Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-12-27
The ssOn Fever,


as it is possible for any one to be in this
mutable world. One of the number,
connected with prominent manufact-
uring business, narrated, with due at
tentfon to dramatic detail, how in the
DAYS of the soil fever" in Western
Pennsylvania, he was bitten by the tar
antula of speculation, and after varying
fortune and misfortune, found himself
in Oil City, penniless and unable to
raise a cent.
81 had dropped considerable money
at Titusville," said he, "but was com
plete stranger in Oil City. / could not
get free transportation to Pittsburgh
where l had some friends, and had not
money enough to pay my fare. I was
not familiar with the methods by which
the modern tramp secures free railroad
transportation. 1t was in the latter part
of September. The weather was warm
and the walking elegant, and decided
a hundred-mile tramp over the noun
tains preferable to the rough labor of
the oil region / struck out one morn
ING and walked all day. In the after
noon of the second day l was pretty
well played out, as 1 had eaten nothing
since leaving Oil City, and very
little for some time before. I could
not bring myself up to the point of
striking a farm house. l was about
thirty miles from Oil City, and was con-
sidering the alternative of appealing to
some charitable farmer, when man
came up the road from the opposite di-
rection was travelling, driving drove
of Cotswold sheep, thOroughbreds, and
perfect beauties. The sheep numbered
about forty, and he was having consid-
cradle trouble to keep them from stray
ing into the woods through which the
unfenced mountain road ran. He asked
me to help him drive them to county
fair at Franklin, and offered me board
and one dollar per day until the fair was
over and the sheep returned to his farm.
Now, l was anxious to get to Pittsburgh,
and Franklin was behind me, but was
likewise very hungry, and the prospect
of being boarded for a week was a
big inducement. / accepted the offer,
and together we drove the sheep to
Franklin. The farmer had feed tent
there, in which we lived very comfort
ably, and everything was going lovely
until the next to the last day of the fair
1t was the day of the big races, and,
besides the local plugs, there were some
pretty good fliers from Pittsburgh, Erie,
and other places. While walking about
the grounds that day l saw mint of
fellows roaming around with a clover
blossom fastened in their shoes. knew
from their appearance that they were
not the rustic SWANS of the locality, and
/ could not cipher out just what they
were, and what the clover blossom in
the shoe meant. / fastened one in my
own shoe and had almost forgotten
about it when a chap came up to me
and said, quietly like:
"'Do you cut or carryP'
al did not know what he meant, but
answered at random, Il carry
"'Then follow me- he said.
81 followed him into an excited crowd
around the race-track, who were putting
up money pretty freely on their favorite
horses, and saw him walk up to a stock
raiser from Kentucky, who was giving
and taking bets pretty freely, and cut
out of side pocket big leather pocket
book. The fellow did it so quickly and
easily that saw through the whole
secret of the clover blossom in an in
slant. 1t was the sign employed by an
organized gang of pickpOckets to dis
tinguish one another, and they were
divided into two gangs-one to cut and
the other to carry-so as to avoid detcc-
ton in case the fellows who cut should
be caught. Nothing would be found on
their persons, do you see. and they
would not be convicted. Well, | fol-
lowed the fellow, not knowing exactly
what to do in the premises, and when
he dropped the book l picked it up.
went to our feed tent and examined it,
and found besides some papers and
small change twenty one thOusand-dol-
lar bills. Now, it doubtless seems to
you, gentlemen, an easy matter to
restore that property to its owner, but
the more / reflected upon the situation
the more complicated it appeared to me.
If / was found with that amount of
money in my possession was sure to
be arrested. If l restored it to the
owner, or told the story to the police, 1
was equally certain to be denounced by
the thieves, who would not hesitate to
swear anything to convict one of the
fraternity who sins against their code
by peaching; and remember, by putting
that cursed clover blossom in
my shoe had hung out the
sign that l was of and with them.
At any rate, I resolved to skip out
of that playground, which did. went
into the town, used the odd change by
purchasing some necessary articles of
apparel, bathing, ETC., and took quarters
at the hest hotel there. / had resolved
to let the affair develop as it might, say
nothing to any one, yet keep on my
guard. The day followingI went into
the hotel dining-room to dinner, and
took seat at table. Opposite, with
out a trace of concern on his honest,
open face, sat the Kentucky stock dealer
whom had seen robbed the day before,
and whose money was at that time on
my person. We were the only two at
the table, and [ seized my opportunity.
Opening the conversation by refer
ence to the stock subject of weather.
led it along through the fair and races
up to climax by inquiring of my com
panion if he had not met with loss the
day previous.
Wen, yes he replied. Some ras-
cal slit my pockesand got pretty we'll
filed leather.
- Twenty one thOuSand-dollar hills