The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-07-27

I mad sooopsd nr snl told them my story. ~ They
we're sorelypn.n I'd, could not understand IL
s1d went amo -, their friends to tell them
sS!tuq q, Malmhlson was az crazy "a .. March
Six weary; month dragged llAzlly along wa
1ad; bored INCREASINGLY, but labored in vain.
no oil had been! poured upon our lives To
\ soothe their troubled waters !; had sold my
tarm TO resltzo funds to pursue the work; but
my ny money was exhaustednow, my companions
curse my folly and begin life anew Home
less: had pitched o tent by the side of the
vel, and here lived and slept n H
one might was IN September, and the
great round harvest moon peered. above the
treo tops-I had retired earfier than usual aud
4 was sleeping ssundly. q. men will sleep. even
IN trouble, WHOM was awakened by . feeling
Of suffocation had been sleeping upon the
ground wrapped In my blanket, and slug
Hish stream. was enveloping mo in it's en-
4 lleaped to my feet-was mad?
| MOI; tue oil was pouring from the we'll in
torrentsl I danced and shouted In ecstacy.
and al the while the rich liquid was coursilig
down the hillside and floating on the waters of
| me creek below. Some neighbors, who were
back the village to awaken it's slumbering IN
habltants. Soon they came, men, women and
children, armed with pals, kettles and eyery
svai!able receptacle. They were mad Is L
Oil rich, beautiful oil, was scooped up as II
rushed headlong from its Imprisonment; and
by tue mornings sun had filled fifty hogs
heads, and the we'll still flowed.
Five years had passed since that eventful
night. Rich, courted, daring speoulator, l
vesting all the earnings Of my first we'll in land
in Pennsylvania, had belome tho largest
owner in,some Of the most profitable oil land
IN the State, and stood now tile acknowledged
King OF the new.found mine Of wealth. I was
Wed, some admired me-by ali I was feared
| One great object in life presented itself-the
gain OF gold. Day and night toiled The
| veriest drudge in my Office was not harder
worker than And as the money poured iuto
my Golfers the mania increased; nothing could
satiate my greed. l had imbibod the wild
fever OF the hour, and must drink the CUP to
it's dregs. Substantial houses tottered
around me, fortunes were made aud lost In .
day, but stood firm, fortune smiling on nv
every venture, and CITING me with boundless
| wealth.
They were hard times, those In one day
oil fell from $40 to 10 cents barrel, Nature
had poured into the world OF commerce new
| commodity that swamped all others; and on
al! sides men thought, talked but Of oil.
Wells were flowing two, three and six hun
two, three and six thousand, while one, the
Black & Mathewson, flowed z, 800! The men
at the wells wero as mad as tho Spectators in
Wall street. Tho oil foated along the surface
OF Black creek to the depth Of six inches, and
formed q thick coating to the waters of Lake
Erie. A match thrown upon the stream by
careless workman ignitsd the oil, and the
column Of flame which roared aud Missed
along the winnings Of the creek warned the
infatuated wretches Of their folly. During tho
spring and summer Of 1862 no loss than
5000, 900 barrels of oil floatel off upon the
waters of Black creo';, q total waste. Fifty
| millions Of dollars literally lost!
Men were mad, and was the maddest of the
lot But it was o. lonely life True, had
every luxury that wealth could purchase.
lnammas never omitted my name from their
cards. I had purchased house that was al
most palace, and all the quarters of the globe
had contributed in ministerlng to its magniii-
cence. Here held high carnival Sumptuous
repasts gathered around my board the wealth,
Still was very lonely. These people courted
and fattered me; but, among them all was not
one true friend, not one who would have
stretched forward to me helping hand had
needed il.
Three years more of this passed by, and then
it was that my mind went back to that vine
embowered villange in France. In the busiest
hours of toll sweet, childish face would pass
before my vision. The face of Minette, my
boyish love. The face Of Madonna. Simple,
ohildike, with a. wealth Of love beaming out Of
her great blue eyes. Above mass Of blonde
hair. that, when'the sunshine broke in upon it
through the grapevines, shone as nimbus en-
circling the face OF q saint
Poor little Minette How we loved each
other in those happy days, and how would
lap! And then we would croon and talk to
each other in sequestered corner of the
grapery. and as the warm sun shone down
from the blue sky above what VOWS Of unend-
ing love made, in my boyish enthusiasm,
and sealed them on those chubby little lips
was to go out into the world and become q
great rich man, and Minette was to be my
little wife, and we were to be as happy as the
days were long-happier, if such thing were
possible.
had them now-riches, power-but whore
was little Mnette? On all sides saw the fair.
est of the land, and as paused they smiled
beamingly upon me- But they were not for
me. had one vision, one ideal-Minette I
would amass little more, and then to France,
to that sunny village, and there claim my boy
hoods love- Until then, toll, unceasing toll
Musing thus, as one day walked home from
my daily labor. noise attracted my attention
Tearing down the avenue was toam Of
! spirited horses drawing handsomely fur
nished coupe. The affrighted driver had lost
entire control of the animals, and instant death
| seemed imminent for the sole occupant Of tho
vehicle, young lady.
All my labor had not deprived me of the
strength which WAS inherent in our family,
and it was but the work Of an instant to leap
before the affrighted runsways. and. with an
iron grasp stop them IN their career, The
horses. while ran to the assistance Of the oc-
cupant Of the coupe.
Could be dreamiogs It was Minette!
She had almost tainted, aud lay there quiv-
ering among the cushions. How beautiful she
wasl Years had lent an additional beauty to
that a$v,aa
admired in sunny France. And, as her eyes
opened and their great luster beamed upon
| me, saw once more the vision that had SO
long haunted me. It was but a resemblance,
though. The beautiful girl. whose life had
saved, thanked mo in bashful, timid way,
acknowledgements Of Der parents. Her name
she told me was Blanche Suydam. and her
residence No. = Fifth avenue Of course I
could but offer to see her bome and, during
the short ride hither, was so charmed with
affected simplicity Of her manner that the
vision Of Minette was rapidly dissolving into
thin sir, and Blanche was usurping its place.
month found me the honored guest of old
Peter Suydam; for wealth went great way
with the good old gentleman, and, though he
knew my birth was good, still greenbacks were
with him much more substantial things than
blood, and I have suspicion that al overflow
ing bank account weighed heavier in the old
gentlemans. esteem than the fairest escutcheon
| or the bluest of "sang pur."
Another month had passed, and I was
Blanohe's accepted sutton. A week longer, and
she was my affisnced bride. All those were
golden days, with their happiness in the pres
| emit. their rich promise in the future. Every
day found me by her side, attentive to her
every want AT night, balls parties and the
theaters found US always together, tho most
eager searchers for amusement in the butter
fly throng. A certain Captain Anderson
lowered Just little to near Blanche to an
tirely satisfy my jealousy; but she laughed at
me for . jealous little goose, and kissed away
cross words. "'.'s +t'i