The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-03-27
A FOOL AND HIS MONEY.

Johnny" Steel, and somewhat distin
guished as an @oil prince having for
considerable length of time enjoyed tn
princely income of $1,000 per day, fileC
in the United States District Court las
week, a voluntary petition in bankrupt
cy. Many ofour readers win remem
Der his romantic exploits in the east
published some ago, during which he i!
reported to have squandered several
hundred thousand dollars. After having
"sowed his wild oats" and losing hi:
oil farm, he found himself in rather
straitcned circumstances, and was re-
Gently compelled to earn a living by
driving an oil team. His Indebtedness
as set forth in his petition, amounts te
over 100000.
Steel is Pennsylvania by birth, and
is now in the neighborhood of % years
of age. He hiss had but little educa-
ton, has no business qualifications OF
shrewdness, and seems especially cut
out by dame nature to attest the truth
of the prOverb that GA fool and his
money is soon parted" Of his early
life we know but very little: manhood
and riches sprang upon him about the
same time. His interest in the famous
Nc Clintock farm and oil wells, in We
mango county, bequeathed him by his
father, for number of years yielded
him an income, $4,000 per day. This
princely income was the means of
awakening in Johnny" an ambition
to seek other fields and sources of
amusement than those offered in the
Wilds of Venango. We heard of him
first by his lavish waste of wealth in
Philadelphia. Here he made the ac-
quaintance of Messrs. Skiff & Gaylord,
of minstrel fame, and one of his first
rash purchases was an entire new outfit
for the minstrels, composed of velvet
coats and vests and plaid trowsers,
(many of our readers will remember the
troupe in this uniformly To those. ec-
centric costumes he added diamond
breastpins of the first water, and a new
suit of clothes for each member for the
street. Several members of Carncross
s. Dixey's Ministries. of Philadelphia,
were also favored in the same, manner.
Another of g Johnny's eccentric acts
in Philadelphia is related as follows:
Walking along Chestnut street one day
he espied a, beautiful span of horses at
tached to a splendid carriage, just turn
ing down from Second. To see was to
envy so, hailing the driver, Sam. M,
who, as it happeRcd, was also the owner,
g Inhn1Asrs canlly asked him if he would
sell his establishment. Sam. looked in
credulousIy at his customer, wondering
ifhe were drunk or crazy, when g john
ny" again put forward the question :
"What will you take for the whole rig =
Sam, with a wink, and while knocking
the ashes from his cigar, doubtless think
ing to brighten his unknown questioner,
replied, "Wen, / guess about 5000
will take the lot. johnny" answered
by LAYING seven one thousand dollar
bills on the seat of the vehicle, and TAX
ing hold of the reins, cOolly said, Hop
out - and shop out" Sam did, while
NJohnny" drove of, leaving Sam. stand
ing in amazement on the corner. The
day was spent in riding about the city,
and spending money lavishly; toward
evening he had employed a man to
drive, and finally, while winding up the
day, he reached the Giard House ;alight'
ing on the pavement, he asked the dri'
yer as to his circumstances, and learning
that he knew the grip of poverty,
sc johnny made him present of the
carriage and horses, telling the driver
not to offer thanks but drive off quick.
While in Philadelphia, one of the &c
centricities of his morning walks il
Market or Walnut streets, was to watcl
for a man with q shabby hat. He woult
then follow him until he got in front o
hat store, and then, with swoop, h
land the offending hat into the middle
| of the street, at the same time apologiZ
ing to the wearer and asking him int'
the store, where he would buy him tn
best to be had.
"Johnny" never carried any baggag
with him while travelling. purchasin!
everything as he required it. Havini
resolved one day to stop at the Cont
mental Hotel, instead of his usual retreai
the Girard,-he was driven there il
company with friend, Mr.. VIM. By
a noted merchant of our own city
Sauntering up to the Office, he mad
known his desire to stop awhile" TIL
clerk asked him as to the whereabout
of his baggage: g j ohnnyY replied tia
ne had none. "Then,2 said the clerl
you must pay in advance that is on
rule" "Johnny" cast glance at hin
| and wondered chat he was not knows
So, winking at his friend B., he aske
, the clerk If the proprietor was in; n
ceiving reply in the affirmative, til
landlord soon made his appearance
!. when a conversation of the ,followin
. tenor ensued:
j, Sc You are the proprietor, l. b
lieve, sir-the responsible man"
Mr.. k" Yes sir"
S. S-"I wanted to make short sts
with you, but that gentleman (poi2tir
: to the clerk) says / must pay in a
vance ?"
Mr.. Well, Sir?"
J. S.-"How much do you consid
your schOIe house worth for q day ?"
Mr.. ks About $780,
j. Sc I'll take a hours, anyho'
- and see how it goes.
Johnny then counted out the none
and turning to his friend said: mo
n Bill, jump In and play Clerk" Rum
nd savs This vvas BIS first and onHx, sA4Atr