Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-10-12
Why his Hair Turned White.

hOW tilu iuy udlr tuIu Wultcf W tii, 81,
if you will sit down on that new bull-wheel
shaft while l turn off the gas at the boiler
and salck the sand line in the derrick. |
will tell you. don't tell the story very
often but if Boylston sent you here to see
me guess it's all right was originally a
Bostonian, haying been raised at the Hub
When left had just been ground out of
an educational mill and had the bland
aesthetic blown in each bottlc. / thought
of the oil country as place where barbara
ans lived and where q good, smart man
could make a fortune in three weeks 1t
is needless to say was greatly fooled.
came to the oil country fresh as daisy,
and before living in It two weeks came to
the conclusion, none the less sure because
it was forced, that was more fit TO drive a
team or saw wood than l was to be an oil
king. knew how to handle horses, for
my father kept first-class carriage, and as
| wa. strong and healthy there was no rea-
son why should 60 home failure. 1 will
not tell you of the struggles against pride
had, for you can doubtless appreciate my
position. Suffice 1t to say am head drill
er on this well and that am striking back
at my misfortune as vigorously as 1t be
slowed sledge hammer blows on me two or
three years ago.
There had been heavy storm one
night at about midnight, and. as usual with
the oil country residence. arose and look |
ed from :he window to see If any tanks had
been struck by lightning. A bright glare in |
the sky convinced me that a large tank of /
oil was on fire few miles distance, and | |
went back to sleep. determined to go to the
fire at noon and see the first overflow. You
know that when %, 900 barrel iron tank
has been on fire for twelve or fourteen
tours the burning oil will boil up ard flow
over the sides just like a kettle of soap.
At 2 O'Clock the first grand overflow oc-
cured. As stood on the hillside picking
wild berries, heard man shout, She's
coming and saw pipe line men running
away from the tank for their lives. heard
a rumbling sound inside the tank and
didn't know what it meant, but q few
seconds after saw fully flve-hundred bar
rels Of burning oil shoot up from the tank
and boil over the sides. 1t was grand be
yond description, and ste cd and watched
it in silence. The burning oil floating down
a creek foI mile, burning saw-mill,
numerous oil wells and tanks. buildings,
and everything in reach of its devastating
breath. When the dow had partly sub
sided it IVES found that a second $4,000
barrel iron tank had been set Oh fire by the
overflow of burning oil. Being somewhat
inquisitive ventured down behind the ;
burning tank to get better view from 4,
the lower side. While trying to avoid a !,
pool of burning oil fell into a nud hole
or sort ofquick- sand and sunk fast. My Ut :
most endeavors were of no avail in extIi-
eating myself from the hole, / yelled at I
the top of my voice, but so great was the {
roar of the burning tanks that my voice ;
sounded weak and far away. i struggled
until exhausted, and then layed back and
rested. How beautiful the great pillar of '
black seemed IN the clear blue sky. Great I
pillows of smoke would go surgiug up 4
wards hundreds of feet and float away into =,
space, their sombre hues turned to snowy
whiteness. thought the boys would miss
ne and search for me. Suddenly heard S
he noise of a cannon and saw q column of /
lame and smoke shoot up from one of the i
anks. The truth came upon me like Y
,olt of lightning, and was almost stricken
ShoSAScS W thC lnC
Pipe line men were firing cannon balls b
through the first tank to draw off the oll C
md prevent a second overflow. Great 4
iod! what convection came upon me, 1t :.
vas matter of a second, tried to shout,
,ut the words would not come. With the u
trength of despair struggled to get free.
The quicksand held me with grip of ten
thousands devils. All at once saw little
tream of burning oil running slowly down
oward me. My time had come. l thought, Il
nd must be burned to death by inches. s.
The earth was dear to me then-dearer 81
han ever beforehand turned to get a
ook at the sunlight and the bright world 81
,nce more. The horror and fear passed c
way, and l was ready to die The stream C
I. burning oil, now grown larger, was al >
most upon, but did not seem to care. v
saw it as in dream. The earth and all o
hings earthly faded away and all was r
lark. When came back to consciousness b
was lying in my own room, and my b
riends around me. Tine boys said that in
ollowing the supposed course of the over II
lowed oil they came upon me and rescued
ae just as the burning stream was about to I
ash upon me. was sick a long while, i
nd when l got well found my hair as I
White as you see it now.'