The citizen., 1919-12-25

them togetner before. What are the
natural elements which make a coun-
try or city a desirable place to liver
III tell you. Climate. transportation,
good water, variety Of landscape. op-
portunlty Of Independence. Given
these conditions. everything else can
be added. Then there's transporta-
tion. This is one Of the few centers
In America which has a North-and-
South trade equal to It's East-and- West
trade. We're on the crossroads. Every
settler who goes into the North--and
II Is mighty North-means more
North-and-South trade. tell you.
Dave, the movement is on now, and
before long It'll hit us like a tidal
wave. I've been a bit Of a gambler
all my life. but this is the biggest
Jackpot ever was. and I'm going to
sit In. How nbout your
"rd like TO think II over. Promo
tIon doesn't come very fast on this job,
that's sure"
"Yes and while you are thinking II
over chances are slipping by. Don't
think II over-put II over. tell you.
Dave. there are big things In the air.
They are beginning to move already.
Have you noticed the strangers In
town Of later That's the advance
guard"
"Advnnce guard OF a real estate
boomf"
"Hishi That's bad word. Get
away from II. Say industrial devel-
opment.'
let me elaborate. Wen say Alkali
Lake is q railway station where lots go
begging at n hundred dollars each. In
drops a well-dressed stranger-buys
ten lots at a hundred and fifty each
and the old-timers are chuckling over
sticking him. But in drops another
stranger and buys block Of lots at
two hundred each. Then the old
timers begin 10 wonder II they didn't
sell too soon. BY the time the fourth
or fifth stranger has dropped In they
are dead sure of It, and they are try
/ ing TO buy their lots back. All sorts
Of rumors get started. nobody knows
| how. New railways are coming, big
factories are to be started, minerals
have been located. there's secret wal
on between great moneyed interests
The town council meets and changes
the name TO Silver City-having re.
/ gard. no doubt to the alkali In the
slough water. The old-timers and all
that great, innocent public which Is
forever hoping to get something foI
nothing. are now glad to buy the lots
at five hundred to ten thousand dollars
each. and by the time they've bought
II up the gang moves on. It's the
smoothest game in the world. ant
every community will fall for It al
least twice. /. Well. they're here.
"Of course. it's a little different II
this case, because there really is some
thing in the way of natural advantage.
to support Il. It's not all hot air.
"Now. Dave. I've been dipping In {
little already. and 1t struck me w
might work together on this deal
Your paper has considerable weight
aud d that weight falls the right wa!
you won't find me stlngy. For instance
an item that this property"-he pro
duced slip with some legal descrip
tions-"has been sold for ten Thousand
dollars to eastern investors = yer.
conservative investors from the East
don't forget that-might help to turl
another deal that's just hanging. SOrr,
to keep you so long. but perhaps yo'
can catch the press yet" And witt
one Of his friendly mannerisms Con
ward departed.
Dave sat for some minutes In
quandary. He was discouraged wilt
his salary, or, rather with the lack O
prospect of any increase In his salar,
Conward's words had been very unset
tling. They pulled in opposite diret
tions. They fired him with new er
O thusiasm for his city. and they int
mated that gang of professions
land-gamblers was soon to perpetrat
an enormous theft. leaving the publ
holding the sack. Still, there must b
middle course somewhere.
At any rate. he could use Coward
story about the land sale. That wa
news-legitlmate news. OF course,
might be a faxed sale-faked for II
news value-but reporters are not pal
for being detectives. The Evening Ca
carried statement Of Conward's SALE
and on that statement was hung a co
umn story on the growing prosperIt
Of the city and Its assured future, ow
ing to its exceptional climate an
natural resources. combined with II
commanding position ON transports
ton routes. both east and west an
north, and south.
Continued next week.)