ONCE upon a time, it happened that the men who governed in themunicipal affairs of a certain growing town in the West, resolved,in grave deliberation assembled, to purchase a five-acre lot at thenorth end of the city--recently incorporated--and have it improvedfor a park or public square. Now, it also happened, that all thesaleable ground lying north of the city was owned by a man namedSmith--a shrewd, wide-awake individual, whose motto was,
"Every man for himself," with an occasional addition about a certaingentleman in black taking "the hindmost."
Smith, it may be mentioned, was secretly at the bottom of thisscheme for a public square, and had himself suggested the matter toan influential member of the council; not that he was moved by whatis denominated public spirit--no; the spring of action in the casewas merely "private spirit," or a regard for his own good. If thecouncil decided upon a public square, he was the man from whom theground would have to be bought; and he was the man who could get hisown price therefor.
As we have said, the park was decided upon, and a committee of twoappointed, whose business it was to see Smith and arrange with himfor the purchase of a suitable lot of ground. In due form thecommittee called upon the landholder, who was fully prepared for theinterview.
"You are the owner of those lots at the north end?" said thespokesman of the committee.
"I am," replied Smith, with becoming gravity.
"Will you sell a portion of ground, say five acres, to the city?"
"For what purpose?" Smith knew very well for what purpose the landwas wanted.
"We have decided to set apart about five acres of ground, andimprove it as a kind of park, or public promenade."
"Have you, indeed? Well, I like that," said Smith, with animation."It shows the right kind of public spirit."
"We have, moreover, decided that the best location will be at thenorth end of the town."
"Decidedly my own opinion," returned Smith.
"Will you sell us the required acres?" asked one of the councilmen.
"That will depend somewhat upon where you wish to locate the park."
The particular location was named.
"The very spot," replied Smith, promptly, "upon which I have decidedto erect four rows of dwellings."
"But it is too far out for that," was naturally objected.
"Oh, no. Not a rod. The city is rapidly growing in that direction. Ihave only to put up the dwellings referred to, and dozens will beanxious to purchase lots, and build all around them. Won't theground to the left of that you speak of answer as well?"
But the committee replied in the negative. The lot they hadmentioned was the one decided upon as most suited for the purpose,and they were not prepared to think of any other location.
All this Smith understood very well. He was not only willing, butanxious for the city to purchase the lot they were negotiating for.All he wanted was to get a good round price for the same--say fouror five times the real value. So he feigned indifference, and threwdifficulties in the way.
A few years previous to this time, Smith had purchased aconsiderable tract of land at the north of the then flourishingvillage, at fifty dollars an acre. Its present value was about threehundred dollars an acre.
After a good deal of talk on both sides, Smith finally agreed tosell the particular lot pitched upon. The next thing was to arrangeas to price.
"At what do you hold this ground per acre?"
It was some time before Smith answered this question. His eyes werecast upon the floor, and earnestly did he enter into debate withhimself as to the value he should place upon the lot. At first, hethought of five hundred dollars per acre. But his cupidity soontempted him to advance on that sum, although, a month before, hewould have caught at such an offer. Then he advanced to six, toseven, and to eight hundred. And still he felt undecided.
"I can get my own price," said he to himself. "The city has to pay,and I might just as well get a large sum as a small one."
"For what price will you sell?" The question was repeated.
"I must have a good price."
"We are willing to pay what is fair and right."
"Of course. No doubt you have fixed a limit to which you will go."
"Not exactly that," said one of the gentlemen.
"Are you prepared to make an offer?"
"We are prepared to hear your price, and to make a report thereon,"was replied.
"That's a very valuable lot of ground," said Smith.
"Name your price," returned one of the committee men, a littleimpatiently.
Thus brought up to the point, Smith, after thinking hurriedly for afew moments, said--
"One thousand dollars an acre."
Both the men shook their heads in a very positive way. Smith saidthat it was the lowest he would take; and so the conference ended.
At the next meeting of the city councils, a report on the town lotwas made, and the extraordinary demand of Smith canvassed. It wasunanimously decided not to make the proposed purchase.
