Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-19

| moral from Solomon's Injunction, sill thine
horn with oil and co. or infamed the minds
| OF hls'auditors with Jobs romance of his for
| mer state, when washed my feet with butter,
and the rocks poured me out rivers of oil
He could have warmed up to his theme and
| discoursed from the words, '.Thy raiment
was OF line linen and silk and braided
work. Thou didst eat fine -four and honey
| ana Oil and thou vast exceedingly beautiful"
| 1t would have cost him nothing to have adopt
| ed the language of Micah. wherein reference is
| made to present of ten thousand rivers of oil
| to the Lord, and it would have been no strain
for him to have discoursed beautifully about
the tate OF the five foolish virgins who neglect
ed themselves with oil to provide prior to going
| out to meet the bridegroom, and of the pros
perity of the Eve thrifty sisters who saw TO it
that their lamps were replenished and were
I thus enabled to profit by the absence of the
foolish i've on q nocturnal search for an illumi-
| mating agent. Then when it was all over his
hearers could have recalled the inspired pas
| sage found in Psalms: "The words of his
mouth were smoother than butter, but war
was in his heart; and his words were softer
| than oil, yet were they drawn swords.''
AS this was before the Chicago contribution
| had been made, such a text as the last would
never have suggested itself, and, when the
hog back' gave out, the congregation was in
no humor to search the holy word for ethereal
| oil to pour like balm over their souls. Moth
| ing but profanity would do the subject justice
| then. Nothing could have convinced them in
those melancholy days that Garfeld's hog back
was not roorback.
! 1t was with reluctance that the committee
| left the lovely region of fabulous wealth, but
when they did return it was to excite the
cupidity of their fellows with the Arabian
| nights tales of the wondrous regions where
THERE WAS OIL, OIL NOTHING BUT OIL.
The result was a scramble for the stock that
| was offered, and the men who were able to get
possession of blocks of it felt they were privi-
legged and greatly blessed of providence.
When the original stock was all gone. Philips
and company parted with most of what they
| bad taken in part payment for their lands and
| flowing wells. Stock in the V. and V. Oil COM
pany went up to par, and great many shares
| were sold to favored few at that figure and
even more. j. V. Farwell, who had intended
drawing out entirely, was induced, it is said,
to retain his subscription and part with $25, 900
or $50, 900 worth of dock property and real es-
tate in payment therefor. When Garfield and
| Philips went east they took with them in their
gripsacks over $4,000 in money as their per-
centage of the commission accruing from the
organization of the company and the sale of
| stock. They went off without paying Eldridge
| cent for his services or reimbursing him for
| actual expenses incurred.
GEN. ELDRIDGE
was attacked in due time. He was in great
rush, but late in the afternoon found time to
| unburden his soul to knot of reporters who
had assembled to assume the load. He en-
joined them for Gods sake to either write his
name Mr.. Eidridge or General Eldridge. No
colonel in mine if you please. The general
was exceedingly voluble and much given to
"reminiscences and poetic flights right in the
midst of interesting passages. Nothing could
hoo off lad dow 81 ~.
this effect:
Some time after the war, in the summer of
1866, think it was, when the oil fever was at
Its height, who should come into my Office but
j. A. Garfield. Garfield talked to me about
the uncertainty of political existence and spoke
| OF entering into partnership with me in the
practice of law. He dwelt on his poverty and
circumscribed condition, and the trouble he
had IN getting along, and from that drifted
into discussion of the chances of making
money in oil speculation. He discoursed on
this subject as any Leadville enthusiast would
have done about the gold and silver mines a
year ago.: I had been imbued with
Several of my clients had made large fortunes
in oil. was ready to make some myself. Gar
field told me of several of his fir lends who had
| made large fortunes and who were owners of
several successful wells, who were willing,
and, in fact, anxious, to interest Chicago capt.
tai In their ventures. He then spoke of T. W.
Philips, who was then introduced to my no
tice. Among my acquaintance were such
men as q. b. Farwell, l.. q. Letter, 8. 8. Hayes
| and score of others. 1 introduced Garfield to
| these gentlemen by his desire and at my sug-
gestion.
The special property designated by Gar.
held in this connection was the Coquette well
at Pithole, and other valuable pieces of prop.
erty near Petroleum Center. A committee
of Chicago capitalists inspected all the prop
ty. We
FOUND EVERYTHING EXCITEMENT
in the oil region. Fortunes seemed to be made
in day. It was about this time that A. G.
Morey had bought his famous oil farm upon
which he was reported to have made $250,000
In sixty days. The property proposed to be
conveyed to the company was owned by
the Philips brothers, the most successful
operators in all that region. They were pos
sessed of fabulous fortunes and everything
they touched seemed to turn to oil. Upon the
report OF the visiting committee the company
was formed and the stock subscribed. / then
believed as fully as believed in my own exist
ence that the stock was worth double it's par
value. I held 800, 600 worth, and made Bit
ter enemy of one of my best friends for refus-
ing to let him have half of it at its face value.
AS 1t was, never realized dollar on my stock,
and was out of pocket my expenses. In con-
! clusion Gen. Eldridge exhonorated Garfield
from the charge of seeking to influence anyone
| to make what he considered bad Investment;
stated that in all his business he had scrupu-
lousy refrained from trying to use his official
influence, directly or indirectly, to further the
| oil scheme, and expressed the belief that he
did not profit dollar by the whole transac-
| ton.
The general professed his utter inability to
estimate the amount of Chicago cash sunk in
| the Garfield hog. back, but stated that the late
3. s.. Hayes was the heaviest looser, having
put three business blocks into it.
AS the party passed down stairs the Times
| man drew the general to one side and asked
| him if he didn't think Garfield and Phillips
treated him in a shabby manner when they
went off with those grip-sacks full of cash
without reimbursing him for the money ex-
pended.
You won't give me away, now?"
"Of course. ~
well, now, never realized until the morn
ing of July 16 1880, what they had done. 1
was thinking over it to-day, and came to the
conclusion they acted like"
Glow much did they have in those grips?n
Il could not guess within SIC, 000''.
st. Louis and East st. Louis Politics.
ST. Louis, July 1.-THE Republicans of
the Seventeenth district of Illinois, in con-
vention this afternoon at st. Louis, nomi-
mated John B. Hay for Congress by acclama-
ton. Mr.. Hay represented the district prior