The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-01-25

this time he was shamefuIiy imposed
upon by young woman in Oil City.
The young woman was good enough
in her way, but her way, unfortunately,
was little out of the orthodox line.
Personally, and SO far as any one knew,
she stood without reproach, but her
ideas of life, grieve to say, were some
what warped. She was anxious (but,
for the sake of euphemism, let us
say ambitious) to get a husband.
am inclined to the belief that she d
not expect to love her husband when
she got him. for she had had time
enough on her hands to love two or
three husbands. 1t would have been an
easy matter for her to get married had
she cared less for social distinction and
| future free from trades-people, bills,
but praiseworthy desire to shine as
the wife Of an oil prince caused her TO
throw drag net over the unsuspecting
head of McWilliams. This net took the
| shape of a plausible argument to the
effect that McWilliam' casual meetings
with the young woman were compro-
missing in their tendency, and that I'M
less McWilliams was enough in earnest
to clear her name OF reproach, he should
leave the country until the society of
Oil City forgot him. This was arrant
humbug, as every liberal-minded wom-
an in the oil country will attest; but, as
| have said. McWilliams was easily i'm
posed upon. Like going
oil man he refused to let anything stand
between him and the oil well of his
dreams, and in a straightforward. hon
est sort of way, he married the young
woman out of hand.
Mrs. McWilliams ought to have been
happy; but if the unsolicited testi-
mony of disinterested witnesses
may be allowed as evidence,
it would seem that she was
in a state of constant dissatisfaction
and misery. With wariness truly
Scotch in its origin and tendency, Me
Williams refused to launch into extrav-
agance in living until the capacity of
the Pithole lease should be known. This
veXed Mrs. McWilliams beyond endur-
ance; and it came to pass early in the
winter, when the lease ia led to pro-
duce anything but the driest kind of
dry wells. that the indignant wife. de-
claring that NlcWilliams had failed in
his duty toward her, left the oil coun-
try to try her fortunes elsewhere. After
paying his wife's deCts, McWilliams-
now penniless and friendless seated
himself on stump on the hillside above
Pithole and admitted to himself, with
dull feeling of satisfaction, that he was
down on his luck.
McWilliams' luck had deserted him
at last! The hopeful man had waited
long time for fortune wheel to stop
in front of him; and now that it had
stopped a flying spoke had knocked
him down. Most strong and healthy
persons will resent a blow. even from
fate. With Scotch slowness to wrath
after picking himself up and seating
himself on the stump above the town
McWilliams observed that his luck had
treated him cruelty. Sitting there,
watching the busy wells around him,
the puffS of steam that tloated away
like snowy banners from painting en-
g mes; hearing the rattle of machinery
and the clang of busy hammers, and
noting with sullen brow the prosperity
of hundreds of men beside him, Nc
Williams gave reign to his swelling
temper and with sturdy arm aimed
blows at fate.
The process of it was altogether I'M
recognized by McWllliams. This re-
remuneration of religion, and the ulti-
mate issue was neither argued with nor
questioned. The subtle sophistry of
unknown argument within him did not
find its way to his lips. So far as can
be learned his utterances were emphat-
ic and cOmmonpia well, sail he,
81 guess I'm pretty low down now;
luck's all gone TO thunier, and no mis-
take. Luck? To the deuce with luck,
Who said anything about luck? There's
no such thing. Hard work makes it
hard. steady, pounding work.
The debate within him. sent out no
bulletins to the public for several min
utes. At length, when the sun suffused
his thoughtful eyes with golden "a
dance from the western hill-tops, Nc
Williams reused himself angrily, and
with little ITO the dickens with
luck" strobe down to the town.
Fate must have paused in surprise to
see its grandchild, Luck, so grievously
Haunted by hitherto harmless slave.
She must have respected him then, for
McWilliams was beyond her power.
He had taken his destiny into his own
hands.
The morning of the twenty-ninth day
of January, 1866. saw McWilliams at
work with shovel on the edge of his
lease. He was digging water-well.
'Most likely find quicksand or a coal
bed here" he muttered grimly.
'.Drilled for oil and found saltwater on
the upper edge. Things seem to GO
by contraries with me-" Luck having
no come ,tion with this well, neither
quicksand nor Goals were found, but
water, pure, fresh spring-water, in vol
ume sufficient to supply half the town.
Later in the day McWilliams put into
the well box-pump of his own manu-
facture, and with the help OF dozen
barrels and few lengths of two-inch
iron pipe established the McWilliams'
Water Works.
McWilliams was pretty low down on
his luck at this time; for he was less
than newer of wood-he was a draw
er of water. In Pithole in 1866 the
of water was much more
profitable than it had been in ancient
Palestine. In dry months water re-
tailed at ten cents per drink and one
dollar per bucket; but in the closing
days of January sixty cents per barrel
was the ruling price. Even in the dry
months there was little danger of a
water famine. for. as the price of drink
ing-water increased, the demand fell
Off to such an extent that D Reilly, a
who had come to Pithole |
with keg of liquor on his back and
Ia .r.taen cra Led crlasSas in h. ,ool-at-