The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-06
BOOMING OF ROME.

lnroo mon Htoou on tho top oil q low,
fiat hill and examined n map.
"Namo it Rome" suggested ono Of
them.
'Rome?' said another doubtfully.
ut wasn't built in a day, you know"
"Romc. Italy, was not" sud tho first
speaker, "but Rome, Cal, shall bc."
Those who played tho parts OF Romu.
lus. liemus and Coler wore tho prosi.
dent, vice president aud treasurer Of
tho Glorious Climate Land and Water
company. Their names are not ma;eri.
al. but conveniently to distinguish them
n from tho other wo shall mako uso
OF their titles. respectively general,
colonel and major.
Nobody know whence they came.
There they worc-that's ali. In this
matter they woro no worse or Tor shall
wo say no bottorO than many othors at
that same titno and place.
The capital stock OF tho Glorious Gil
mate Company was $4,000 OF which
SUN $3.50 had boon subscribed aud paid
in. 1t was well known. however, that
the company was backed by n powerful
English syndicate. In those DAYS when
u man desired 10 enter upon any little
enterprise. such ai building II railroad,
constructing 4 deep water harbor or
founding II largo manufacturing centre,
he would ~alwaystake care first TO secure
the backing OF some powerful English
syndicate. They were always powerful.
Nobody over heard OF n weak one.
The general, for all that the seams OF
his coat were shiny and his cuffs some
what iraycd, carried about with him
nevertheless n secret talisman. lie had
a pull" with the railroad. The intor-
nation had come to him from tho in.
side" tina. tho California or Bust rail.
road (projcctcdl was TO pass directly
through the tract covered by their
option.
The colonel had been n newspaper
man in his early days and understood
tho gentle nrt OF working the press"
In a surprisingly short time everybody
in southern California knew that great
things were in store for tho new city OF
Rome. There could be no doubt oil ii
because the newspapers said SO.
On Il certain day in August the trac.
was to be thrown open to tho public in
q grand auction. In the meantime u
few lots were disposed OF at private sale
principally to newspaper mon. public
officials OF high standing. railway mag.
mates, famous writers and actors.
The major was TO net Us auctioneer.
He admitted to his partners that lie had
never sold lots in his life, his greatest
efforts heretofore in the limo OF misrep-
rescntation having been limited to the
trading OF horses.
THE principle seems 10 DO about the
same. however," he said. ASK five
times what 1t is worth and then take
whatever IS offered"
No one was more astonished ut the
result OF the sale than the colispirators
themselves. There was money enough
to transform the option into 4 decd. pay
all the debts OF the company, establish
a handsome bank account and fill tho
pockets of all three with coin.
So much prosperity terrified tho
major, who anxiou.ly inquired whether
they had not better divide up and bolt.
The others laughed at his feara.
"BuL we must change our tactics"
the general admitted. Heretofore i.
has been faith and o works that we
have offered the public. We must
show them that We mean business; that
We arc laying the foundation OF n great
city,"
The next day fifty mon went 10 work
| in Rome, and the dirt Uegannto fly in ell
directions. They were laying out tho
| city on n grand scale.
A second auction sale was to take
place in n few weeks. In the meantime
brokers in the employ OF the company
went about buying back u few Of tho
lots already sold, thereby stitIening the
market. Several thousand street rail
way ties, rented for n short limo were
scattered through the tract to ioroshad'
ow the coming tramwnys.
When the second sale took place the
crowd in attendance was enormous,
People fought for places and offered to
nav such amazing prices that tho major,
hardened horse dealer That he was, al
most hesitatcd 10 accept tho bids.
When the day was dono the city Of
Rome had passed completely out Of the
D session Of the company.
Now it was the general who counselcd
immediate flight. lie had received
li,,le more inside intormation-,hc q.
B. II, X. was not coming to California
Mt ali. ave must ge. out OF tho country
before that is %sprung." said he, 'or we
shall BIO tarred and fcathered.'
"And tho many promises OF The Glori'
oil, Climate company" said tho colonel,
"tho boulcyards We were to build. parks
to Law out, public buildings to construct
how about thcm?'
The general smiled. "Let tho Eng.
lisn syndicate tako caro- OF all that"
said he.
A few days later tho trio had disap-
reared. So mad the laborcrs upon tho
foundations OF Rome. Az 4 matter oil
fact, the great boom in southern Cali
fornia was at Nh cnd. Tho impression
began to loak into many people that
somewhere they had heard something
about "a fool and his money"
As for tho thrco they certainly were
no fools. But
Tho general went to Now York and
lost it all in Wall street.
Tho colonel went to Ohio and lost IT
all irving to found n newspaper.
Tho major wont to Europe and lost il
all ut Monte Carlo.
1t was soven yoara after tho episode
OF Rome that tho threo men drlitod 10
gethor again in Chicago.
Each confessed to discontcnt, though
none OF them was disposed TO 60, into
particulars. All lamonted tho halcyon
DAYS Of tho founding OF Rome.
There was no such combination as
that n. Monte Carlo" said tho major.
mo such lambs iu Wall street.
sighed tho general.