West Virginia walking beam. (Volcano, W. Va.) 1879-188?, 1880-12-04
OCEAN OF PETROLEUM..
The Vision that aUds Spread Be-
fore u ClairUoy0nt'S Guse.

TOFS u CLUtFCOyUNCS 0uSe.
"Yes, it was a mysterious affair
indeed said resident of thes city
yesterday, referring to the Pleas
antviIle oil excitement and th'
celebrated oil well that was said t
have been located by the spirits
"Nobody ever dreamed that there
was oil in Pleasantsville up to '6s
or, at least, If be did think 30, tn,
opinion was that it was only ir
mall quantities and it would never
pay to develop the territory. Up
to that date Pleasantville was moth
ing but quiet country village, only
Strred whenever teamsters, o.
speculators, or oil men on their
way to Pithole stopped over there
10 water and rest their teams, or
dine at the hotel. There lived
around here at that time man
named Abraham James. He had
dabbled in oil somewhat, but never
TO any great extent, owing to his
property. He entertained a tho
rough belief in spirituaism al d used
to devote most Ut his time in com.
muning, think they call it, with
dIsembodied spirits. James was
possessed of strong clairvoyant
powers, was ready speaker and a
shining light among his followers.
He was eccentric in his way and up
TO the winter of '68 had never bene.
fitted the world particularly.
"But he made ten strike, and
no mistake, either through the
assistance OF the supernatural, or,by
q remarkable coincidence l have
heard him relate the story of how be
was induced to bore the first oil.
producing we'll in Pleasantville.
He had been attending seances in
the country for several days, and,
as he expressed it, the conditions
were more than usually favorable,
and the mort gratifying manites>
tati ms were drawn from the usually
reticent spirits. One day ha was
riding along the road when he ex-
perienced rong sensation, SIM
liar to that which attacked him just
prior to going into trance. At
first he tried to resist the influence,
but it was more powerful than his
will, and be was obliged to yield.
The spirit, or invisible power, then
grappIed james, aud compelled him
TO get olL of his buggy. Then be
was hurried along over fields and
bitches, and when be came to
tence the spirit raised him in the
air and fLw over with him. At
length ne was halted at q certain
spot near he village of Pleasant
VILE, and allt wed a tow minutes, to
take u breath. Then, according to
his story, tor am relating il exactly
as he told me, the ground opened,
disclosed a large figure, and, still
mpeIled by his spirit friend, Mr..
james and his unseen pilot entered
the cavern, which closed above their
heads. From there he Was hurried
OH for considerable distance, still
descending into he bowels of the
earth. Finally, James was brought
to a halt, and told to look abou'
him. He did so, and the sight as-
tonished him somewhat. Stretched
out before him and extending as far
as the eye could reach was IN oceah
of petroleum.
AFTER lowing James to gaze
upon this unusual spectacle Tor a
while, the mysterious visitant sud
denly whIsked him 10 the surface OF
The earth again, and he became in
sensible The rest has become a
matter OF oil region history. The
hint was amply sufficient Mr..
james, however, was too poor to
develop anything, except spiritual
manifestations, and he told bis story
TO some capitalists, in modified
form, and they agreed to help him
put down q well, Drilling was be-
gun the same month and at depth
lof $50 feet struck fourth sand rock
and a l50-barrel gusher, the first
paying well in the Pleasantville
district, was the result. Other
spiritualists, who had all along had
faith in Mr.. James's propheclecs,
and who were OF in the least as.
tonished at this remarkable strike,
gathered in and in short time five
other wells were put down in that
locality, every one OF which panDed
out heavy. Among these was 1sa-
i iah l.. Ennis, a noted spiritualist,
who had previously made a fortune
in petroleum on Oil Greek in the
first flush times. Pleasantville then
sprung from obscurity into lame as
the leading oil territory in the world,
James accumulated wealth and left
the cop ntry. What has become OF
him | know not. He wandered off
East somewhere, and, if it was re-
ported, got rid OF hisacquired wealth
aud sank into obscurity' Whether
or not the spirits, if ,here are any,
ever had any thing to do with the