The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-10-02
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
Real and Room Towns,

Hedl anu BOOM Towns.
The time is ripe for giving some
advice to spectators in real estate.
Especially may it well applyto citizens
Of Clarksburg. And in rider to thor.
oughly impress the necessity of heed.
ing such advice, comparisons may be
essential. With that end in view, the
Telegram calls attention to the dis.
position toward boom towns these
days, which are not even like mush.
rooms, as the old saying is, that spring
up in the night, No, they have not
even that much naturalization. To
the contrary, the only inducement is
the plat that has been made Of a city
or town, which is not even prospective
in the literal sense of the word. A
band, or an OK roast, or both, may be
a side inducement and serve to incIte
the people, deprive them of their
reason, and cause them to make fool
hardy investments.
This spirit within the past few
months, has become almost general
among the people Of this State, and,
especially in this section. A few men
band themselves together, purchase
Vacantlands near some town, which
has nothing behind it to assure a
future that will be an advancement
on the present. They may then, and
sometimes do, arrange to have an in
dustry view site, begin a mill, or a
shop, and make the impression that a
city, which will shortly be a hive of.
industry, will be founded and built.
Then, the next thing is to set a date
for a big lot sale. This announced In
glarlng headlines, or flaming posters,
and with bird's.eye views Of an entire.
ly imaginary town or city, the thing
is to get the people there and then to-
soil them lots, which they are made to
believe are gold bricks, They buy,
only to find to their sorrow soon after.
ward, that the trick was played with.
even greater success than the shark
and crook display on the uususpectlng
farmer, who goes to New York for the
first time.
Usually, these lot sales occur in
towns, where there is no industry and
but little business, and where there is
no prospect OF substantial growth
for years to come. But in most cases,
notwithstanding the lack Of induce.
ments, men have been able to make
small fortunes by alluring Investors
into these unstable purchases. A
country seized with disposition Of
this sort soon the disposition a disease
whose ravishes grow quickly beyond
control, or remedy, or cure, Persist
entity 'gnawing at the slnews, the
pocket books In particular, it consumes
the structure of the country, and, be-
forelt is realized what is occurring,
the fabric has collapsed.
Experience in other states, especial.
y in the far west, have all been Of the
nature here described. A fad seized
the State Of Washington some years
azo to develop the state by the organ,
ization of land ard Improvement
companies, whose principal object was
to found boom towns to the extent Of
lotsales. The moyementgrew rapidly
into popular favor, and, in short
while, every one who could rake up a
few dollars was an investor in real
estate and entertained the belief that
lie was on the road to riches. But the
unexpected happened, but not neces-
saflly the unnatural. Crashes came
10 quick succession. Panic relgned
supreme Lands in these boom towns
were laid waste. sheriIs sold them