The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-12-31

thousand dollars or SO In them, and you
want them. You are the man who pro-
poses to buy them. You are sly, Scraggs,
and you can hatch out some plausible
schemes. but understand your motive
in this instance"
Scraggs arose and walked the floor for
minute or two, then stopping in front
of Green, said:
John Green, wouldn't pay you fifty
per cent. on the investment you made
in those lots. / don't want them, and
wouldn't buy them at any price. But
talk is useless, SO have no more to say
at least only this. In less than six
months from to-day, you will recall
what have said, and you will say that
for once Scraggs advised you Alright
Good day."
These last words Of Scraggs made a
slight impression on John, and he left
the Office in hating state Of mind.
Once or twice as he walked down the
street he stopped, half inclined to go
back and accept Scraggs' offer.
''If sell out" he unused, II will
make large profit, and besides being
able to redeem my farm will have a
couple of hundred dollars left towards
building home. It may be that
Scraggs is right. too, and that by hold
ing on will lose all. Perhaps it would
be safer to SELL
Then on the other hand he wo1ld re-
call Scraggs' reputation as a schemer
and an unprinciplcd shark, and noting
the improvements that were under way
and the avidity with which other peo-
pie were taking up bargains" in real
| estate, he would conclude that he
| was right, and that Scraggs only want
ed to get the lots himself because there
was big outcome to them. Reasoning
pro and con, he finally decided to keep
his lots. and accordingly went home,
perfectly satisfied that he had acted for
| the best.
The boom at Paradise Park kept roll
| ing on and on, reaching out farther and
farther until the winter came on and
the severe storms and cold weather put
a check to all improvement. That win
ter was an intensely cold one, and there
was great deal of snow, SO that people
| ventured out but little, and as conse
quence the excitement ut Paradise Park
died down and the sales of real estate
ceased entirely.
The investors felt no uneasiness how
ever, being assured that with the return
of fair weather the boom would set in
| again with renewed vigor. In the
spring the railroads were to be located
| and work was to begin on them at once
and all the other public improvements
were to be got under Roadway, too; SC
then the real boom was to come, and
only few short months Of inactivity
was to come between.
Thus the winter passed, and by the
middle of March all the snow was gone
from the plains, and the tender grass
began to shoot up. The boom at Para
disc Park revived, and while real estate
transactions resumed their wontce
strength, the sound of the hammer, the
saw and the trowcl were heard on every
hand. Business blocks, both frame ant
brick, were started up all about the
center of the town, while residence:
were being constructed in every quar-
ter. Unprecedented activity rcigned
and Scraggs' prediction that the place
would have twenty thousand population
within the year babe fair to come true
But day after day passed, and NJ
move toward constructing railroads Oh
other public improvements was made
Yet the people were strong in the faiti
and kept the boom rolling.