Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-07-26
C0AL-OTL JOHNNY'S LUCK.

He Receivers ZOO Thrown Aside
in His Business. and Confident OF
Vet RivaIing VanderbufIt in Wealth.
A letter from Harrisburg, Pa, says:
William McNulty, better known as
Johnny Steele, or "COal-Oil Johnny"
who made a large fortune during the
oil fever, and squandered 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 wOrkingin
Mccormick mills, in New Cumber
land. He pulled out bundle of pa
pers from his pscket, and handing
one Of them to an auditor said it was
q claim to the continental hotel in
Philadelphia, for which he had paid
$3.50, 900 in his wealthy days He as
serted that the hotel would again
come into his possession. The paper
reads right enough, and bears the ear
marks Of age about it. He further
said that he was prospecting in New
Cumberland, sinking shafts for cop
per and iron. He showed some ores
which he said came from the shaft in
which he said he was experimenting.
lie expressed his confidence that he
would become as wealthy as Wander
built yet.
Being asked where his family was,
he said that they were in Waymert,
and added that he had recently sent
them $25, goo He had been up in
Williamsport, he said about six
months ago, and happened to be at
the crawford house. Somebody was
talking about a package containing
$25, 900, left there by 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 bis
identity, in obtaining the money.
'Coal-Oil Johnny" is still quite at
tractive i'll appearance. His face is
pleasant and genial, aud 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 too heavy
for the weather Bundles of papers
hung loosely out of his pocket. He
is now about 80 years Of age and pos
sesses considerable intelligence, 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 mon
ely which was Illegally taken away
from him
When the oil fever broke out in
northern Pennsylvania, about twenty
/ two years ago, McNulty owned twenty
acres of land in NenangO county,
which he had cleared for himself.
i Strangers came one day and began to
j prospect around the neighborhood.
What was ordinary in appearance to
+ HIM was very extraordinary to them.
/ The peculiar look Of the water was a
familiar thing to him. He had seen
4 the sight often and did not mind it.
! 70 the strangers it was hidden trea-
/ sure. The more they looked over the
farm the more they wanted it. This
led to negotiations, and McNulty woke
one morning to fine himself the pos
7 SCISSOR of IS, 900, 900. His farm of twenty
acres was composed of the heart of the
newlydiscOveredo il-field, and from tina
time forth he became known as Goal
! Oil Johnny This turned his head
/ His reckless eNtravagances are a mat
/ ter of history He scattered money
around where he went He purchased
the Continental hotel, Philadelphia,
furnished a cOlored band with gor-
geous suits and solid silver instru-
ments, bought elegant turn-outs at a
fabulous price, used them for a 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 feeced him of his
wealth. Enormous as his fortune was,
it could not stand these drains made
upon it, and when it had disappeared
''Coal-On Johnny" went to work to
retrieve his fallen fortune in a manly
way. The story of the past fifteen
years, from the time when he took a
situation with John Sherry's New
York theater at Sc per week salary to
the present time, is a story of genuine
American pluck and perseverance;
and his friends, and he has many
1 proved and tried foul weather friends
/ will be glad to know that he is once
more on the road to prosperity.
I