Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-06-26
BOoMTOWN'S COLLAPSE.
Accelerated BY the Loss of Botn
It's Paper and Editor.


You remember. no doubt the boom
that struck the West midway in the SOS
Tou remember how towns sprung up
with gre3ter rzpidity than was dreamed
Of the days Of Aladdin. how what was
yesterday prairie became to-day viii
age. and tomorrow a city; how specula-
ticn ran riot and fabulous fortunes on
paper. were made almost in a night You
recall how companies. or rather. syndi-
Gates. were formed in every city of the
Nation for the purpose of taking sd-
vantage OF this wonderful growth of
towns by buying up land. planting il
into city lots. and selling again You
rccollect how the older cities OF the
plains exteaded their limits almost in
1ehnitely. until IL seemed as though
the saying Of an old farmer friend Of
mine would be realized. ~Bgosh,- he
used 10 remkrk. eff you town fellers
keep On layin' out editions 20 yer cities
there wont be any land left for farmin-
tn all be cut mp inter b0ildin' lots and
railroad right o. ways
II sas. indeed. zwe-inspiring-Or
would have been II il had not been 50
pitifuI-the boundless hope indicated
By these additions which stretched out
N every direction from every hamlet,
like so manv octopus feelers encrOach-
ing upon the rich leagues Of prairie
earth that lay in biil0xy folds spread
ing away 70 the far horizon
Boomtown was simply and purely
creature Of the speculative FORM Il
had its origin in the back pariors Of
Henry Manley's law-ofice in the city
Of Philadelphia II was the result of
cooIle and carefully conceived scheme
70 make fortune easily. And TO Henry
Manley must be given the credit for the
plan
'aGentlemen-- he had said. when
half-dozen Of his feIlow-capitzlists in
vifed 70 his once one February after
neon had taken their seats. there Is
money in this tide Of tOwn-building. II
We can raise sufficient funds. we can
make a fortune as well as the zest OF
them 1 have looked over the ground
We viii buy four sections Of land. favor
ably situated. lay out one section in
city lots. erect some buildings. adver-
fise the thing. have an auction sale. and
sell enough 20 mere than pay for our
outlay: then We win dispose Of the re-
mainder at our leisure as clear profit
What do you szy2-
They were agreed as 10 the feasibility
Of the sche1e. and By the middle of
summer, B0Omtown was in the height
Of prosperity. with houses. stores. sites
for schoolhOuses. churches. and even
the State capitol. and other public
buildings-and irstof all the BoOmt0wn
Syndicate (:iuited) Of Phiisdelphiz had
more than realized the amount Of the
investment and was gathering in the
profits
Then there came . lulL Somehow.
lots did not sell quite as rapidly as be-
fore and some Of the stockholders were
becoming little uneasy
A meeting was held
sIll tesl you what is the matter"
raid Nanley. the president Of the com
pauy- ~BOOmtOwn needs = paper"
That's IL exactly" said the spruce
little bankers son. who was secretary.
The people must be informed. you
know. Of Bo0mtOwn's existence"
I'VE must let folks know that there
is such a place. translated Manley for
the benefit Of the Others
Haven't NC adsertised2- asked one
stockholder.
ssYes. but yOu see. IL has all been out
ride places 20 get people there Now We
must keep up their courage, so that they
will not go away"
This was good logic. and the directors
ordered the officers 70 arrange fer start
ing paper in BOomt0wn.
Il was done In answer 20 an sdver-
fisement, one A. c Chelt0n was en-
gared as editor and money enough fur
nished for the plant"
Henry MaDley. as be correspOnded
with the future editor. became much
impressed with the vigorous character
Of that individual. and actually longed
10 leave his law practice and 60 and as
sist in getting out the first number Of
the BoOmtown Herzld-for he had
stack type once upon time himself
Six months went by. II Boomtown
belscd her name. and did not boom, il
was not the fault Of the Eerald- There
meyer VAS a paper that did 50 much
arguing for its home city. Vigorous
editorials. pithF locals, sharp criticisms,
al told of mind alert % the best in
terests Of the place The paper bad not
made money. but is pushed the town
Manley watched for its weekly com
ing with as much avidity as he did for
his meals He read il before he did the
metropolitan journals. He formed
liking for the editor. and often wished
he could meet him face % face
III did not know otherwise should
suspect thai you bad sweetheart out
IN that Western village said his
mother one day. when her bachelor son
was porsng over letter from Chelton-
i Lave.- ne replied. ''the Herald
Tn in leve with il and I'm going ont to
call upon IL next week
He Was ss good as his word ana. ten
DAYS later. As the overland express
l.alfrf At BoomtSwn, an elegantly