, 1870-12-07

The UPS nnd Downs oS a pctro1ourn
FS4ytces<

From tie CtncIn.atf fiosansTeint
4 correspondent ef the Commercial writing
from Oil Elt., I'e1n-s1rAuls. Eivea the follow
inE i,tetes' ipg account Of tho career and
ont tI.. c .unf1y sc* years Eioce IA "Coal
tso,.a tot.r miles shove the city. directly On
the line OF tbs Oil Geek l. Allegheny RIVER
Railway, lie+ tart ouee celebrated ~ the
notMrgto distinguiahi. i. particularly from othor
eectitns in the ,mme :iaio vicinity, al being
PLAYED ont alike. but ,hesc are the barren
aeres formerly brought into promlnepce ~ the
extr1ragzuce and alsri"aison OF John n. Steele.
Uerr. for eome ;. ar. igtor mt Of the boun Hess
veal,.l b4neath their feet, the McChnto3ka In
common with the otsor "ktirea Of thAt Little
more than hstf-eivilized region, plodded Alung
day aft&1 day. their sole care 6eiug the proc
the failure OF ei,h+r vas a1most certain to
t,rend \ famine No cbil'lren cana to cheer
the solttude and eat the faplacka OF tho
worthy .nntron, probably q wisa dispensadou
Of Providence: u 1he p,oau 70 Of II .he 1.sm
were not extentiTe tuuuEh to I'LL many
mouths with any degree Of certainty. At
Iast, hoxevrr. ~ old ago came creeping 10
their direction, than:hth rgtrding tho dis
roea1 Of their valuable property began to
trouble than, aud the conclusion WIS 1t last
reached to adopt some healthy boT and make
A4 Rat ~ = short Distance FROM Mccltn.oek'a
lived man by the nane Of Steele, snd as ths
bsr,c,:ncrs OF ths land had not extended to
lila xifr he found h,mself tha father OF , nu-
mcrnus urorenv, IT wss ofteu sorelv pnz-
xIed .lout rims for ke-pln3 tha wolf from
tn. d,.or. 10 him lno application was male.
ard without he-.tstion he gsve than tho pick
of the flock, Ermtrki7g that he hsd Ten at
Twelve more TO diepo'e Of on ths same terms.
A. tbe most promising one, Johnny Was
selected; and. thereafter. hc WAS trained up IN
tlo Way he ought always to hare gone.
In tte fuinets Of tins cAme the discover.
Of petroleum, and tho accompanying army o.
after another s@ept &C o.s The AoCnn oc1
farm. literally srampl,nE on the efpecteo
hatvG St. ard 1t the age Of thfoe-soore- Ano-ten
the OLD man st~ etsrva i'm atsrtuE nm Ia toe
fAco- Be+ides this h. was coutiuuelty peatefeo
br otIete for the purchase Of tho old houa
stead, until fnalls tts 4nci-ut body suocumb-
ed. Md he w.n Rats ered to hIs fAthers- For
= long time the ol lady retu.od to have any.
thing to do NTH I'll" '.ns-,tfe ba,bssians, bnt
Al last, IN eheer oetpair, the feneed portion
Of ti,e farm. ev.ry part oi waich alter srd
3,.pved wonderful prM ,ctiya. B.inr for.
ever ruined for agricultural purposes. the ran.
c.ab1e Hidow nn~ cmploEed aoue houaehoid
aH+iniarce. and spent her da.s In cording uu
bonds And gzeenbacks in tho celi1r. aLn,ett,
sle was aftcrxafd irauced to purchase sY}s
as beirg. moro eecure. In this pleasanl
pasti1ue III might hare passed tho resnaiuiuf
1,rI;nd of bsr useful life hid sbs not nj ttnotn$
omit bncketful of cru ie oil. Io An lnc.edi
biz shirt epac- OF tuna etie was in \ countr
where petroleum II +upposed to be nnknowC
and from that date began The career. Of h.
heir, toon known ta1 aad wide as - Coal o
Jobnnv."
After the mortal tetus,na Of the old 1a5y hi
cooled apd hetn " pal int rted, Steele, wt1:
up to Ibis time ba' ben ,'u-l:y engaged
h1uliuE oil, 1ook $4,000 from The safe, ar
with three or fur fell ~-telmsta1s. statte
mt On a c1uisA into ts-.s OFT id- world OF wnse
ihey hid heard r'r.pe~ MINORS. These cor
paniora were eoou shaken on, ho Eeses. II
fheir pl.ceh reix,d d hy \ number Of parasite
Who elnng to The Young man ~ 1org u he b
Apenn5 lefs- Prominent a91ong these, " q
6eih stocum, who instaIled himself ~ " anA
Gil agent" and s1serEArds t9sspaaAe, : !
two fhsn plunged into. Tho wildcat ePeca
Of excess. SpenfiuR 7be greatar portion
thtir timo In Phil.de'rhi. md hem 1osk. Q
may bear tbero get lbs sto1ea OF thetf
Eslaganse md Wild ofg'"s. pouotlsss HN