Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-01-02


and In the end he nigh an about run
Jim crazy with the idea OF gettin' rich.
Wa-al, the Teller he measured
an he measured and he staked off
streets an avenoos and corner
lots jist like g sho nough town, right
there in the gap OF the mountain an if
you'll believe me, he went down to
Ro'noke an Norfolk an lot mo- places
and talked up Jim's place-Boomtown
he called it-tell he got a lot OF them
city chaps to come up TO the sale. Cose,
l went. Taint every day you gifts 10
walk down the streets OF city whore
they amt nary house, an anyhow,
they was goin' TO have big dinner
After dinner the auctioneer (they'd
fotch one up from the city, got up an
he bugun to talk bout the railroad an
what 1t was goin' to do for the kentry
tell you'd thought it was jest goin' to
haul gold for us to shovel up. An
then he went on an on about the noun
tains, an said they was chists with for
tunes locked up in 'em in iron an
marble an lime, an then he turned up
his eyes like wall-eyed boss and says:
What do seep / sec right here in
this valley great manufacturing city.
Instid Of the song of the bird the whir
OF machinery. Where the wild flower
now blooms vast factories, lots selling
for a few dollars foot
worth hundreds in few years, on yon-
der heights a great summer resort
where thousands Of guests are intoxi-
Gated with the wine of mountain air.
Great Jehosiphat, says to myself, ef
he kin see all that In this valley he'd
better rent his eyes out for telescope.
An then he went on talkin' an talkin',
an after awhile he begun to auction of
the lots. was standin' by Jim all the
while the Teller was talkin', an / seen
him gittin mighty pale an tremblin',
an Jest as man from Norfolk bid on
the fust lot he stepped forward an says:
Il forbid the sale. It's mine an I'll
keep IT, You see he done believe every
blamed word that the auctioneer said,
an he thought that old valley Of hisen
was worth as much as the heart OF the
town. Wall, the Teller that got up the
thing was mad as a hornet, but twarnt
no use. Jim's one o. the set kind. All
the Edmondses is, en- faint no use
awaistin' your breath contendin' with
'em, en- the folks jes had to go home
cussin' the real-estate chap for bringin'
'em there on sech n wild goose chase.
The speaker paused moment and
then added:
after all, when they did build the
railroad, they didu't run it through
Jim's gap in the mountains, but pears
like II all jest turned his head. He's
still looking for the railroad and the
city to be built there, an he feels jest
as rich as eff he owned 'em all instead
OF them pore, red gully hills"
A little, wizzened man, biting a
straw nervously between his teeth,
broke in with:
''It's agin the Scriptures to set your
affections on the riches OF this worr.
Ef Jim set as much store by the New
jerusalem as he do by Boomtown it
would be better for him in this wor'
and the mex. Amt no good ever come
OF a settin' yoself up better'n your
neighbors. Jes look at Bill Roberson's
son. His father inchin' and pinchin'
| TO save, an 40 close he would skun a
flea for his hide an taller, an send the
boy of TO school, aud when he got
back he's that full OF pomposity and
verbosity you couldn't understand what
he's talkin' about"
That's So" chimed in another,
riches brings their keers an troubles
When was down in the mountain last
week met Tom Cyarter, an he was a
tellin' me he done adopted son. Lawd
almighty, Tom, says what on earth is
a single man like you, without no
women folks in the house, agoin' TO do
with babyP Why, Of 1t had the collie
you wouldn't know how TO make SCOT
tea, an as for bringin' it through teeth
in, tell you candid, don't believe
you can do 1t. With that he burst out
laughin', and said he'd show me his
baby, an I'm blamed ef he hadn't
'dopted great big Teller, nigh en- about
as big an old rs he was. He said he
did 1t for comp'ny, but it stands to rea-
son that ef Tom had had to work he
wouldn't had no call to saddle hisself
with that great TELLER for comp'ny.
Howsomever, Tom said he had q
mighty gift for kyards, and you know
Toms got ahankerin' that way hisself."
The conversation drifted into other
channels, and think was almost the
only one who noticed that when Jim
Edmunds and his family came out of the
shop and re-entered the clumsy old
wagon that a handsome young noun
taineer, who had listened to the story
with flush on his face, slipped quietly
away from the gossiping group and
joined them. Even from where was
] could see the glad light of welcome
that leaped into the girls beautiful eyes
at his coming. He handed her tenderly
into the wagon, and as 1t moved off up
the mountain walked beside 1t, bending
his stalwart head toward the tender,
shy face, half hidden by the big sum
bonnet.
l thought that was the last ! was
likely ever to see Of the Crnsus OF
Boomtown. 1t was curious story
had heard OF n simple and credulous
nature having its cupidity aroused into
q passion that could neither be con-
trolled or stemmed, and that defeated
itself The thought OF a man himself
possessed OF great riches living hard
and grinding life Of poverty, the very
iden of him waiting day after day, year
after year. for the realization Of q
dream was fancy so anonymously
ridiculous and pathetic that was glad