The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-04-09

California.
Three men stood on the top of u low,
Ea hill and examined o map.
"Name it-Eeome," suggested one OF
them.
Rome 2" said another, doubtfully.
wasn't built in IL day, you know"
%, Italy, was not" said the first
but Rome, California, shall
Pho played the parts of Rom
illus, 1Sefnus and Celer were the presi-
dent. vice-president and treasurer of
he Glorious Climate Land and Water
Company. Their names are not ma
terial, but conveniently, to distinguish
them from n another, we shall make
use OF their titles, respectively general,
colonel N major. Dulce OF decorum
est 1T is sweet and properl to serve
ones country on The field of battle,
vanquishing her enemies and uphold,
ing h honor of her flag. That is one
way to secure distinction and q mill
tary title.
The major had been q citizen of Los
Angeles n month-he still sometimes
inadvertently said "you" when he
meant i've"
The colonel had two months longer
to his credit, and intended to run for
h office of County Supervisor at the
ns~Rtzalsctio
The g9nerSwasa veritable ofdtimer.
He had been living in Los Angeles
now nearly u year.
Nobody knew whence they came.
There they were; that's all. In this
matter they were no worse off Tor shall
we say no better) than many others ut
that same time and place. The gen
eral, for example, when he was intro
duced to strangers had IL way of saying
In n Intt1 tnfna. { Vo, .t
is Bangs, sir! And that was my name
before / came here" Then he would
look aggressively around, and it hap
happened not in%frequently that of them
that heard him one or two would turn
u little pale and cast down their Dyes.
All, whittier have they gone, those
Judges, commodorcs and generals who
for u brief time seemed to own the
town. Can it be that they are all in
Oklahoma?
The capital stock of the Glorious Gil
mate Company was 50, 1000, 600, of which
sum $3.50 had been subscribed and paid
in. 1t was well known, however, that
the company was backed by q powerful
English syndicate. In those days
when q man desired to enter upon any
little enterprise, such as building u
railroad, constructing u d~eop-water
harhor, or founding a large manufac-
turing center, he would always take
care first to secure the backing of
some powerful English syndicate.
They. were always powerful nobody
ever heard of IL weak one.
The only other assets of the Glorious
climate Company was u document
bearing the signature of a degenerate
scion of II once illustrious Castilian
house-an option on u price of land IA
vOrably located for a town site.
The general, for all hat tho seams
OF his coat were shiny aud his cuffs
somewhat frayed, carried about with
him, nevertheless, secret talisman.
He had Il pull" with the railroad.
h information had come to him
from the inside that the California
on Bust Railroad p~rojected) was to
pass directly through the tract covered
by their option.
Believe in this railroad ? Well,
they knew the public did, anyhow-the
dear. t~rustful public, that always be.
lieves in things.
The colonel had been o
man in his early days. In II surpris-
1ngly short time everybody in South
ern California knew that great things
we're in store for the new city of Rome. |
On u certain day in August, the
tract was to he thrown. open to the3
public in q grand auction. Ia tile
meantime u few lots were disposed OF
at private sale-principally to news
paper men, public officials OF high
standing, railway magnatcs, famous
writer's n actors.
The major was to act as a%uctionecr.
He admitted to his partners that he had
never sold lots in his life, his greatest
EFFORTS heretofore in the line of mis-
representation having been limited to
the trading of horses.
1.-The principle seems to be about
h same, however," he said. ASK
hve me- what it Is worth, and then
take whatever is offered"
he was a coOi and easy speaker. The
crowd, the music and the enthusiastic
cheering OF the cappers moved him to
extraordinary effort. Many Of those
who came tc sc"9, remained to buy.
NO one was more astonished at the
result OF the sale than the conspirators
themselves. There was money enough
to transform the option into q decd.
pay all the debts of the company, es-
tabllsh a handsome bank account and
fill the pockets of all three with coin.
sc much prosperity terrified the ma
Jor, who anxiOusly inquired whether
they had not better divide up and bolt.
The others laughed at his fears. They
had accomplished thus much with no
money ut all. There was no limit to
what they could do nowawith re-estab-
lished credit and u full locker.
But we must change our tactics"
the general admitted. Heretofore IL
has beer faith and not works that have
oeen offered the public. We must
now show them that we mean business:
that we are laying the foundation of a
great city"
The next day fifty men went to work
In home, and the dirt began to Nv in
all directions. They we're LAYING out,
% city on % grand scale.
n second auction sale was TO take
place In a few weeks. In the mean
time brokers in the employ OF the com
pany vent about buying back q few of
the lots already sold, thereby ~stiffen-
ing the market. Several Thousand
street railway ties, rented for n short
time, were scattered through the tract
to fOreshadow the coming tramway.
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 pay such amazing prices
that The major, hardened horse dealer +
that he was, almost hesitatcd to accent
the bids. When the day was done the
city of Rome had passed completely
ont OF the hands Of tho company.
Now 1t was the general who coun1
seled Immediate hight. He had re-
ceived n little more T" inside informa-
tlon p--the O. ID. IL. II. WAS not coming
TO California at ell eve must get I