The Indianapolis journal., 1883-07-09
ooAL-o1L JoHNNY,s LUCK.
PrOspering in Business, and Confident of
Yet Rivaling Vanderbilt.

Harrisburg Special to New York World,
J. William McNulty, better known as
Johnny Steele, or "Coal-oil Johnny" who
made large fortune during the oil fever
and squandered it almost as fast as he made
| ii, turned up in this city on the Fourth. He
said that he had come to the capital to cele-
brate, and that he was at present working in
| McCormick's mills, in New Cumberland
He pulled out bundle of papers from his
pocket and handing one of them to an
auditor, said it was claim to the Cont
mental Hotel in Philadelphia, for which he
had paid $3.50, 900 in his wealthy days. He
asserted that the hotel would again come
into his possession. The paper reads right
enough, and bears the ear-nldrks of age
about it,
He further said that he was prospecting in
New Cumberland, sinking shafts for copper
and iron He showed some ores which he
said came from the shafts in which he was
experimenting. He expressed his confidence
that he would become as wealthy as Wander
bilt yet
Being asked where his family was ne said
that they were in Waymert, and added that
he had recently sent them $25000. He had
been up in Williamsport, be said, about six
months ago, and happened to be at the Craw-
ford House. Somebody was talking about a
package containing $25, 000 cleft there by
fellow named Coal-oil Johnny about 65 or
&C. " to remain there until called for. He
went to the bank and succeeded, after some
difficulty in establishing his identity, and in
obtaining the money.
Coa-oil Johnny is still quite attractive in
appearance. His face is pleasant and genial
and we'll Drowned by the sun and weather
His eyes are blue, and he wears side-whiskers
in the English fashion. His clothes are old
fashioned and much too heavy for the
weather. Bundles OF papers hung loosely out
of his pocket
He is now about thirty-nine years of age
and possesses considerable intelligence, be-
ing able to write his name legibly, a feat
he could not perform in the days of his pros
perty. He is hunting for evidence to get
back some of the money which was illegally
taken away from him.
When the oil fever broke out in northern
Pennsylvania, about twenty-five years ago,
McNulty owned twenty acres of land in We
mango county, which he had cleared for him
self Strangers came one day and began to
prospect around the neighborhood. What
was ordinary in appearance to him was very
extraordinary to them The peculiar look
of the water was familiar thing to him He
had seen the sight often and did not mind it.
To the strangers it was hidden treasure The
more they looked over the farm the more
they wanted it. This led to negotiations, and
McNulty wakened up one morning to find
himself the possesSor OF S. O00, 600, His farm
OF twenty acres composed the heart OF the
newly-dscovered oil-feld, and from that
time forth he became known as Goal oil
Johnny"
This turned his head. His reckless ex-
travagances are a matter of history. He scat
tered money around wherever he went He
purchased the Continental Hotel, Philadel-
phia, furnished a colored band with gorgeous
suits and solid silver instruments, bought
elegant turn-outs at fabulous price, used
them for single ride and then gave them
away. He travelled from city to city, and
wherever he went was followed by a cloud
OF sharpers who fleeced him CT his wealth.
Enormous as his fortune was, it could not
stand these drains made upon it, and when it
had disappeared Coal oil Johnny went to
work to retrieve his fallen fortunes in a
manly way. The story of the past fifteen
years. from the time when he took situation
with John Sherry's New York Theater, at So
a week salary, to the present time is story
OF genuine American pluck and perseverance;
and his friends, and he has many proved and
tried foul weather friends, will be glad to
know that he is once more on the road to
prosperity.