, 1883-07-28
COaI-OiI JOhnny's Luck.

J. William McNulty, better known
as Johnny Steele, or "Coal-oil John
NY" who made ii large fortune dur
ing the Oil-fever and squandered it
almost as fast as he made it, turned
up in Harrisburg, Pa, on the Fourth.
He said that he had come to the
capital to celebrate, 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 Continental hotel in
Philadelphia, for which he had paid
S4SO,0 in his wealthy days. He
asserted that the hotel would again
come into his possession. The paper
read right enough, and bears the ear
marks of age about it.
He further said that he was pros
pecting in New Cumberland, sink
ing 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 Vanderbilt yet.
Being asked where his family was
he said that they were in Waymert,
and added that he had recently sent
them $4,000. He had been in Will
Transport, he said, about six months
and happened to be at the Crawford
house. Somebody was talking about
package containing S25,OOO, cleft
there by a fellow named Coal-Oil
Johnny about '65 or '66," to remain
there until called for. He went to
the bank, and succeeded, after some
difficulty in establishing his identity,
in obtaining the money.
Coal-oil Johnny is still quite at
tractive in appearance. His face is
pleasant and genial, and well
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 to heavy for the weather. Bun
dies Of papers hung loosely out of his
pocket.
He is now about thirty-nine years
Of age, and possesses considerable in
telligence, being able to write his
name legibly, a 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.
When the oil fever broke out in
nortEe ern Pennsylvania, about twen-
ty-two years ago, McNulty owned
couuty, Which he had cleared for
himself. Strangers came one day
and began to prospect around the
neighbOrhood. What was ordinary
in appearance to him was very ex-
traordinary 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 stran-
gers it was hidden treasure. The
more they looked over the farm the
more they wanted it. This led to
negotiations, and McNulty walked
up one morning to find himself the
possessOr Of SS,OO0,CO0. His farm of
twenty acres composed the heart Of
the newly-discovered oil field, and
from that time forth be became
known as "COal-oil Johnny"
This turned his head. His reck-
less extravagances are matter of
history. lie scattered money around
wherever he went. He purchased
the Continental Hotel, Philadelphia,
furnished cOlored band with gor-
geous suits and solid silver instru-
ments, bought elegant turnouts at a
fabulous price, used them for sin
gle ride and then gave them away.
He travelled from city to city, and
wherever he went he was followed
by a cloud Of sharpers who fleeced
him Of 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 re-
trieve his fortunes in a manly way.
The story of the past fifteen years,
from the time he took situation
with John Sherry's New York Thea
tire at Sc a week salary, to the pres
ent time, is story of genuine Amer
lean pluck and perseverance, and his
friends, and he has many proved
and tried foul-weather friends, will
he glad to know that he is once more
on the road to prosperity.