When this decision reached the landholder, he was considerablydisappointed. He wanted money badly, and would have "jumped at" twothousand dollars for the five-acre lot, if satisfied that it wouldbring no more. But, when the city came forward as a purchaser, hiscupidity was subjected to a very strong temptation. He believed thathe could get five thousand dollars as easily as two; and quieted hisconscience by the salvo--"An article is always worth what it willbring."
A week or two went by, and Smith was about calling upon one of themembers of the council, to say that, if the city really wanted thelot, he would sell at their price, leaving it with the council toact justly and generously, when a friend said to him--
"I hear that the council had the subject of a public square underconsideration again this morning."
"Indeed!" Smith was visibly excited, though he tried to appear calm.
"Yes; and I also hear that they have decided to pay the extravagantprice you asked for a lot of ground at the north end of the city."
"A thousand dollars an acre?"
"Yes."
"Its real value, and not a cent more," said Smith.
"People differ about that. However, you are lucky," the friendreplied. "The city is able to pay."
"So I think. And I mean they shall pay."
Before the committee to whom the matter was given in charge had timeto call upon Smith and close with him for the lot, that gentlemanhad concluded in his own mind that it would be just as easy to gettwelve hundred dollars an acre as a thousand. It was plain that thecouncil were bent upon having the ground, and would pay a round sumfor it. It was just the spot for a public square; and the city mustbecome the owner. So, when he was called upon by the gentlemen, andthey said to him--
"We are authorized to pay you your price," he promptly answered--
"The offer is no longer open. You declined it when it was made. Myprice for that property is now twelve hundred dollars an acre."
The men offered remonstrance; but it was of no avail. Smith believedthat he could get six thousand dollars for the ground as easily asfive thousand. The city must have the lot, and would pay almost anyprice.
"I hardly think it right, Mr. Smith," said one of his visitors, "foryou to take such an advantage. This square is for the public good."
"Let the public pay, then," was the unhesitating answer. "The publicis able enough."
"The location of this park at the north end of the city will greatlyimprove the value of your other property."
This Smith understood very well. But he replied--
"I'm not so sure of that. I have some very strong doubts on thesubject. It's my opinion that the buildings I contemplated erectingwill be far more to my advantage. Be that as it may, however, I amdecided in selling for nothing less than six thousand dollars."
"We are only authorized to pay five thousand," replied thecommittee. "If you agree to take that sum, we will close the bargainon the spot."
Five thousand dollars was a large sum of money, and Smith feltstrongly tempted to close in with the liberal offer. But sixthousand loomed up before his imagination still more temptingly.
"I can get it," said he to himself; "and the property is worth whatit will bring."
So he positively refused to sell it at a thousand dollars per acre.
"At twelve hundred, you will sell?" remarked one of the committee,as they were about retiring.
"Yes. I will take twelve hundred the acre. That is the lowest rate;and I am not anxious, even at that price. I can do quite as well bykeeping it in my own possession. But, as you seem so bent on havingit, I will not stand in your way. When will the council meet again?"
"Not until next week."
"Very well. If they then accept my offer, all will be right. But,understand me; if they do not accept, the offer no longer remainsopen. It is a matter of no moment to me which way the thing goes."
It was a matter of moment to Smith, for all this assertion--a matterof very great moment. He had several thousand dollars to pay in thecourse of the next few months on land purchases, and no way to meetthe payments, except by mortgages or sales of property; and it maynaturally be concluded that he suffered considerable uneasinessduring the time which passed until the next meeting of the council.
Of course, the grasping disposition shown by Smith became the towntalk; and people said a good many hard things of him. Little,however, did he care, so that he secured six thousand dollars for alot not worth more than two thousand.
Among other residents and property-holders in the town, was asimple-minded, true-hearted, honest man, named Jones. His father hadleft him a large farm, a goodly portion of which, in process oftime, came to be included in the limits of the new city; and hefound a much more profitable employment in selling building lotsthan in tilling the soil. The property of Mr. Jones lay at the westside of the town.
Now, when Mr. Jones heard of the exorbitant demand made by Smith fora five-acre lot, his honest heart throbbed with a feeling ofindignation.
"I couldn't have believed it of him," said he. "Six thousanddollars! Preposterous! Why, I would give the city a lot of twice thesize, and do it with pleasure."
"You would?" said a member of the council, who happened to hear thisremark.
"Certainly, I would."
"You are really in earnest?"
