The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-09-02
Some Western Observations
(BY SETH BOTToMLEY)


upon by a land agent. And he was a
good one in fact, a genius of his
kind at painting up his particular
earthly paradise as the it, ] after
wards saw the golden spot he was
agent for, and when l remembered his
rose -colored description of it, | was
/ lost in wonder at his marvellous skill
in prevarication and ton.
1t is coming to be an acknowledged
| fact that many real estate dealers
| would make first class romancers, and
| think those of California stand at
the head of the list. 1t hardly looks
possible that one generation could
reach the proficiency in drawing the
| long bows that they have. In this
day and age of speculative science,
then, will it be amiss to offer theory
of their origination? Here goes, any
way, and if my theory is any more
ridiculous than the hundreds of other
| scientific problems of the day then
| | will ask for neither honors nor pelf,
! as DIR. Cook did, from either the Uni
versity of Copenhagen or any other in
stitution of learning. Here. then, is a
theory of the origination of California
| 'land boomers" The "Good Book"
tells us that it is only synopsis of
| history, a chart or outline for our
| guidance through life. The details are
left to us to work out ourselves
For instance, we read of Ananias
dead for keeping back part of the
price of the land and then lying about
it. Surely our land boomers have never
read this story of the fearful fate of
their ancestors, for such this theory
claims they are, or they would re-
pent and fOrsake their evil ways. Here
we have warning example of the
fearful punishment meted out for the
two crying sins of land agent, lying
and misrepresentation. But we have
no account of tine fate OF the children
As race suicide" was an unknown
evil among the Israclitcs it is about
a certainty that Ananias and Sappira
left behind them OH their sudden exit
from the world, large family. The
question is, what became of them?'
1t is not reasonable to suppose that
they would stay in Israel to be snub
/, bed, jeercd and scoifed at, even if q
mob did not drive them out Of the
country, for even the Israelites resort
cd to mob law at times. Admitting
then, that the children cmigrated, the
, question is where did they 80 to? A:
travel by land was both tedious ant
, dangerous in those days. the natura
inference would be that the travel Lex
to the sea coast and then took shil
to where? Why not to America
The probability is that they were TIN
original wandering Jews and nigh
!, finally have wandered to far off Cali
fornia. Once there it is equally q
: probable, tscence is mostly probabil
ity). that they met with the famil
of that wonderful traveller and 70
. mancer. the famous Baron MunchauseI
That the two families would inter
: marry is certain, hence the ori9inatio
of the California fruit land boomer:
That they inherit the qualities of bot
branches of the original stock, eXaa
. geration and greed. none will deny VIII
= have met with the present generatio
} of land boomers. That they are a moo
. ern production it is unreasonable t
:, suppose. Nothing but generations G
y in and i'll breeding would produce
= race SO proficient in the qualities til
!, founders of the family. Ananias an
- the Baron. were famous for
! submit this theory to the autho,
!" tiles of the Universities of Chicago an
10 Copenhagen, and if they conclude
= am worthy of LII. d. let them sen
~ it along, postage prepaid.