The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-15

Of towns. Ordinarily towns are built
by degrees through the accretions
Of years. Not SO here. Only few
months or weeks are necessary. And
this mushroom growth takes on an
aspect of permanency that is crafty
| ing to the South and reassnring to the
investor. How soon adventures and
lswindlers will come in and float their
fraudulent schemes is q matter of con-
lecture. That they will come. in fact
that some are already operating on Il
small scale, ie evidenced by advertise
ments in some of the Western papers.
These advertisements offer for sale
wildcat titles to lands in various see
tions of Georgia and Alabama, the ad-
vertisers carefully concealing their
identity. SO far the big enterpris s,
the establishment of towns and the
like, are conducted On fair enough
lines, and presumably with the best
intentions. But look at some Of the
prices that have recently been OBJ
tanned for town lots.
Now see how the shrewd capitalist
of the East coins wealth down here.
He forms syndicate and purchases a
likely strip of land for from $40 to
$50 per acre. The prospective town
is laid out, and the company capital
lied at few millions. A sale of town
lots is advertised, excursions are got
up, brass bands circulate through the
contiguous country, and highly
.olored posters and circulars eXtol the
wonderful advantages and future OF
the place. Everywhere promoters
are about brushing up their Aladdin
lamps. and the country looks on
agape.
The place selected for the sale of the
lots is almost invariably in an old
field grown up with weedsand shrubs,
it being a portion of the site OF the
new Mecca. A tent is erected, free
rides given to the place, luncheon pro-
vided, and the auctioneer knocks
down the lots at Manhattan island
prices. Then the people sit and wait
until the town is built.
Here is q specimen sale. Special
cars had come all the way from Bos-
ION with the friends of the syndicate,
and the railroads centerlng in Chat
tanooga gave special rates TO people in
adjoining States who desired to attend
the sale. The day was beautiful
one, and the people from all round
about turned out us if it were circus
day. The scene was one very sugSes-
tive of the old time Southern bar
becue, and Mr.. Gambler and the auc-
tioneer made speeches with the fervor
and grandiloquence of the famous
stump orator of auld lang syne.
Under big circus tent, the lower
edges of which reached to the top of a
mans head, were squatted or stood
over a thousand people.
On the gently undulating bills, be-
meath the shade trees,,a few hundred
more were scattered.
What a motley crowd it was. The
Eastern man in shiny silk hat or
jaunty travelling cap and the typical
countrynan, in wide slouch
hat and loose fitting clothes. y few
ladies from the Hub or tllereabout, i'll
neat travelling tailor made suits. con
trasted with the ribbon bedecked and
beilounced damsels from the valley
farm.
Each person was given plotted
map of the future city and the sale
began.
Right on this spot where we stand,
said the auctioneer, will rise Il splen
did hotel, to cost not less than 500, 900
Over there. on the hill, a furnace
equipped with all the newest m2chin-
cry will be built. The company guar
antees to spend millions of dollars in
our ineXhaustihle mineral
resources, and will donate land to any
manufacturing enter
prise. Here on this beautiful spot
vii! rise in thirty days the nucleus of
enc of the most important manufac
turing cities of the country.