Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-09
COAL OIL JOHNNY.
lie ReCoy3rs $4,000, Thrown
Aside Eiyhte3R Years Ago.
0rce k!ore Prosperiag in Business, and
Confident of Yet RiVaIIjng Van
dCrbt in Wealth,

HAREISBURi, Pa, July S.-William Nc
Nulty, better known as Johnny Steele, or
Coal Oil Johnny" who made large for.
tune during the oil fever and sQuandersd
it almost as fast as he made it, turns up in
this city On the Fourth. He said that he
had come to the capital to celebrate, and
that he was at present working in McCOr.
mick'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 a claim TO the Cont
mental Hotel in Philadelphia, for which he
had paid SISO,OO) in his wealthy days. He
asserted that the hotel would again come
into his possession. The paper reads right
enough, and bears the ear-markS OF age
atuut il.
lie further said that he was prospecting
u New Cumberland, sinking shafts Tor
copper snl iron. He showed some ores
VII cA lie said came from the shafts in
sh.ch he was experimenting. lie ex-
pressed his confidence that he would be-
come rs wealthy as Vanderbilt yet.
>25. 900 of His Fortune Recovered.
Being asked where his family was he said
'Lut they were in Wsymert, and added that
ue had recently sent them $4,000 lie had
been up in WilismspJrt, lie sad, about six
months ago and happened 10 Ue at the
Crawford House. Somebody was talking
anOut q package containing $4,000, left
there by fellow named Coal Oh Johnny
about 'Gj, or 60, 10 remain there until
ca ed for. He went 10 the bank and sue
cseded, after some difficulty in establishing
his identity, in obtaining the money.
CoalOn Johnny is still quite attractive
in appearance. His face is pleasant and
genial, and well Drowned by the sun and
weather. His eyes are blue, and he wears
Side.whiskCrs 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,
being able TO write his name legibly, feat
he could not perform in the days OF his
prosperity. He is hunting for evidence TO
get back some of the money which was
illegally taken away from him.
How Fortune Smiled.
When the oil fever broke out in north
ern Pennsylvania, about twenty-five years
ago, McNulty owned twenty acres of land
in Nenango county, which he had cleared
for himself. Strangers came one day and
began 10 prospect around the neighbor-
hood. What was ordinary in appearance
to him was very extraordinary to them.
The peculiar look of the water was ia.
miliar thing to him. He had seen the
sight often and did not mind it. To the
strangers il was hidden treasure. The
more they looked over the farm the more
they wanted it. This led to negotiations,
snd McNulty wakened up one morning to
find himself the possessor OF SS,OOO0OO.
His farm of twenty acres composed the
heart Of the newly discovered oil field, and
from that time forth he became known as
Coal Oil Johnny"
How Fortune Frowned.
This turned his head. His reckless eX-
travsgances are matter of history. He
scattered money around wherever he went.
He purchased the Con .inental Hotel, Phils-
delphia. furnished 8 colored band with
gorgeous suits and solid silver instruments,
bought elegant turn-outs e: = fabulous
price, used them for q single ride and then
gave them away. He travelled from city TO
city, and wherever he went wss followed
by cloud of sharpers, who ;ieeced him of
his wealth.
Enormous as his fortune was it could not
stand these drains made upon it, and when
il had disappeared Coal Oil Johnny went
to work to retrieve his fallen fortunes in q
manly way. The story OF the past fifteea
years, from the time when he took siraS
lion with John Sherry's New York THEATRE
al s6 week salary, to the present time, is
story of genuine American plTck and
perseverance,; and his friends, snd he has
many proved and :ried foul We. %.sher friends.
Will he glad to know that hs is once more
IN The load to prosperity,