Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-01-29
From the Rocbridge News
RAFFLETOWN.
A DESERTED CITY OF THE BOOM
BY LOT OWNER.
6Continue,1 from LAST weekly
CANTO II.

CANTO II.
And now the day has come when lots are
And thousands crowd the avenues and lawn,
Owners of stock from many distant spots,
Are here to draw their long expected lOJS:
For be it known, who bought This STOCK Ill
Would draw one lot at least for each two
So. Gathered here, were men Of every trade,
Men of all ages, men of every grade, ,a
Lawyers and doctors, merchants too and
Merchants, artisans, farmers, clerks and
Mer of high station, and men of less renown,
Had all assembled here at RafhetoWn.
Good humor reigns-they laugh, they taiK'
And each one thinks his fortune now is made
The drawing closes as the sun goes down,
And some are smiling, while the others frown;
The first are happy. for their tickets sn 1rew
me others grumble, for the fates decide.
To locate theirs far up you mountain SIDE,
Where cen the wild goat in his youthfui
Pursued by foe, would hesitate to climb.
From this time forth the agents nave full
And many lots are bought and sold each day;
Hustler is happy as he kindly leads
His willing victims to procure their deeds.
While Hooker smiles, and thinks the time well
That Yields to both fairly good per cent.
They charge the BUYER for their time and
They charge tine SELLER, SO their rates are
double;
by such sharp tricks from which they never
ceased,
Thsy, day BIZ davs their. ans1aaccount increas-
And many smile as th.ss. 1:ss crowo they
Bat a-s..le their quaintness may indeed evoke
me foolish laughter and tie pointed joke,
We this asSert-that if to speak no ill,
To think no evil-tO control the will
To bear no malice, and to wish no harm;
To feel no anger, and to keep love warm
ii these be virtues. none deserve more praise
Than this old couple with their old-time ways
Where they have lived for many years alone
A few scant acres have their wants supplied
And blessed with health and strength were
1t took much labor and deal of thought,
To pay the sum for which their home wa
bought,
And now one object all their thoughts en-
A preparation for approaching age:
Denying comforts and declining ease,
Their little store increased by slow degrees
Until at length they felt the crisis past,
And fondly dreamed the goal was reached a
But now, alas, unseen conditions rise.
To mock the prudent, to confound the wise,
No wonder then. this simple minded pair,
We're soon entrapped in SpeculatiOn's snare
Of1cious neighbOrs told them wondrous tales
OF fortunes made on speculative sales.
anu Odlly urSeu Gnem Willie CQ0 price wa
down, r
To buy lot in famous Raffietown.
Undue excitement half the truth concealed,
The bait was tempting, and at last they yield
The old man searched the musty closet shelf,
And took from thence (he put it there himself
A woman's stocking which was none tn
worse,
Through years of service as woman's purse
With trembling fingers, now, in vain the
tried,
To loose the knot in which the cord was tied
The string was greasy and the knot was fast
But with their teeth they opened it at last:
They count the silvered pieces one by one,
Each represents some labor they have done:
To spend the savings of a score of years.
Made sad their hearts and filled their eve
with tears:
But all these feelings could restrain then
not
THEY WENT TO RAFFLErowNSAND BOUGHT
LOT.
When all was lost-their faith-their hope
their treasure,
Their neighborS left them to repent at leisure
Mistaken friends too often make US choose,
Those things our own best judgment wOult
refuse,
But should reverses come, forgetful and sur
priSed,
They first CONDEMN who at fine first ADVISED.
In all our trials. it indeed seems strange,
That changing FORTUNES. should our FRIEND
SHIPS change.