Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-02-05
ne Rocbridge News
RAFFLEToWN.
DESERTED CITY OF THE "BooM.'
BYA LOT OWNER.
Continued from last week.
CANTO III.
cANro III.

But here comes one whose meek and solemn
Among this crowd seems strangely out Of
HIS long dress coat, his collar and cravat,
HIS Wen brushed shoes, his cane his shining
Anspeak his calling and the rabble lest.
ana wonder il the preacher will invest.
This country parsOn was man of power
ana always gagged his sermons blythe hour |:
His zeal was earnest and his Language clear.
HIS tongue was fluent, and his love sincere.
His old Scotch Irish blood grew warm indeed
As he upheld his Calvanistic creed
He preached Election and he preached Ere,
WITH = s 4, i ssrnestnsss and equal skin
ne so4eheQ Al Fab5ecrs. yet it still would
me "a y ekN1I,zso was bis favorite theme:
AgaiHs e1is he wazl1d qft inveigh.
2s s 6Sa IS i9 r IS '' T. : sB4in1 pray
IS So @ a. asss ~ish 51 ~sso s19z
gox g a!s4s b passing ~
9s @sss y S sons ss ssfs e sSas
A +. s. sSSss: IN slayed. thsy always played
When boys OF larger growth, who smoke and
99As larger boys are almost sure to do)
would sometimes gather on the village
And deftiy toss their ..heads and tails for
Our worthy pastor felt the deep disgrace,
And dumb with horror turned away his
But when the ssboom" broke loose and all his
Were bent on buying Rafletonian stock;
When an his Elders and his Deacons drew,
This good old pastor then began to feel
That he himself would like to make deal -
And so he begged his stipends in advance.
And in this "Devi1'S Lottery" took chance;
And thus the sin combated in the past,
But proved the one to trip him up at last:
And now he groans, his righteous soul per
To think he should SO soon forget his text.
One fact consoles it don't atone
II he had erred, he did not err alone,
He felt that he was not so much to blame,
When all his brother preachers did the same:
With such false logic and such pleas as this,
We ease our conscience, and our sins dismiss.
CANTO "
Here comes another-'tis a farmer now
Alas that he should thus fOrsake his pillow,
Should leave the culture of his fertile land,
10 deal in stocks he could not understand.
His name Wiseacre, which his neighbors said,
In no sense proved the wisdom Of his head,
He owned a splendid farm-a brand new
A fine brick mansion on a ''neighboring hill -
Sleek cattle answered to the milkman's calls,
And pampered horses neighed from out their
His countless sheep on covered hillsides play
While fattening swine lay grunting in the
Extensive barns protected hay and grain,
Alike from winters snow and summers rain;
Most luscious fruits his many orchards bore
And yet not satisfied, he wished for more.
He heard OF Rah1etown-the fever caught,
ana being overwise, he therefore overbought
from day TO day. his purchases increased,
Though warned by friends that he would soon
be f1eeced
Convinced himself, he smiled at their alarm,
And In his rashness Inortgaged all his farm.
And still he smiled, for had he not just read,
The years report in which the President said
Tnat while the DEBTS had much increased of
late,
The ASSETS were proportionately great:
FICTITIOUS values on the lots must hide,
The CERTAIN losses on the other side
Twas easy thus to make the assets show.
good sized balance over what they owe:
when debt Increased, they only would inquire
70 what extent then mark the lots up higher,
Wiseacre's faith was very strong it seems
70 Dul!Q ms hopes on this. He little dreams 4
mat al the stock he now SO gilbly quotes,
W III prove as worthless as Confederate notes
That all his land, the lots he now possessed,
rev snort months and now how changed
We see him leave the once attractive spot.
BACK TO the farm (once his) The plods his weary
And piows the field (once his) at fifty cents a
day.
Oh what an idiot thus to leave his flock
10 mortgage land, to sell his blooded stock
70 venture all upon the one slim Chance.
That lots at Raf1etown would still advance.
he s wiser now. and stocks no longer CHARM
He gained in knowledge, though be lost his
farm.
Now as we visit Raff1etown once more.
No busy Hustler meets us as before;
y no pushing crowd assemblies on the green,
no nacks and carts upon the streets are seen !; |
No life at all except COW or two
Ntbbl1ng the grass on buncOmbe Avenue
The staked of lots. so regularly laid
The faded signs that agents once displayed
The ruined houses all recall the past
And show that "BoOms'' were never meant to |
las "