"Undoubtedly. Go and select a public square from any of myunappropriated land on the west side of the city, and I will passyou the title, as a free gift, to-morrow, and feel pleasure in doingso."
"That is public spirit," said the councilman.
"Call it what you will. I am pleased in making the offer."
Now, let it not be supposed that Mr. Jones was shrewdly calculatingthe advantage which would result to him from having a park at thewest side of the city. No such thought had yet entered his mind. Hespoke from the impulse of a generous feeling.
Time passed on, and the session-day of the council came round--a dayto which Smith had looked forward with no ordinary feelings ofinterest, that were touched, at times, by the coldness of doubt andthe agitation of uncertainty. Several times he had more than halfrepented of his refusal to accept the liberal offer of five thousanddollars, and of having fixed so positively upon six thousand as the"lowest figure."
The morning of the day passed, and Smith began to grow uneasy. Hedid not venture to seek for information as to the doings of thecouncil, for that would be to expose the anxiety he felt in theresult of their deliberations. Slowly the afternoon wore away, andit so happened that Smith did not meet any one of the councilmen;nor did he even know whether the council was still in session ornot. As to making allusion to the subject of his anxious interest toany one, that was carefully avoided; for he knew that his exorbitantdemand was the town talk--and he wished to affect the most perfectindifference on the subject.
The day closed, and not a whisper about the town-lot had come to theears of Mr. Smith. What could it mean? Had his offer to sell at sixthousand been rejected? The very thought caused his heart to growheavy in his bosom. Six, seven, eight o'clock came, and still it wasall dark with Mr. Smith. He could bear the suspense no longer, andso determined to call upon his neighbour Wilson, who was a member ofthe council, and learn from him what had been done.
So he called on Mr. Wilson.
"Ah, friend Smith," said the latter, "how are you, this evening?"
"Well, I thank you," returned Smith, feeling a certain oppression ofthe chest. "How are you?"
"Oh, very well."
Here, then, was a pause. After which, Smith said--
"About that ground of mine? What did you do?"
"Nothing," replied Wilson, coldly.
"Nothing, did you say?" Smith's voice was a little husky.
"No. You declined our offer;--or, rather, the high price fixed byyourself upon the land."
"You refused to buy it at five thousand when it was offered," saidSmith.
"I know we did, because your demand was exorbitant."
"Oh, no, not at all," returned Smith, quickly.
"In that we only differ," said Wilson. "However, the council hasdecided not to pay you the price you ask."
"Unanimously?"
"There was not a dissenting voice."
Smith began to feel more and more uncomfortable.
"I might take something less," he ventured to say, in a low,hesitating voice.
"It is too late now," was Mr. Wilson's prompt reply.
"Too late! How so?"
"We have procured a lot."
"Mr. Wilson!" Poor Smith started to his feet in chagrin andastonishment.
"Yes; we have taken one of Jones's lots, on the west side of thecity. A beautiful ten-acre lot."
"You have!" Smith was actually pale.
"We have; and the title-deeds are now being made out."
It was some time before Smith had sufficiently recovered from thestunning effect of this unlooked-for intelligence, to make theinquiry--
"And pray how much did Jones ask for his ten-acre lot?"
"He presented it to the city as a gift," replied the councilman.
"A gift! What folly!"
"No, not folly--but true worldly wisdom; though I believe Jones didnot think of advantage to himself when he generously made the offer.He is worth twenty thousand dollars more to-day than he wasyesterday, in the simple advanced value of his land forbuilding-lots. And I know of no man in this town whose good fortuneaffects me with more pleasure."
Smith stole back to his home with a mountain of disappointment onhis heart. In his cupidity, he had entirely overreached himself, andhe saw that the consequences were to react upon all his futureprosperity. The public square at the west end of the town would drawimprovements in that direction all the while increasing the wealthof Mr. Jones, while lots in the north end would remain at presentprices, or, it might be, take a downward range.
And so it proved. In ten years, Jones was the richest man in thetown, while half of Smith's property had been sold for taxes. Thefive-acre lot passed from his hands, under the hammer, in theforeclosure of a mortgage, for one thousand dollars!
Thus it is that inordinate selfishness and cupidity overreachthemselves; while the liberal man deviseth liberal things, and issustained thereby.
THE END.
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