The Portland daily press., 1895-04-22

| in few weeks In the meantime brokers
in the employ of the company went about
buying back few of the lots already sold.
thereby stiffening the market Several
thousand street railway ties rented for a
| short time, were scattered through the tract
| to forsshadow the coming tramways.
| To hear of these things through the
newspapers did the public seriously in
! cline When the second sale took place.
| the crowd in attendance was enormous.
| People fought for places and offered to nav
| such amazing prices that the major, hard
ened horse dealer that he was, almost
hesitated to accept the bids. When the
day was done, the city of Rome had passed
completely out of the possession of the
company.
Now it was the general who counseled
immediate flight. He had received lit
| tie more inside information-the G. B. r.
K. was not coming to California at all
1--WE must get out of the country before
| that is sprung" said he, cor we shall be
| tarred and feathered.'
'"And the many promises of the Glorious
Climate company said the colonel, s'the
bouleyards we were to build, parks to lay
out, public buildings to construct--how
about thems'
The general smiled. 'Let the English
| syndicate take care of all that said he
A few days later the trio had disappear
ed. So had the laborers upon the founda-
tions of Rome. AS a matter of fact, the
great boom in southern California was at
an end. The impression began to leak
into many people that somewhere they had
heard something about "a fool and his
money"
AS for the three they certainly were no
fools. But
The general went to New York and lost
it all in Wall street.
The colonel went to Ohio and lost it all
trying to found a newspaper.
The major went to Europe and lost it
all at Monte Carlo.
Naturally each, when stranded, appeal
ed to the others. Naturally, too, the reply
in each case was depressing. 1t was seven
years after the episode of Rome that the
three men drifted together again in Chi
cago.
The generals coat was again shiny at
| the seams and his cuffs frayed as before
The colonel drank beer and smoked cheap
cigars. The major had evidently taken to
strong liquors.
Each confessed to discomfort, though
| none Of them was disposed to go into par
| ticulars All lanented the halcyon days
of the founding of Rome.
"There was no such combination as
| that at Monte Carlo" said the major.
s'No such lambs in Wall street" sighed
the general.
''No such suckers in Ohio" echoed the
colonel.
"Why not go back there?'' asked the
general. II don't mean to Rome. for the
coyotes must have jumped that claim,
but to southern California
"WalkS' said the colonel briefly.
IT can get transportation, said the
general. "My pull with the road still
holds good-one way
Zone way?" repeated the major
Yes-away from New York, where my
swell relatives live. The return is not SO
easy''
''Shall we go by the California or Bust
line?'' asked the major, with a grin.
"You needn't laugh" said the general.
''That road was built after all, and in
tend to get passes over it. "
Four days later as the c. B. r. R..
overland was nearing the end of its run
the three comrades, deep in a poker game
in the smoking car, were electrified to
hear passenger saying:
''This station is Rome. Grown quite a
city, hasn't it?''
"Whaa-tr' cried the general, dropping
his cards. us there Rome on this line?'
Is there?" echoed the passenger. Just
look out of the window and see.''
The three rushed to the platform as the
train drew up at handsome station sur
rounded by a well kept park. In plain
letters over the door they read the name: