The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-10-07
Gle Price Of Fame.


u
TENF was a German farmer, but did
no farm work. He was so prosper
IS that he was able to sit out under
he shade Of the apple trees which grew
lose to the porch of his house and talk
10 Griest, his neighbor, who was. re
tired brewer, about bismarck. This
was over Is years ago. and Bismarck
was a most important parsonage to an
Illinois farmer who was German and
who did not have to work very hard for
his living.
Zenf's house was quarter of mile
back from the road, which was the last
named street of the ncighboring city.
It was city of some $4,000 souls, which
made it small enough and compact
enough for Zenf to be on neighborly
terms with the post office and the ma
tional bank. The house was quaint,
old, low-cciled, roomy edifice, half hid
den beneath the climbing grapevines,
and entirely concealed from view of
passers-by on the street because of the
intervening shrubbcry. Anobie orchard
of great apple trees lay alongside the
farm, and sometimes Zenf and Griest
would go over under theapple trees and
talk about Bismarck, for change of To-
cation rather than q change of subject.
Zenf loved the farm and the orchard,
and of his family he made much, for the
two girls were very pretty and very
sweet, and Anton, the boy, was growing
up to be a credit to him. He thought
he would die in the house under the
grapevines, and Mrs. Zenf thought so,
too.
One day man came to the city and
talked very much. He opened an office,
too, and hired other men from abroad to
come and help him talk. Then they got
cut lot of maps, ard Zenf was amazed
when he learned tina Griest had bought
the center Of Hobbins' pond.
"What for?" inquired the easy farm
err. "You will raise some ducks, NIGHT
WHARF
Gricst said no. That the center of
Hobbins' pond was now lot 4, block III,
Angelica terrace. Some day it would
be the site of very fine mansions, and
street cars would run there.
eff they do" Zenf answered, "they
will swim already"
Zenf was very slow in understand
ing the new order of things which the
talking man and his talking assistants
and their maps and plans and big red
signs of "For Sale" had brought about.
Sometimes he would go into the city in
his carriage, and he would return
amazed at the follies of the townspeople
who could speak of nothing but real
estate. There were agencies in feed
stores and harness shops and bakeries
and coal offices, and one man ran from
an undertaker's headquarters, jostling
an approaching company of pall-bear-
ers as he did so, to offer Zenf an option
on some excellent trackage property.
1t was two months before Zenf fell.
He learned to his surprise that Selig-
man, whose farm was two miles farther
out than his own, had lately plated
and soldit at an enormous profit, the old
Seligman place now being "a manu-
featuring suburb He also learned
that the land which lay alongside his
orchard was Catalpa View, where the
swell residents were going to build, and
that for a quarter of a mile his trees
shook apple blossomss upon the new
thoroughfare, Montmorency boule-
ward, which was all jimson weed and
nettles, as matter of fact. Zenf got
to thinking, and when the talking man
came to visit him one day he struck a
sharp bargain. The farm had been
bought by him years before-in the old
days before Emsie was born-for $1,000
He sold for $4,000, and this included
the little tract where the first baby
was buried; but, then, as the agent said,
he could easily remove the crumbled
little coffin to the cemetery and be glad
of heart that there were no more of his
dead to transfer.
1t was considerable of shock to
Mrs. Zenf. but Emsie and Anton and
the little girl, Lucy, were so overjoyed
at the comparison of $4,000 to $1,000
that really there was hardly any obiec-
ton from any quarter.
One day the Zenfs moved down the
winding lane under the trees, and that
was the last time they ever saw the
house under the grapevines, for the
very next day the agents men came and
cleared it off and drove stakes where
the surveyors had already marked the
new streets and cut trees for the thor
oughfare, and shortly after there was
an auction sale cf the beautiful, lot in
Spring Hill addition, and common re-
port lad it that the agent sold $l21.0oo
worth O. slightly lots before the setting
OF the :.ia.
Zenf l.,s,, almost lost Gliest, a.. q ever
viii his $4,000 wondered what he
should do with himself. \ man has not
lived a. his life when he is only Al years
cd, anG zenf had no inclination for go
ing far her away and buying another
farm. Che day an inspiration came to
him. lie would open saloon.
Giice. thought this was an excellent
idea. thousand dollars was there
fore paid f9r 5o-foot lot in the city,
wi.ifll IS ,ow becoming metropolis,
ard for :imilar amount fine brick
building was constructed.
zerf's saloon was prosperous from
the start. but it was much ,ess placid
than had been the house under the
grapey.nes. There were new friends
and ncw hi siness associates and many
calls us'on he ex-farmer for his time.
He hat' Two barkeepers, and prosperity
seemed 10 fe raining upon him. He
went down % the city hall one night