Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-15
FATAL BOOMING.
John Quill Tells a Story Of loo
Much Praise.
WHY a Bostonian Fled from Beautiful
Maine Town.
He Had Come to Do Business but
Changed His Mind;

II is nretty generally conceded ina
the state of Maine as whole is apou-
as we'll advertised as any state IN tie
So. Union. Her fame has EXTENDED the
Ienpth and breadth OF the country. 1 ne
,,ress recognized as an important FAC
for in spreading the glad tldlnSS
throughout the State, has SHOWN d
very liberal spirit in opening its col
umns to any laudable enterprise ttldt
has a tendency in any way to add 70
the states prosperity, or in any way 10
benefit the commonwealth. All the
good things that she 50 richly deserves
that have been said about this state
are published and sent out broadcast
and eventually take root and blossom
into a harvest of pleasure seekers ana
manufacturers, who find the State OF
Maine their ideal abiding place
never would believe that there was
sucb = thing as OVERRIDING this boom
business. | always thought the old
state was nattery- proof and any bust
ness planted in good Maine soil was
bound to grow ana flourish like 4 green
bav tree. | have always had such an
j. exalted opinion of this northern end of
North America that all the good things
said about her fell far short or the
mark. She deserved them all, but re-
Gently | have had my faith in the boom
business ruiely shaken. In fact l am
inclined to think | have been in error.
and with all Names broad acres, and
incxhaustibla resources. there are some
few things the good old State is moi
adapted to.
| dung to the deUsion. Ike mother
TO her first-born, but now alas | am
Obliged to bow to the inevitable. | was
talking to a friend OF mine, the othe.'
day. who has been Il resident of Bos-
ton for some years. Il man young III
years, who held Il good position and
had reached the top round of the ladder,
vet he yearned for new fields and pas
lures green and wanted to see his name
i'll big gilt letters over the door of some
establishment of his own. rs Their"
was no prospect of a partnership. ill
the concern ne WAS with for many
years To come and his family was in
crclSinG as the years rolled by, the onlY
alternative for him was TO go out in the
world ana seek some spot where the
business WAS not oVcrd0ne, and new
ont u name ana fortune for himself.
Naturally he was attracted to Maine,
an! some time ago he packed hi; grip
and stuck out for the State ON a pros
pccting tour. He had been in the State
several times on pleasure bent, but this
time il was business. He had i'll his
mind several small towns, whom Il" left
tn" Hub so took them in rotation rs
h" cam" along. They all had som"
faults. There WAS some fly i'm the
ointment with all of them. until he
struck small village M north. Just
far enough from the railroad to be a
thriving town. and just near enough to
he called a city. Here at last was his
ideal. his golden dream: his strong box
would be taxed to the utmost. to held
all the wealth he had in his mind that
would cCmc flowing his way. His so
cial and political rise would be rapid.
First would come his election tn the
school board; then the town would
want him for its treasurer. and still on
ward Excelsior" would he his motto.
until he brought up ut the portals of
the state House to make laws for the
people. Ills wife and family were not
left out of this rosy dream. HIS wife
would Head the social set. and pra"ti-
raliy reign as queen of the little -Four
liul''l WI 'tll'I nv II N'uIti il'' w
what they had never had before plenty
of room to play in. ana abundance of
fresh air. He had about finished his
sky castle picture. when he met one Of
the old settlers of the town. an old en-
,husiast. who had lived man and boy
in that village ever since il WAS re-
claimed form the Indians. so he in a
confidential mood unfollcd his plans.
and told him he had I'm idea of lncatiuG
in the town. and becoming one Of the
business pillars.
The old gentleman CRASHED the ot,-
rortunity he hal been waiting FOR for
. years to say Il good word about the
town he lived in. 1t is said that every
thing comes to him vino waits. and tn
old gentleman had waited long ana
well. ard he waxed eloquent. Why
ne SAM young man. You may tramp
the world over. you will never find -
town Xix" this. this side Of the great
Beyond. You see the whole village
slopes to the south. The soil is rich
and fertile, and all you have to 10 l.;
Ia tickle the ground with hoe. AMI the
crops will laughingly burst forth
There's. plenty of water coming down
The mountainsidc to drive the busy
wheels. Every family in town is self
II supporting, good schools and churches
are the rule. and above all plenty o.
good Maine air. Why. my good man. it
Is the hellthiest place or the continent.
Nobody ever dies here. The only flu
neral we ever had was several years ago
ana tHat was over n man blown up by
premature blast. where they were ex-
raNatinS for ce!ler \ funeral here is
rs much of sight as a circus that per-
forms all that it advertiscs 10 do on the
bills"
My friend from the Hub had heard
enough. The ancient OLD town town
boomer had overshot the mark. He
h3d Killed the hen that was about TO
lay the golden egg. Slowly. bu, surely,
me f"Slonian realized that the hot cir
had gone out OF his toy balloon anu
the golden calf had died from oyer-
feeding. 50 when the SHADES of might
settled down over the village. like \
black pail. he packed his gunnv sack
and struck out for Puritanic old Ros-
ton He was an undertaken.