Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-09-28

is close in, and is bound to become bust
ness property, every foot of it, and
can sell you lot there for ten dollars
per foot-away below its worth"
You say it is close imp"
Eyes, sir, right in town"
about how far is 1t from here?"
mot bit over a mile"
"a mile?" John exclaimed. "Why,
I'd call that tolcrably far out for town
of sixty or seventy population
Far out?" Scraggs cried. "Why,
great goshen, man, it's in. Why, there's
additions laid off two miles beyond that.
This is going to be city, tell you-a
great western metropolis"
"Do you think SOP"
think nothing. know it. That's
settled fact, and in less than twelve
months from to-day you will see TWEEN
ty thousand population here, and these
lots am offering you for ten dollars a,
foot will be selling at from five to six
hundred foot Think of that, and tell
mo what you can invest money in to,
beat it?''
"What is this boom based on, Mr..
Scraggs?" John asked.
Based on solid facts. There is not
town of any Importance within hun
dred miles of us, Is there2"
mo, there is not" John admitted.
But If he had known, he might have
said that there were two or three hun
dred within that radius that expected
to amount to something, and were, like
Paradise Park, making frantic efforts
to amount to something. But John did
not know this.
"Wcll, then" Scraggs went on,
"wc'vc got to have great commercial
center out here, and we propose to be
it. We've got three or four railroads
planned out and the companies organ
lied to build them. First, there is the
Kansas City, Topeka & Paradise Park
line. Second, there is the Chicago,
Omaha & Paradise Park line. Then the
Galveston &c Paradise Park line, and
last, the New York, st. Louis s. Para
disc Park line. There are other lines,
but we do not mention them, for they
arc not what we choose to call certain
tics. Franchises have been granted for
several lines of cable road, and charters
issued for water and gas works. Plans
have been drawn up for dozen or more
brick blocks, and of course that is but a
taste of what is to follow. If you want
to be an independently rich man, with
more money than you know what to do
with, just invest every dollar you can
rake together, and do it right now.
You'll never have such another chance,
mark my word for that"
Scraggs had ratified on at such rate
and with such wild enthusiasm, that
John Green felt quite dazed, and he
scratched his head and walked the floor
few times before he could get his
mind into working order. Even then,
when he felt calm and collected, his
mind appeared unbalanced and such
phrases as ''town lots" "close in" 'ten
dollars a foot" great metropolis, >
went dancing through it like imps. But
eventually he collected his scattered
senses sufficiently to recall the business
that brought him to Scraggs' Office, and
forthwith he stated it.
I'm sorry, Mr.. Green" Scraggs said
with o shaking of his head, but
couldn't possibly accept your money
The mortgage will have to run its time
before it can be paid"
II would like to stop the interest, u
John replied, land l have the money
and cannot use it otherwise"
''Can't?" exclaimed Scraggs. ST
had it I could mighty soon invest it
Why, what have been telling you:
Here, buy lots, man. You'd as wei
turn thousand dollars or so as any
body else. You can make five or sly
hundred per cent. on that money az
easy as not. Do like everybody else
like your neighbors out there-and in
vest here"
John was about to offer some objec
ton, but before he could say anything
the door opened and seven or eight mel
came in, all anxious to make purchase
of lots. Scraggs had talked them VI
earlier in the day, and they had beer
out to see the additions, and now came
back full of enthusiasm.
John listened to their talk, and, ate
they went out, listened to Scraggs SOM
more, and at last the fever began tt
take on him. All his neighbors WIN
had mortgages on their homes AM