Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-02-21

business matter. Il was 4 responsible
trust The friehd was going abroad 10
remain for years. perhaps permanently.
He owned. jointly with his sister. n
piece of property near the great OIL
Bet Il might be worthless. and it
might prove very valuable What the
friend required was honest dealing.
For himself he did not care. he had
great wealth. but his invalid sister was
entitled TO all that could he realized
from her half Of the land Il was for
Eugene F. TO scOver the value Of the
land and to exercise his Judgment in
disposing of IL He undertook the task
with ill-concealed repugnance- He dis
liked travelling; had horror of un-
aired beds and POt-luck. He went to
the oil regions in bad humcr. When
he returned. 4 great change was noticed
ia his manner. AmOnth had worked
wonders
Just think Of it, he said to me.
when be dropped in to shake hands in
his CHEEKY, hearty WAY. Il thought
those six hundred acres were worth
about Eve dollars an acre At the end
I of 4 week I was offered sixteen thou
sand dollars: in another week L Jumped
up to a hundred thousand. and finally
let Il 20 for four hundred thousand.
Z half cash. balance in three months
Il struck us all as surprising streak
of luck. and everybody put II that WAY,
but Eugene. who WIS convert 10 the
Belt theory. held it was simply =
matter of management and business ex-
persence and sagacity. BE asserted
thelS was abundance Of oil territory
undevelOped. and his friends were ur-
prised beyond expression when he an
nounced his resolve to demonstrate the
correctness OF his conclusions. He un-
derfOok the task of developing, and.
I ike many another who started out on
.ke Bell theory, he ended wildcat
I ting In other words. he assumed ex-
tracrdinary risks. His efforts were al
tenf5ed with varying saecesss he expe-
ricnced downright bad luck. and rare
good fortune. too
In a year-less time-his old friends
scarcely knew Eugene F.. He was
energetic, confident. positive and de-
I cisiEe: a ve.s' fair specimen Of thor
Ough-going American business m=n-
His ventures proved profitable in the
main. and then. all at once. accident
filed his pockets one night when he
slept He was the pOssessor of half
million He was in the middle of the
current. prominent crsftin the stream
that aIlured thousands. fOated a frac-
ton into safe harbor. and stranded the
great majority.
/ seldom. met Eugene now. We wert
: = different channels. Chance brought
us face 10 face one day in front Of the
Era Office.
How are Won. Ned2 Hal dinner2
Come with me want company No
refusal now"
MAKE il tonight. al home, and I'll
be on hand
Il wish I could; but the truth is.
+ am 50 seldom at home nOw--I don't
{ know when I've spent 4 night, or rather
an evening. AZ home"
And this vas my bOokish friend who.
4 yesr ago. c01ld not be induced TO
leave his snug library. or coy living
room, where his wife and children were
his chief companions
Half an hours conversation proved
to me that NV frield-tke maa | had
respected and loved-was Is dad as
she Phar0shs. In bis place 1 found a
man who seemed bundle Of nerves.
He had lost the repose Of NY old
friend. and with il his grace. While il
was impossible for Eugene F. TO be-
: come either coarse or brusqre. his posi-
/ tive manner and tones, his decision.
gaEe him an angularity that was less
to be admired than his former ease and
urbanitv.
Now you have made your pile, Eu-
gene. 1 suppose you viii BE OF TO Europe
some Of these DAYS Possibly we may
/ lose yOu altogether"
He looked at me with undisguised
establishment What makes yOn say
that2-
.'Ihey sag yOu are worth nearly =
Million
See here-this is in confidence.
Ned. dhey aaV' great deal that isn't
true. But in this instance they are not
far wrong. But why should 7Hii on Z
million? Have some more mushrooms.
This IS the only place can get decent
steak in town.
i've seen the time YOU would have
been content with \ quarter Of 4 mill
ion"
.-Yes; in the long ago. Do Won
know, was fool in those DAYS Ma
ture never intended a man should be
content be ought % he Just a eager
/ TO make his teufh-yes. his hundredth
nillion for that matter-as his first
/ For my paIT-but mind YOU don't let
your hive know il; l don't care t5 get
them after me-Tve no intention of
/ quitting till I've msde five millions
You have only another step 10 take.
and YOU viii establish vour claim TO all
the privileges enjoyed BY arisiocrais. =
/ He lau.hed.
No. am too sensible for that. he
replied; although. for that matter
you know ! always held nature had
made its divisions. There viii be hew-
ers Of wood and drawers of water as
long Is grass grows or water runs.
i meant there Is danger that one day
( vOu viii look with contempt on a man
I with less than ten thousand wear.
Don't blame me. my bOy,' he re-
Piled. in \ patronizing manner imme-
/ diafely resented. If I've set my peg for
i've Millions
I've seen the time YOU were as well
Z or enjoyed the world literature. at.
the society Of your friends. and. above
all. the e0mpanionship Of your wife and
/ children and sll on less than three
thousand year. for l happen to know
yea gave librr.,lly and lent freely"
Il can only repeat-iive million Is
my figure And I've only made the
! first notch on thst stick
How if you fail2 You never know
when the see-ssw viii bump YOU on the
ground
The next day Eugene F lost a hun
dred thousand. A week later he was
not worth ten There came out of 4
contest, such as was never Witnessed
before nor since between OIL operators.
mere wrecks OF men mentally ami NOR
silly. physically and financially. clief
] auaonor whom yvaS Euueuf. Trp