The Gilded Age


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the women folks to set that basket in the wagon, and it ain't there."  
The camp cook speedily prepared a savory breakfast for the Colonel,  
broiled chicken, eggs, corn-bread, and coffee, to which he did ample  
justice, and topped off with a drop of Old Bourbon, from Mr. Thompson's  
private store, a brand which he said he knew well, he should think it  
came from his own sideboard.  
While the engineer corps went to the field, to run back a couple of miles  
and ascertain, approximately, if a road could ever get down to the  
Landing, and to sight ahead across the Run, and see if it could ever get  
out again, Col. Sellers and Harry sat down and began to roughly map out  
the city of Napoleon on a large piece of drawing paper.  
"I've got the refusal of a mile square here," said the Colonel, "in our  
names, for a year, with a quarter interest reserved for the four owners."  
They laid out the town liberally, not lacking room, leaving space for the  
railroad to come in, and for the river as it was to be when improved.  
The engineers reported that the railroad could come in, by taking a  
little sweep and crossing the stream on a high bridge, but the grades  
would be steep. Col. Sellers said he didn't care so much about the  
grades, if the road could only be made to reach the elevators on the  
river. The next day Mr. Thompson made a hasty survey of the stream for a  
mile or two, so that the Colonel and Harry were enabled to show on their  
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Page
184 185 186 187 188

Quick Jump
1 170 341 511 681