The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-04-20
HOW A slan KEPT A sccre.,I,,,


Il Yesterday We met gentleman in this city
Euho very recently uncbe1 out IN wat hei
asnpposed was a good speculetions but "a tioa
Isequel viii show, rot eggresiously so'd..s
sThe story in reference to his care, which -
Greatly true, in reference TO which we SHAH
sgvee fictitious na1,nes. runs thus: ! ~ ~a1t
Some time since, Jones "A bachelor or-vFo.
Gowns farm near this city, ingftei, his friend,
5Brown to go on sporting px2elitipr. The.
s,vo PROCEEDED and enj yed n good. d,y,s.
sssport hnnting in the neishboring woods.
iand while wanderings about they. eros sed
3Jones' farm, in which ihrre issa spring of
1wafer. Brown. lei x vefy thirsty, .partovk,
aofa drink at the 50: iag. but did DOT relish,
he water. lie ma de no comnlaiuts, no veyer.,
3out IN day or wo-therea after, made a prnp..
position to Jones, to purchase one-h halt the
! 'arm on which the spring is located., Jones,
who had ne idea Of selling the prep srty. re-
I pied IN a. hunorols strain that he vsnld
take $40 900 for the land After partaking
|ot supper, the two gentlemca separated, and
|onrthe following day, Brown. went to New
York to attend to some matters of business
While at the latter nace he renewed his
proposition to nnrchase Jones' farm. and
finally purchased it for $4,000 cash. Tho
necessary papers were male ont, and day
!Drown, 50 s'STr7 as ne rlsI- prJpsfty m
ibis own hands, began % wear chcerfplas-
pct, clapping and rubbing his, hands in
lgreat glee. mucl, to the amusement of bis
/ friend. A dialogue, substantially as follows
Iensued:
y nH7 8 .1eS ssgsgE-TT sLaF EA m
Rropn DO you ranenber, jones, when
you and wstt cunning S'ne ,tima since? ~
,Jones-'I do" t,
Bropn-'Wel when ] stopped down and
attempted to drink out If that spring on the
farm, discovered oil m large quantities
There. In fact there was 50 much Of it on
the water that c,u'l not drink It, That
being the case, determined to keep. the
secret, purchase the land, and now am go-'''
ling to bore for oil - -...
Jo,es -(Shakins al over with langtter)
a-"My dear fellow. the night before you
sdrank out of that sprlng, my hostler went
3there to water the horse, and by accident
sbrollc a kerosene lamp. which fell into the
3spring, and it was the oil from it that YOU
stasted ~
a Exit Brown with good siz4d f1.a in, his
Gear. We may add that il any man wantstc
get genuine milling, all be has to do is to
asay 'ol' 10 Brown Detroit Adcntiser.
..' a.a.r. -----A-- - ------s} Gfs3ff
i Struck ILE.-The oil fever gives rise to
f3some humorous features or human nature.
We cannot vouch for the utter truthfnlness
Aof the following, bat have received il a.
agenuine sFH a.i1aaasl4 ssT .ssii
q A couple Of gentleman Of means were for
Ia long time desirous Of investing their spare
acash in some Of the oil'enterprise Of theSsge.
sThe stocks Of those in fun blast or SUCCESS
Anl operation we're held SO hich that the
asentlemen concluded 10 risG ar'investrnent
10 one under the ansur.'4 or well In pro-
Ecess Of boring. The agent Of the4 new con-
Hcern had bis place 1of business in Wall
;street, New York. the property was in'the
Coil region of Western Pennsylvania.
q On making tbs twentieth - final call up
Son the broker, 10 inquire ~more fully into
athe matter, a lad stepped in and BANDED
the agent telegraph enessa-e. Hastily
Hg'ancing at IT, he said 'Gsrtieraen,I give
5yon justihree minutes to accept or. decline
tamy offer for the property The t*s heads
Event together, two tongues spoke2twossen.
licences, and turning they no'ifiei the broker
athat the properly was their own srThe
money was paid. tthc stocks transferred.
when one of the gentlemen said 20 tho
Eagent': 'IIave you any tohictson to the
Hshowing Of that telsgsaps MESSAGE (, Beer.
Stainly not, n said ttrs birl agent. and, taI
liking. they read: EaeFs' Tuo= f9lts -
q sd $3.50 "a .spkrR.~ my BsYou,)
r. Fisr1 80 st Jsru 'ry-i, lSsaL
c 'Harafins Candle, sEsq:ra~ 70 as7siT
'Boredeishdy feet, struck a sperm whales
Rhead. spodtlng lie at The sate, OF aSssn bar!
nrels per minute. .ss1r2 4sssf..k saT
y ,,-.s SPERM KEK0SESE, Agent
II tt is needless 10 say that The fortunes Of
a Sour two friends were naie. -providence
I q Press. @4'stT,a - bsSssst1a 81