The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-11-06

1891 preparations were made By the
most prominent workers in the field to
withdraw quietly. Others followed as
quickly as possible, all at heavy loss,
and so the exodus began The academy
closed its doors; the hotel was shut up;
ell building was suspended, and the
people were panic stricken. All who
could leave went away. But there
were nany who could not leave, for
their interests We're eli centered there.
One bright young lawyer who had
left good practice with good social
position in the east to build up home
at Fort Payne, bringing a charming
wife and family, was SO tortured by
the situation that he resorted 20
dangerous drug TO still mis- anxiety,
and is now bereft of home and wife,
the womsn's death being hastened by
the change IN the once happy life.
One man. somewhat elderly but full
of life and vigor, gave up his prosper
Gus business and lovely home in Yer
mont town to invest all at Fort Payne.
This man. suddenly aged BY this blight
ing trouble, his nervous condition de-
voloping into insanity, died alone and
deserted in a Massachusetts, insane
asylum last July.
Another man was so overcome with
excitement in the early days-so
troubled that he could not get all
the land ne wanted-that his brain be-
came unbalanced and he is now an in
mate of an insane asylum. Many 9th
ers followed IN his pathway, and sui
cides were frequent
One young man who had inherited .
snug fortune placed it all in the hands
OF trusted agent TO be invested for
him at Fort Payne, so great was his
faith in the. place. A charming villa
was to be built for him on the ont
skirts of the5 town, for he was coming
with his bride in the fall. The house
was never occapied save by tramps, and
it stands alone and deserted.
/ One of the>chief officers of the COM
pany. man respected by all, of strict
est integrity surrounded by friends
and by every comfort, a prominent at
torney in his own city, left all behind
| to place his fortune here. This man
thoroughly believed in the greatest
success for the venture, and, reaching
out in all directions. brought every
friend and lelative he could to the
| place, desiring .hem to share in the
glorious profits TO come. He has left
| all behind hinto begin life anew in a
northern city. He Is broken in spirit.
To all his own troubles he has the
! added pang of remorse-for the friends
and kindred wrecked through their
faith in him Many. many other in
stances of horror and despair could
be quoted. for of all the bright glory
only ashessremain.
The writer was painfully impressed
by the desolate appearance the lit.ie
town presented recently. 1t was night
when the visitor arrived and the black
ness of old Lookout, grim and dark
against the. horizon, but emphasized
the painful,contrast TO the appearance
OF the gay little city tour years ago 1t
is a tragic taIe--lhe rise and fall Of this
little town. carrying with it desolation
and despair into so many once happy
homes and hearts in New England.
The beautiful homes, costing so many
thousands OF dollars, laid out with
the natives of the place-people who
had lived in cabins before the boom,
whose farms had been so eagerly
bargained for and who could after
ward use the money thus given them
to buy fer a mere song the lovely
homes built there These who do not
buy calmly select ilouse-anywh here
end proceed To dwell therein. No rent
can be collected from them, for they
once more rule the town so wonderful
fully improved for, them by The Yam
KEGS"
All the industries are lying Isle,
many of them dispantled by the men
having charge of them for the past
three years, selling the fine machinery
to pay their own salaries. All is wait
ing for purchaser. The whole town,
costing more than five million dollars,
could be bought to-day for fifty thou
sand dollars or less. But who will
buy?
OF all the outsiders who invested In
Fort Payne, but one IS recalled who did
not suffer by the reaction He did not
wait for IL to come. He arrived early
in the spring OF 1889, without money
and apparently triendless- For weeks
he sat around IN the different real
estate offices constantly smoking an old
pipe. No one paid any attention TO
him. but ne was getting points, and,
finally, managed TO borrow some money
from good ia sured broker. He in
vested in land, was very lucky. and had
many quick returns from his real estate
ventures Then. While The fever was
ct its height aud enthusiasm boundiess,
while he might safely have fingered
and increased his winnings, he quietly
departed fer his western home without
saring good-by ana with fifty thousand |
dollars in his pocket.
A strange feature Of II all is that the |
honest leaders OF this enterprise lost |
not only all the money they ever had. !
but all prestige besides 1t was all a
tragedy for the investors
\ rumor recently came to the writer /
that the whilom manager of the enter I
prise, whose very name is hateful TO 80 |
many sad hearts in New England. was |
about TO return to Fort Payne 70 live |
with his family, seemingly much inter |
ested. either for himself or in behalf |
Of soma pr1a alSa IN Of 1