The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-09-24
Hope of Getting Something for
Nothing Springs Eternal in
Human Breast.
MANY WILD SCHEMES TRIED
Story Of Romance, Hardship and vIo'
ience, Of Adventure, Despair and
0uIIibiiity, With Sudden Trips
Abroad Made by Promoters.

Boston.-Ever since the beginning Of
things men have been trying in one
fashion or another to achieve their
fortunes over night. to recover the
Midas touch of the fabulist, to get
rich quick"
Sometimes they have succeeded.
Sometimes they have nurtured their
hopes only to come back to hard re-
atty with hard bump. Sometimes
In their haste they have been swindled.
From the days Of the sailing or
Jason upon his long quest of the
Golden Fleece, from the times OF the
alchemlsts of the middle ages, who
puttered out their lives among dusty
tones, seeking with tired but hopeful
eyes for the key to the enigma or sud-
den wealth-the touchstone which
should transmute lead to gold-to the
days of mushroom fortunessin "inter-
national reply coupons" isn't such
far cry after all, James II. Powers
writes In the Boston Globe.
It is a story of romance and hard
ship and. violence. Of adventure and
despair and sometimes absurd gulsi-
bility and sudden trips abroad made
By promoters with gripsacks stuffed
with cash.
Mad Rush for Gold.
In America the story really begins
with the mad rush across the prairies
and the mountains In 40 to the gold
fields of California. There had been
other "gold hunts" before this, but
none Of them developed such nation
al fever as resulted from the announce
ment of this discovery Of nuggets
~weighing as much as half pound
apiece" that percolated through the
East and started that famous uproar.
Enthusiasm rose to unbelievable
heights. Families started out from
Massachusetts,, New York and other
eastern seac0ast states without even
bothering to sell their houses. By
horseback, farm wagon and BY ship
the migration got under way. Parties
of prospective millionaires chartered
schooners and sailed all the way
around the Horn in their excitement.
And upon the retina Of the inner
eye Of every one persisted the dream
picture OF marble halls" and
span" and the imagined luxury Of
doing nothing N particul0. while
obedient lackeys lowered about for
ever after, like the senil Of Aladdin's
lamp, awaiting orders.
The California gold crush enriched
thousands, though at the price Of vast
hardship and sacrifice. Thousands Of
others It ruined, when they became
stranded In a wilderness 5000 miles
from settled civilization, on their III
fated claims. The best thing about
n wasn't the wealth II produced at
all, but the fact that IL began the
definite expansion of the United
States.
Capt Kidd and the kiondIke.
"Somethlng for nothing" many
years later. drew thousands more
Americans down In the Oklahoma ter
ritory when the government an
nounced that II would permit home
steads to be rushed" on q certain
date. All the man who wanted to
become a property holder had to do
was to be on hand when the signal
was given.
Government officials lined of the
start, as II IT were a 40 yard dash Of
today. Fences were built and every
claimant had to be behind the bulwark
ready. Then, at q given signal. down
went the barriers and the swarm Of
fortune hunters piled into the plains.
peIlmeIl. to stake their claims and Be
gin their new careers. and be happy
szar after.