The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-05-29

stock and property Of .'The Boiling Tar
Spring Flowing Oil Wells Company"
There, said he, as he spread open the
handsome document, and exhibited the
seal and the signatures, II can just tell
you that that ere bit Of property is to-day
worth more'n ten thousand dollars; and
in one year from now it will bring me in
Eve hundred dollars dayl Goodness
graciousl Only think Of it! Perhaps
Rooney Podkins will pound leather on
his old lapstone after thisl Prehaps he
will And perhaps he'll live in this lit
tie ono-stery hut! think see him do
| ing it''
But Betsey shook her head.
"Why," cried Rooney, little indig,
nantly, haven't there been any quantity
of fortunes made in ile?"
'Yes, Rooney, know there has. But
'tisnt such as you that makes EN- A
careful man wouldn't have been led where
you've been led. All, Rooney you're too
eager to get rich all of sudden. Take
my word fer it no good can come of it. :"
"Wait and see"
1--WE will wait"
And they did wait.
Mr.. Frederick Gustagus Teufelsschaft,
the agent of the great company, had col
lected four Thousand dollars from FIVE
hard working, simple minded citizens Of
Boomerberg, and haa packed up his maps
and charts and diagrams and gone to
other parts that the good people Of other
towns might have chance to take ad-
vantage of this wonderful golden oppor-
tunity. But he had promised that with
in three months the share holders should
be notified of the progress Of affairs, and
that within six months they should have
their money all back again, and begin
to receive large dividends.
Rooney Podkins couldn't see the neces-
sity of working any mo,e on his low
bench. When he was not at the tavern
talking "ile" with the other fortunate in
dividuals who had gone in with him, he
was looking around to see the most ia
vorable site for the new and spacious
mansion which he contemplated build
ing.
Three months passed away-then an
other month-another-and then anoth-
er. Six months had gene, and it was now
winter, and yet not word from Freder.
lex Gustavus Teufelsschaft. The daily
papers had been eagerly watched, and
all paragraphs relating to petroleum care
fully scanned; but no mention had they
been able to Gnd of the great boiling
Tar Spring Flowing Oil Wells Company "
The fortunate FIVE did not meet at the
tavern, but held their consultations in
Rooney's little shoe shop. Eight months
had passed, and they felt that they ought
to know something about their property.
Archibald Sloger, one of their number,
had travelled some, and it was at length
arranged that he should set out forthwith
for the Land Of Oil and investigate the
matter So the five contributed thirty
dollars each towards defraying Archi-
bald's expenses, and he set forth.
On the first day of April Archibald
Sloger returned to Boomerburg. and in
the evening the iIlustrious Five assem-
bled in the shoe shop The door was
locked, and curtains of thick brown pa
Per tackled over the windows. Then said
Archibald, in low, hesitating tones 4:
Gentlemen, we are-soLD y
A solemn silence prevailed for some
seconds. At length Zephaniah Doolittle
gasped forth:
''Out with it, Archy. Let US have the
whole story.
81 ken tell it to ye in a plague few
words" answered Archibald. "In the
first place went to New York and tried
to find Mr.. John Skinner; but there
didn't anybody know any such man
Then / asked arter Let Dedhammer; and
arter Solomon Phoolum, and arter Mr.
Tarfoot, but there weren't no such meu
there. Nobody knowed any such men
Then | posted off to the lie Re gions, and
tried to find the land that belonged to the
great B'ilin' Tar-Spring Flowing lie
Wells Company, but there wasn't any
such land there. By'm by, arter Id
been over every inch of lie land there
was, met a man who knowed all about
It, He said he knowed there was such q
concern as | spoke of, that it wasn't nc
lie company. He said it was reg g'lal
swindlin affair. They owned hundred
acres of laid. but twas right on the tor
of one of the highest mountains in then
parts. asked him if he know'd mar
by the name of Frederick Gustavus Teu
felsrchaft. Upon that he kind smiled
and said that he guessed good many
folks would like to find that chap. II,
said the fellows name wasn't Teulelss
chaft at all. He said the scamp was
reg'lar Baltimore rough--that's what h,
called him--and that he d been swindlin
people awfully ever since the lie ieve
fast broke out
! ItWas long time before the stricken
. party could really understand how effec
tually and thoroughly they had been vic
timized; but they saw it all at length, AM
as they finally rose to depart they felt sad
but they also felt wise. Archibald Slod
ger, as Rooney was turning the key t
let them out, offered the philosophical
} reflection.
"There's enc thing, boys: We weren
3 the only ones as has been bit
4 Rooney Podkins felt that he had sti
e before him the most trying ordeal of a.
g the meeting with his wife. But i
f this he was agreeably disappointed. Sh
told him that she had her ordeal month
before. 1t had all come out just as sh
t expected, and she had prepared to met