The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-18

1vrluE kFVAtneS$ nave bad bOpfus and de-
| served 10 look with optimism on their flu
| tare But here was a State at a long dis
| lance from raw materials OF most kiuds
used In the arts and manufactures, and
| with the freight rates 70 the markets of the
| world sim unadjusted. trying to become
Massachusetts or a Connecticut at 4 bound.
| The abnormal development was based on
| manufacturing. The bonuses and the stock
companies were the chief features for max
Ing the towns all that was promised for
thern--tor Of course something had TO be
shown to make tie gold brick sell. ANY
one with good prestnCe could get a
bonus out OF the Kansas town in the years
1851. Almost everybody who thought OF
II did There arr thousands OF men trying
70 this day TO pay the notes that they signed
TO secure e carriage works. pottery
works. a lock works. or Something Of the
kind The factories that were started long
ago departed this life.
But the essence OF the speculation was
III the town lot The process was not COM
plicated. II is familiar enough now: 100
acres at $50 an acre equals 5000 100 acres
equals 1000 lots; loco lots st $40 equals
$40. 9o0-and there you are Ever! body
saw It at once. and the town sites came
into being as fast out on the prairies as
did the additions in the settled districts
Thousands OF acres OF good torn land
were spoiled 10 make poor additions that
were never sold For a mile In every d.
rection around towns Of a001 people could
be found the stakes marking the streets
and alleys OF some new rcsidepce section.
On wind aud gas the boom Was founded
and 1t was SIS lively as thcse clements com
btned could make II Boards OF trade and
social splendor Dnurlshee. Governor Click
himself caught tho fever and was interest.
ed In a morning daily paper with full press
dispatches al Abilene. cut in the center OF
the state Il only sunk $4,000 in three
years. six thousand miles Of railway
were built on the strength OF the bonds is
sued by the peopie-ihe people are now
paving the bonds. Pullman cars were run
over branches where nov are mixed freight
and passenger trains daily except sun
day" II seemed that nothing could pre-
vent everybody from getting Tich. and most
Of the spectators did--oa paper. Prices
Of real estate vent to the top notch and
then EEL.
said everybody saw tie lot speculation
at once Not all. one day late in the fall
OF 1851 far out on the prairie, two niles
from the center OF a l:tte city vest of the
center % The state that rad doomed as
hard as any. was a msn driving stakes.
on al tho end OF The field was Il surveyor
instrument l halted ard asked:
What arc you dcne"''
Laying this eighty OF in lots"
EXPECT 10 ssli them
"Oi course Thesis lots OF suckers back
East that have not been lifted out yet. and
EurSS they viii bite T.
Tiey did not bite and the stakes were
taken out by the pillow Two years after
This vas believe. the Last addition Laid
ly, In tie boom times. The boom reall.
ended IN the autumn OF 1851. II showed
soine signs Of lie until the followinl |
spri~r These WHO had been left in tbs
transaction tiled to keep regardless OF III.
situation. a stiff ul7sF lip but II was no
use The land aEents shut IN their Offices I
one by one, and the startling headliues
disappeared from the columns Of the Local |
napers. II was then the people OF the |
state began to reap the hnryest OF tn,
seed they lad sown. The harvest Is IL |
progress yet.
When values decreased the debts in
CURED to secure the iIeXuries Of the times |
we're the more kceuiy felt In some Of tho |,
towns there was surh burden that people |
allowed he rroperty to 20 for taxes and.
he mortgages. Two OF these cities we're |
by ne recent Legislature given power TO |
compromise their indebiedness so far az it |
IS duc 70 the Sfatr--Anthony and Clmar |
ron On both the bonds are almost as |
rnurh as tho valuation. ana continuance |
OF present conditions means that the peo |
pie VIII move out and start another town |
on the edge Of the present town site. Scores
Of other towns FELT this as much. and many
VIII Yet nave 10 come 10 come KIND OF |
cotupr1mise wien the bondhoiders They |
are Tor the most part IN the western part
of the State. ana should never have been
incorporated. There is one place, Saratoga.
that once was Of considerable pretensions, |
It had a school house and stores, likewise
a mayor. city clerk and other officers.
Now there is only grassy streak whore the
Ftrcct used to be. empty school house and
empty dwellings ali over the town site.
The railroad that runs through the town
ship found the other day that tho taxes
against the road In that township were
$1,000 on valuation Of $1,000 II rs needed
10 ray he bonds ISSUED 10 tha! aame road. ,
These nre the extreme caees. Most Of the |
towns that had booms and dreams OF be-
coming the state capital even the Ma |
tional cnpita4 perhaps. have gnt over IL, as
children got over the nenFles. They arc
paying for it In heavier taxes and some |
bonds coming to maturity. |
but they are economical and are getting
ahead The old plats OF the additions have
been burned NJ and the legislature has
relocated about i1n Of the additions 10 the
farm lands from which they should mover
have been taken.
Tho boom that started In Kansas went to
the Narlh aud South. It built ports on the
Pacific ooast and erected cities in the low
lands Of Alabama and Assissppi. 1t
spread TO South America and there ended
in the Argentine collapse Kansas Is re
covering FIRST. and the drastic measures OF
its legislature IN ending the corporate eH-
istpuce Of the unnecessary additions and
town sites Is helpful In getting the State
in o normal poaition once more. Driving
through the streets NJ It's towns one may
yer feel the ragged bumps marking the To-
cation ~ the street CIR liros ties that
were long ago takcn out. There are other
marks of the boom yet visible after
whole decade. hut the people are trying
hard to forget II. and arc almost succeed
ing. C. NJ Harger.