times that number
within year,
Certainly. Had large Indian camp
qhere at the time. An Indian is an in
habitant, l suppose. The laborers
employed on the six railroads would
have made up the remainder. 1t was
low estimate"
How about coal being found on the
ground?"
Il found it, sir. I scattered two hun
dred pounds of it around there, ard
most of it can be found yet"
"And you stated that the thermomc-
ter did rot go below 35 degrees above
zero"
Fact, sir. 1 was there for several
weeks in July and August, and / can
assure you that l do not exaggcrate in
the least"
Il did not see anything of your gas
and water works"
mo, sir. In shipping them from the
East there was some mistake, and they
went on to some town in Arizona. An
moved me much, 1 can assure you, but
mistakes often happen in a new coun-
try"
If / remember right, the town had
two banks, three churches, good
school, theater, fire department, police,
and $40, 900 court house"
Exactly, sir The statement was n
ittle premature, but made in ell can
dor"
And your terms were only $50 n lot,
business or residence?"
"Only $50, sir, which, YOU must adj
nit, was wonderfully cheap. Nothing
like it ever offered the great American
public 1 sold over nine hundred, sir"
But what was the matter with the
town."
Circumstances, sir. 1t was sud
denly discovered that my title to the
/ land was defective-in fact, that l had
no title. Annoying, | assure you. But
for that / might have sold 1900 lots.
Great draw back to me, sir"
"But what of the nine hundred pur-
| chasers of lots?"
Il feel for them, sir-feel for them;
but this is world of disappointment.
/ may found another town further
West, and if l do my first move will be
to sell every one of the nine hundred
5000 lot for 800. I'll be glad to do it,
sir-glad. Good-day, sir.-Ne,o York
| sun.
The population Of Kansas City, Mo-, is
about $4,000.