Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-09
THE RUSTLER'S WAYS.

THE RUSTLER'S WAYS. 1 How He Makes Lots of Money in
 the Far West.
 Papcr Towns with Glowing Prospects
 Any Thing to Boom Real Estate-Giv-
 ing Points to 8 Guileless ssCanuclk'
 Tho Spider and the Fly.
 "The rustler hlmself,n said a traveller who had just returned from the far West to New York Tribune reporter, s.is prod uct of the West and his name origi- mated in Dakota, where the very alacrity of his movements is supposed to produce noise like that which the wind makes in the long dry grass of the prairies. He comes under all guises, from the local preacher with sanctimonious tones, the business man with silk hat and jerky man. ners, to the simple rustic in jeans and top boots. The best way to test him is to say 'syndicate.' Not exactly in the way you would say 'rats' to a terrier, but let the word fall in conversation and see his eye glimmer in spite of himself. A corporation, an association, company, never buys land out Vest only @ syndicate. The rustler rustles best in small towns whose prospects are their strongest points. Genuine growth drives him out. He needs showroom and the more dreary the prospects the more indefatigably does he rustic. He is willing, too, to boom the future of any land and of any people, but of course seldom finds a field for his peculiar abilities outside of the Western States.
 'I remember one little town, however, Prospect Heights, as they called it, that sprang up in night almost, thanks to a rustler, on the outskirts of Winnipeg, Man., when people in that city went crazy over the opening of the great prairie lands to the west of it by the Canadian Pacific railway. The city was fuis of American real-estate agents who had come up to help the Canadians appreciate and purchase their own land. Several of these wide awake fellows laid their heads together and bought 320 acres of farm land three or four miles out of the city, on little knoll that rose few feet above the dead level of the prairie. They plated the piece off in town lots, advertised it freely as the coming site of suburban homes for city dwellers and formed construction company to erect houses thereon. Great quantities of lum- Der and other building material were carted out to the site, over roads of almost bottom less mud, carpenters and masons were en- ployed and work was begun almost simul- taneously on town hall, several saloons, an academy of music, a grist-mill, a num- Der of small cottages for renting purposes, a stof1ce, several stores and two or three more pretentious houses.
 "All this was duly heralded in the papers and by small bills thrust into the hands of the new arrivals, who were then pouring into the city from Eastern Canada and Flu rope at the. rate of five hundred day. Even the widest enthusiast in the city was astonished at the phenomenal growth of this suburban town. While vacant lots were changing hands in Winnipeg, here were buildings of many kinds going up on all sides. True, no one of them had gone up far. but beginning had been made, and material was lying around in profusion, with more coming in every hour. Two sa- looms in tents were doing a good business with the teamsters, workmen and visitors, and at the real-estate office over the way, surrounded by maps, pens, pencils, paper, plans and other implements of his trade, sat tn bland agent of the ostensible owner of the property, a wealthy Minneapolis mill owner, it was given out, whointended there to erect mills to grind the wheat crops of the great prairies when any were produced. Every now and then new conner would visit this office, when something like the follow ing would occur:
 "tExcuse me a minute,' says the rust Ter, that's the telephone bell.' He puts his ear to the receiver, and after a moment shouts: Can't say till look at the books Then to his caller: Gentleman at the Vic toria in this city wants to know if lots nine to twelve, block E, in Skinner's addition, can be had at $45O each.' Then the rustler rustles the leaves of big book, consults a bogus sale-list and shouts into the telephone: Sold this morning to Toronto syndicate to build gas-works on. Very sorry. Good bye. Whats thati The same numbers
 in the next block you says Hold on. I'll see.' More rustling of the leaves of the ledger. Then he shouts again:
 Yes, they're gone, too. Montreal man go- ing to erect brewery. You should have taken them yesterday when you were here I'll bet you ten to one the whole plot is sold
 out before the week closes Then he talks awhile to his visitor only to be interrupted by another ring on the telephone. Hello, | who is itl The Albemarlea Oh, the MarI-
 borough. Wenago ahead. Who are you? l Oh, yes, you were out here this morning. Want those lots reserved for you. How
 longa Can't do it. Two days the outside. We'll, I'll reserve four for three days, but people have been asking for it to-day. | might have sold it, but expected you to close tonight. That corner lot,' he adds l coming back to his visitor, to whom he has already made up his mind he will sell it, | seems to be favorite. The adjoining one l on the north has been set apart by the own CT of the plot for a church, the next one to the west was bought yesterday by man whose stock of dry-goods is on the way, and
 will be here before he can get his building
 up, am afraid,'
 "And so 1t went. He sold that corner | lot, of course. He sold the whole plot of | three hundred and twenty acres within a l fortnight. by the aid of consummate gall, a concealed battery in his desk that rang the telephone bell when he wanted it, and capital enough to get a lot ot lumber on the l land, hire few men to dig foundation holes, lay bricks here and there and erect l the framework of half dozen buildings. His dupes did all the rest; supplemented his building operations and paid him their money. When he had sold it all. he sold