Mr. Townsend had a neighbor whose name was Cleveland. This man called in to see him at least once every day, to talk about schemes of profit, and the chances of acquiring great wealth suddenly. He was also engaged in shipping, and had made a good deal of money by fortunate adventures. Recently he had sold one of his vessels and freighted the other, which had enabled him to divert a considerable amount of capital into the new channels of profit that had opened all around him. This Cleveland was half owner of a western city, a map of which hung up in his counting-room. The name of the city was “Eldorado.” As could be seen by its position, relative to other parts of the State in which it was situated, it was plain that “Eldorado” was destined to become, at no very distant day, one of the most important places in the West. It was situated on the bank of a rapid river, with a fall close by, affording water-power for mills and manufactories to any extent. The country around was healthy, and the lands were rich; and, moreover, a railroad, now in process of erection, would pass through it from north to south, and another from east to west. One of these roads started from the lakes at the north, and was to terminate at the Ohio river. The other started from, and terminated in, deep navigable rivers. This “Eldorado” Mr. Cleveland said he looked upon as the most valuable of all his interests. His half of the city cost him twenty thousand dollars, and he had already sold lots enough to realize fifteen thousand dollars and expected to sell enough to net him fifteen or twenty more, and still have a little fortune safely locked up in “Eldorado.” Besides his western town interest, he was largely concerned in a manufacturing company; owned shares in all sort of internal improvement and banking corporations; and was, according to his own showing, making money so fast that he could hardly count it as it came in. Some time after, Mr. Townsend met with the loss of thirty thousand dollars by the wreck of a vessel, upon the cargo of which no insurance had been effected. Mr. Cleveland said to him: “I’ve just made an operation from which I expect to realize fifty thousand dollars before twelve months pass away.” “Have you, indeed!” responded Townsend. “Yes. I’ve bought up a majority of the stock of the Sandy Hill and Dismal Lake Canal, at twenty per cent. below par.” “I would’nt have it at fifty cents below par,” returned Townsend. “The project is in itself impracticable, and will never be carried out. The stock is not worth a dollar, intrinsically, and never will be.”