Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1883 — Something to Talk Of. [ARTICLE]

Something to Talk Of.

One day a farmer entered the office of a Chicago capitalist and asked for an interview, and when this had been granted he spread out a country map on the table and said: “I’ve got an enterprise here to roll millions of wealth into your pockets.” “Well?” “See here. Here, at this point, Coon creek and ’Possum river are only five miles apart.” .“I see.” “A canal cut across this neck connects the two. I’ve been over the ground and a canal ten feet deep and fifty feet wide can be dug for $250,000; and we can charge such toll as we see fit.” “On what?” “On all vessels passing through.” “Just so. My friend, Coon creek has an average depth of two feet and ’Possum creek about fifteen inches. Just think of some plan to get your ships up to the canal.” The farmer slowly rolled up his map. “Darn my buttons,” he muttered; “but I hadn’t thought of the ships. I guess I’ll give up the canal and go to boring for salt,”— Wall Street News.