The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-07
HE BOUGHT A FOREST
A YANKEE DEAL WITH A STRONG
GOLD BRICK FLAVOR.

GOLD BRICK FLAVOR.
The Westerner Was Game, Though,
and Had No Kick TO Make Over the
TransactiOn-A New England VII.
Iage Election Trick. III
There are fewer people in the farming
districts of New England than there aro
ln the west This is one reason why few
er gold bricks" are bought In the east.
But if the gold brick" dealer is in no (
hurry New England Is bis field. The
New England mind moves slowly not ~
cause it 10 great, but because 1t lacks X
confidence In itself, but when il comes
down on proposition nothing can loosen
| its grip.
A New England man will look at the
old shell game for two or three summers
and whittle and say nothing. Then
when he thinks he is not watched he will
put up all his possessions on the seduc-
tive chance and lost of course. But this
characteristic of pause in the New Eng
land mind is not always to be taken as an
evidence of credulity. There 10, in spite
of seeming paradox, NO more cunning in
dividual than this same New England
farmer, who worships methodically and
who, on the surface, "keeps all the laws"
A western man went to Massachusetts,
last winter on speculation. The state
ment, unattended by explanation, would
warrant an expression Of doubt. West.
ern men do not so Into New England to-
speculate as cold proposition. In this
case the western man had whim to sat- r.
isfy. His daughter, who had read The "A
Courtship Of Miles Standish" unit. 1t was \
gospel truth to her mind, persuaded him
to buy farm in Massachusetts. a
1t was stipulated that the farm should
have trees. They were to be pine and ce-
dar and similar hardy growth. which the II
SHOWS Of winter would not affect. II is
curious that man accustomed to the q
practical life of the west should have u
fancy of this sort, but there are streaks n
in the human mind which no philosophy n
can explain.
One old man in the Bay State who rep
resents the third generation on the place
heard that a western man was looking
about to buy" No one will ever know VI
when this New Englander incubated the
idea of selling the homestead. 1t might
have been lurking for quarter of a CEN
fury. During one of the big snowfalls
the western man visited, by arrangement, n
the farm. The owner had waited to make
The appointment. Another evidence Of
The poky characteristic of the New Eng s
andsr. But wait until you see the method
in his lingering.
The western man arrived late in the
lay and after a hearty New England S
supper retired. On the following day he
t,J tbrny ha fhn Il
arm Pines and cedars and everlasting VI
growth were everywhere. Even in the
lcreage, where three generations had
Ind shrubs The westerner had never #
een farm like this. The old New Eng
ander explained that the soil was so pro-
uctive of evergreens that he had to post
zone planting 6ten in order to grub the
There is nothing like backing up your
luff. The westerner, although accustom-
d to stiff games was taken in by the I
aintly New Englander. That night the
purchase money was paid by the western
r. He left quite early the following
morning for New York, closed up the
ea and started west. He was to have
ossession of the New England farm In s
1ay. s
He came back in May with his wife
nd daughter and reached the "old home
tcad' in the evening. Only keeper was "
II the premises The former owner had
loved out so that the new one might
ave possession of all at once. The fol- MI
owing day the western household was
ut early to look over the place. There
ms no snow on the ground. The ever M
reens, the pines and cedars were every
here, just as the westerner had told his
life and daughter But the wife. q prac- IA; 4;
cal sort Of woman, who hadn'f much
Sc for Longfellew, asked "pa". why the
'ees were in tubs and buckets. 4
Was the New England mind slow2
he man who represented the third gen.
ration on this farm, having learned that
our western farmer was on sentiment
purchase bought up all the trees in N
oxes and tubs, such as you see in sum
er gardens and in barren places, and
i'd them stacked away until big snow
ropped all over New England. Then
icy were planted about the old place.
id the snow was packed about the box
to hide them. s
Your western man, who salted mines
I'D sold them to eastern capitalists,
fought he was smart. I am told by the
an who related this transaction, and he Y
rated high, that when the western man
w that be had bought "gold brick" he is
aver soueaed He was too thoroughly
estern for that. He just said to his
ife: "Well, the old New Englander s
dn't lie about it. He never snid the
ees were in the ground" And now
IN old New England farm" is on the
,oks of real estate agent. In case Of
lie immediate possession" Is guaran-
ed. &
The villagers Of a New England town
IT far from the farm sold 10 the west 5s
ner held an election. One of those To- ~
i issues came up that often distract a
hole county.
A few miles out Of town about 200 la
rers were engaged. They had been In d
e county Just long enough to entitle
en- to the franchise so dear tQ the new
mer. Two hundred votes will change
e result Of village election.
The lsbOrers went to their work before
e polls opened. They started on their
turn by train an hour before the polls
,sed. When half way back. the engine
me to standstill. The engineer drop
d sand and opened the valves. but the =
heels Of the engine went round like
ndmill The engine wouldn't bulge.
The villagers. who had not enough
tes to carly their ticket on account Of M
e new vote that had been dumped, had
cased the rails. The new vote did not "
ach the village until the polls were clos
The villagers of sleepy New Eng.
ld town had beaten a corporation
licaeo Tribune. IA