Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-03-16
THE PETROLEUM FEVER.
NEW On TowN. March 3. 1865.

New On Town, March g. 1865
Mn. EDITOR Here in the southeastern part of
the State, we are all afflicted with fatal malady,
called " OIL on the brain feuer." But few months
ago the contagion assumed dangerous symptoms,
yet rapidly has it spread that all in this part of
the country have been, and still are afflicted. In
the progress of the disease a most alarming fact
has been presented, namely the malady is in
durable. All remedies not merely fail but invari-
ably aggregate the sufferings of the patient Thus
the application of cold water which usually brings
relief in other feyers, is here of avail the vic
tim, though in the coolest ice water, is burning
with the increased and maddened flames of the
fever.
The physicians have tried all their drugs without
the least success and have given up trying even to
lessen the pangs of the sufferers. And it might be
mentioned that the doctors themselves, are now
troubled with the worst form of the malady. With
no remedies which have the least power of abating
our sufferings, without any physicians on whom
we can depend, the malady is becoming more
alarming daily; condition is hopeless and ter
ible in the extreme.
Frequently We have tried to believe that the fever
had subsidized little but, when a building is on
fire, the blaze may appear for short time to flash
up less madly yet the fires are burning hotter be-
low, ready to burst forth more furiously. Truly
our hopes of relief are vain, for the imagined sub
sidence is prelude to a renewed burning of the
disease then the fever but goes below to replenish
the fires. There are three stages of the malady,
the passire, the octiUe and the irritable
PASSIVE STAGE.
The disease is usually rapid in its advancement
from one stage to another, that there are few
who are now troubled with the first stage. And
there are many who never had the first, severe
form commencing at once However will de-
scribe this stage to show how the mind of the peo-
pie are overcome by the contagion.
The victim, perhaps, has business at the store.
Notice him and you will him hnger around
merely to listen to the talk of others about oil,
merely to hear what is the prospect His habit Of
looking at everything he does at dollars and
cents, prevents him from lingering to talk he oi-
ters but to hear. He sits down, perhaps thinking
he will stop only moment but his good inten-
tions are forgotten while his ears drink in such
sweet sounds and he whies the morning away
! listening merely.
| Tomorrow he pleads some trivial excuse fol
going to the store again, to hear only. Thus an
other day is wasted. He soon becomes Inclined tC
while away his time. Loating, formerly tedious
task, is now the delight of the day he loves it
And soon he begins to have strange dreams by
night dreams of oil coined into dollars and eagles
or into the coveted greenbacks. Now the desire is
master The brain is burning with the fry fumes
! of oil. Dreams are as common now by day as by
! night. The victim dreams of fantastic palaces, o
countless wealth, of nameless luxuries.
| Business calls him, but the voice is unheeded
cry? Is he not soon to revel in fabled wealth? o
what account are a few paltry shillings? Mer
grains Of sand or drops of water, The old Ger
man spirit-and, to some extent the true spirit o
all who would succeed-of looking after the cents
is banished from his mind. Business, and rowing
and poverty, and drudgery, are all unknown word
to him now. '.AN are going to be rich IN geek, o
month, on, at most, year." The steady man o
business, the who always looked on all thing
with most too much of matter-of-fact eye, ha
now become a visionary, an idle dreamer. The in
dustrious, the man of drudgery, the man VIII
worked night and day to amass by the slow an
! sure method, expects suddenly to be the owner
millions. The active has become the lazy, til
! lOafer, the dreamer
Like the Spanish visionary, his dreams are tn
more vivid, because they the dreams of old age
In youth there the business like manner of
man ; imagination never took lofty flight till it be
came gddy. But now, in old age, or in the prim
of life, dreams of wealth first seen overturn rea
son, transform anew and for the worse they max
the old man dreamy boy.
In this way the fever takes hold of its victims
Reason is undermined. The brain is consumins
in oily fumes until the victim dreams and imagine
his dreams are the same old German every day re
alites. In our next we shall pass to the actir
stage. J. G. H.