The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-12-02
How a Reporter Worked Up an Oil
Boom.

During the Pleasantville oil excite
ment, in 1868, two years after the first
Pithole craze, when the petroleum fever
was yet raging with a vigor fed by the
fortunes won in day in this latter To-
cality. an event occurred in the life of
a newspaper reporter that has never
yet seen the light, and is certainly wor-
thy of publication.
1t will be remembered by those who
were then residents in this city-and
also by others outside, for the event was
of an importance to command a nation
al reputation-that among the first wells
put down in the Shamburg field, was
one sunk by a gentleman named James,
under direction of the spirits. These
mysterious visitants were more kind to
mortals in those days than now in in
forming them of the location Of the
greasy fluid, and, in consequence, there
were less wild cat catastrophes. Well,
aided by the knowledge of these spirit
friends, Mr.. James located and sunk
well by their advice, and it proved the
correctness of their judgment, or a re-
markable coincidence, by panning out
heavy. The excitement dated from this
time, and land was leased and bought
and wells were put down in quick sue
cession. The majority of these proved
good wells while they lasted, and specu-
lators and owners of land made money.
OF this latter class, farmers, who were
possessors of few acres of land left
them by their fathers, and which had
been in the family for half century
and upon which they had but barely
eked out a subsistence, sold or leased
at a munificent price, and the toiling
yeomen were soon in possession of more
wealth than their widest imaginings had
ever promised them.
When this pleasing state of affairs was
in the midst of its best boom, a certain
gentleman of this city, who had followed
the fortunes of the rise in the oil bust
ness from its inception, and recorded it
for the daily press of the large cities,
lent his pencil to increase the glories of
the Pleasantville field and gave in de-
tail the new strikes and added pleas
ing coloring which was of material ben
eft to the territory generally, to land
owners in particular. He represented
twenty-five or thirty papers, all of which
were eager for news relating to the
great discovery, and the pen pictures
which he gave of big strikes and the de-
STABILITY of owning land in this vicinity
brought down droves of spectators
from the great towns, all anxious to in
vest their money.
Among the landowners was a farmer
named Castle, who resided and still re-
sides two miles southeast of Pleasant
vile, on farm which he had titled for
years. Year in and year out Castle had
plowed and sown and reaped, and OBJ
iained from the soil a comfortable liv-
ing. but not adding to his worldly gains.
He saw, but few miles to the right and
left of him, how his neighbors were dis
posing of their farms, which they cut
up into lots, at enormous profits on the
original investments, and how the land
was pouring out riches almost unlimited
to its fortunate owners. He saw all
this. He read it in the daily press, and
it was brought to his ears by those who
were making the hay while the sun
shine lasted. But his spirit was sore
oppressed and his heart was heavy. He
was not on the belt. There was no
possible way of getting on the belt
either, for, according to astute geolo-
gists who had tested the land around
him, the dearth of grease was great and
there wasn't the shadow of show for
oil.
One day the farmer, Castle, cogita-
ting over the unequal distribution of
good gifts, was suddenly struck with an
idea and held on to it. Further than
that, he put it into working order at
once. Calling upon the reporter before
mentioned, who had been contributing
so largely to the success of his neigh
bors by advertising their land, he con-
cluded bargain with him by which he
was to write up the territory wherein
his farm was included, and for that
service he would deed him one acre of
his farm. The reporter accepted the
position and selected an acre in the
very center of Castles estate and OBJ
tanned deed for it.
That night an article was composed
of half column in length, headed 1.-The
Green Oil Belt" 1t was supposed to
extend from Shamburg to Enterprise on
a direct line through Mr.. C.'s farm,
cutting a swath wide enough to take it
all in and leave margin on two sides
for contingencies. The article was
probably written in the reporters best
vein and his facile pencil depicted in
positive and glowing colors the gushing
propensities of the green oil and its
STAYING propensities. He was paid an
acre to write that article and he wasn't
very conscientious and determined to
give Castle the worth of it, if there was
any virtue in imaginative description.
This article was sent out to a dozen
papers, was published gladly, went
forth to thousands of spectators and the
object was accomplished.
In few days there was hegira
from surrounding towns and perfect
stampede of oil men. who swallowed
the bait without questioning. Land in
that vicinity went up IN price, of course
and for a season commanded big money.
Farmer Castle was beset with customers
and had no difficulty in leasing his
farm, which he had previously cut up into
small lots in anticipation of the rush.
The reporter was not idle, either and
Selling the first opportunity to lease his
acre of land for S1,475, which he pock-
eted with supreme satisfaction and
consciousness that that was probably
the best pay for any half-column article
he ever wrote or ever would write
again.
As might be anticipated, the first well
put down showed clearly that there was
nothing there, barring a bare smell of
oil, and but few ventures were made
Tire leases all came back TO the farmer,
who still held his farm and a very fat
bank account besides, which set him on
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