National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-03-27
Widow Browns Oil Well.

known as the widow Brown, owned
and cultivated a small farm of ten
acres in little Pennsylvania town.
The humble homestead correspond
ed in size to the farm, being q one
story cottage, comprising but three
rooms. The land was not very pO.
dnctive, but Mrs. Brown had only
herselfto provide FOX, and though her
income would hardly warrant her in
living luXuriously, on the other hand
there was no danger Of the aims.
house. On the whole the widow
might he considered comfortably
provided for, though her farm and
house together would have been
dea It :: thousand dollars.
But Mrs. anastasia was not con-
tented. She was an ambitious wo-
man, and bent OH bettering hersclf
if the opportunity ever presented.
| 10 Il lady under her circumstance
a second marriage with All eligible
party seemed To ne the rcadIest road
to higher station. But the wild
ow's personal advantages were hard
| iy of u character to inspire very
lively hopes in .hat direction. She
was rail- and guant, and her share
OF tho perislahle but rather Ges!ra-
Die gift of beauty had been below
the average. Besides, she was now
forty five, and therefore OF rather
doubtful juveniliiy.
| IL chanccd tnat the weaitl,est
man IN town was certain Squire
| EOencZcr Pogiam, who, il addition
| to an excellent iarm OF three hun
dred acres, bad IA comfortable sum
invested in stocks aud bonds. He
was widower, and in the market.
His wife would be the foremost lady
| in the village. For tbs position
there was more than one aspiraut,
but among them all none apparent
| ~ stood 50 poor chance as Mrs.
Anastasia Brown. Bnt none the
less the widow laid her plans to cap
ture the citadel, and the crcumstan-
! ceS, aided by her own ShrewuncsS.
assisted ler TO accomplish it.
About this time the petroleum
fever was at its height. There was
a wild excitement general not only
| in the districts Wmcre petroleum.
had been discovered, but specua-
tion was rife III the commercial cap
ital, and companies with flaming
proSpcCiuses We're daily spriuG;HS
into existence. Farms which would
have been considered doaI ut twen-
ty dollars an acre, all at once ell
haacel in value Atty, or even an
hundred fold, and the owners, who
had hitherto fouud it difficult to
earn scantT subsistence. ali at
once found themselves rich beyond
their widest dIeamS.
Among those who cherished
hopes of wealth from this source
was Squire Pogram. He saw no
reason Why his own acres might
not prove To be flowing with oil, and
he instituted some preliminary III
vcstigat:ons which had only result
ed in disappointment. Though al.
ready man of abundant means, he
was inclined to bc grasplrg, and
had 10 objection 10 doubling or treb
hing his present property. In iact
the love q. money was the ral'na
passion with ,he squire, and this
was not unknown to his townsmen
Mrs. Brown, aware Of this fact
. determined upo? q coHp G'etat, if W.
may so Cai, IL, with u view taking
by assault the hand of the squire
for his heart she cared little.
One morning the eXpiessmaI
brought to Mrs. Crowns cottage :
kcg, which was evidently full 0
{ some hguld.
Fifty cents, widdcr,' he said, a
he tagged it into the back room
and deposited it in the corner. IL
rather hc;tN.'
Yes SAID the widow, 'molasse
is hcayicr'n most anything else
'Mo'aSSes. is it. Wall, row.
. reckon it'll take you mighty lon:
= time to use up keg iull OF molas
ses.'
= I'm fond of it, said the widow
shortly.
'Ies, but there ain't but one @
yc.'
, Il don't know but | shall take
e; hoardcr, or two Il can get them
ID said Mrs. Brown. impro> l;ing a Fl
y, on the spur Of the moment.
/, Thea yoa',l have to piece on
your house, reckon
Thn widow yype clad whom tn
cXpcssman with his intrusive cur
osl.y Was gone. In the country
,s IS very common to comment wit
IA the utmost freedom upon the plan
Z and proceedings of ones neighbor'
and this sometimes has its advant;
C. gcs.
The widow did not open the kc
til the next day. Then, instead {
molosscs, she found the contents I
e bc petroleum oil. II might la,
n been supposed that the sutstitu,io
II. would have proved vexatiOus, br
n, the widow took II very coolly. Sll
y, ~ managed 10 get the kcg down til
Il, cellar stairs, where sbc'iocked il u
\ in closet. FIRST, however, she I'll
II ed q common watcr.pail with tll
p. precious liquid, and going to th
s' we'll deliberately poured it dowi
After this rather singular proccc,
ing, she looked carefully up tll
- road until she saw n horse and bul
rs gy approaching, which she We
knew belonged to Squire Pograu