The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-04-29

for if he had included weekdays it wouit
have been more than even Silas coul(
swallow.
Jerry Markle, he made my last suit, ,
answered Silas, surprised and pleased tina
his dress should thus attract admiration
and from so distinguished source, too.
The Judge passed another few minutes
in meditative smoking.
The fact is, Bronson" he resumed
taking the cigar from his mouth, "the
fact is, wanted to see you about little
matter that is-well, may say of mutua
advantage. You see, was over in Penn
sylvania last week, and through the oil
region. And while there bought a tract
five acres, right near the best producing
wells. Of course could have made 8
good thing by selling it again, but con
cluded not to be selfish but to come home
and form a stock company of few o.
our influential men, like yourself and
Others"
Pm very much obleeged to ye, judge
began Silas "but then-I-I-"
please hear me through" interrupted
the Judge, with a soft, deprecating wave
of the hand; am not done yet. Now
there Is lots of money in this thing if it is
properly managed, and, as didn't wish
to connect with Tom, Dick and Harry, ]
have mentioned the matter to but few o.
our best men. DR.. Ross, Col. Clark and
Squire Hardy have all taken stock, and
our minister, the Rev. Mr.. Norris, expects
to invest. The stock is only trifle-$5ol
a share"
Yes $500 uncommon cheap,
should say" stammered Silas. Blu,
then, We see, h'ain't got the money-tha,
| is, to spare jest now. I'm sort of poor,
like"
Poor" echoed the Judge; "a man of
your means talking about poverty. What
is paltry five hundred to your" And the
speaker snapped his fingers as if the sum
mentioned were insignificant beyond meas
ure. why, man, III warrant you have
more than that with you now!"
~ know; but then l thought I'd bet
ter began Silas; but the Judge broke
| in with apparent surprise.
"Oh, that's it! you have been already
considering the matter! I might have
known Col. Clark would speak to you
about it, When I told him of my pro-
were in it, and he said, If Bronson takes
takes hold of is sure to succeed Those
"SAC AlS WI WINS, uIl ~ uC SpOAC W
you himself? Well, I am glad on the
whole he did, and that you are going in
with US. But you can't have more than
four shares, Bronson!'-witha playful tap
on the back" and you needn't pay more
than half down. That will be enough to
carry the thing through, l think"
And what could poor Silas say to all
this? With nature weak and yielding,
he was surprised and fiattered to learn Of
his own prominence in the community,
Clark and others should give heed to his
extremely complimentary. In fact Silas
began to think his self-estimate had been
placed altogether too low in times past,
and he presently smoked and talked him.
self into very pleasing state of compla-
cency indeed.
The Judges tongue was not idle the
meanwhile; he piled on the " soft solder"
to a remarkable thickness, and after a
time, somehow-Silas didn't exactly know
how-the Judge took possession of the
81 900 and Silas found himself the owner
of four beautifully Autographed certiti-
Gates of stock, calling for $500 each.
They looked nice, and Silas placed
them in his pocket fully convinced that he
and Judge Fay, Col. Clark and the others
were very important men and shrewd
financiers withal. Then the Judge mildly
intimated he had business to attend to and
Silas took his departure. But when out
side and on his way home, Silas, like the
prodigal son, "came to himself" and he
began to think the investment not so good
one after all. He tried to recall the ar.
guments and brilliant promises of the
Judge, but someway he could't remember
them, and the more he tried the more he
forgot, while facing him was very i'm
portant question:
What would Maria say:
Yes, there was the rub! And Maria had
a great deal to say when she heard of it,
as her words at the first of this story do in
part testify. But her words could not
bring back the money, and with heavy
heart the poor woman placed the stock
certificates in q bureau drawer, hoping
against hope that something might come
from them after all.
Vain delusion! Days and weeks passed
by, and the "Great Union Petroleum Oil
Company" paid no dividends to its stock
holders-at least, Silas didn't receive any.
In answer to his questions the Judge al
ways talked learnedly about the geological
| formation, the various strata to he gone
through, and would describe with great
minuteness the machinery used, until his
bewildered listener thought digging oil
| wells very deep business. And so it
was. Altogether too deep for Silas.
One day in the early autumn Silas came
home with new idea in his head. He
had been talking with the Judge, and that
great man had told him the company were
just ON the eve of striking ola story
Silas had frequently heard before, but this
time sudden thought came to him. He
would go to Pennsylvania and look for
himself He mentioned the project to
Maria, and, to his surprise, she agreed
with him.
II don't know what made me do it,
either" she said, atterward, talking to a
neighbor when Silas had gone. at is
only throwing good money after,the bad. -
Nevertheless she did SO agree, and went
hard to work to get her husband in trim
for the journey. He, the meanwhile,
worked steadily to secure money for the
purpose, and then, respondent in blue,
brass buttoned swallow-tail, drab trousers
and tall hat, with the certificates snugly
| placed inside breast-pocket, departed.
The exact locality of the well he did not
huO" 41C uuuCISlOOu ~ was SOuAC"ACA0
near the city of P, and thitherward he
journeyed, feeling confident that the
Great Union Petroleum Oil Company
could easily be found.
Silas reached P the next evening
and found it lively place, made up chief:
ly of refineries, derricks, oil barrels, and
Spectators; and, like wise man, he went
Immediately to hotel and ate hearty
| supper and then went to bed. And On the
following morning he was ready for bust
ness; and on that morning, too, came the
| tide that led him on to fortune.
When he passed out into the street after
breakfast he found everybody talking
about the great strike" Of the preceding
| night. 1t seemed that new company,
composed of Eastern men, had been Dor
ing for oil for some time past, and with no
prospect of success. But just as they were
about giving up, and considering the
money invested as money lost, then 1t was
fortune smiled upon them. In a moment,
as it occasionally happens, they had struck
the Oleaginous ffnid and the dismissed well