, 1884-04-05

and with the help OF n dozen barrels and a
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 a
newer of wood-he was n drawer OF water.
In Pitholo in lS65-66 tho drawing OF water
was much more profitable than it had been
in ancient Palestine. In dry months water
retailed at 10 conts per drink and 81 per
bucket; but In tho closing days of January
80 cents por barrel wus the ruling price. Even
in tho dry months there was little
danger Of a water famine, for, as the price OF
drinking water increased, the demand fell Off
10 snch an extent that OfReilly, a saloon-
keeper who had come to Pithole with q keg
of liquor on his back and thirteen cracked
glasses in his pockets, was enabled to buy a
diamond pin us big as a walnut and to run as
the popular candidate for mayor. At the
time when McWilliams' broad back began to
heaye up and down with the motion OF the
pump-handle. water was cheap enough to
drink, and yet not too expensive for an oc-
casional cleansing OF soiled linen, SO that at
the ond OF the first days pumping McWiL-
ianis considered himself justified in looking
forward to the time when he might put in a
boiler and engine and a st~eam-pump.
AT the close of the second day Nc
Williams was 80 well satisfied with
his defiance OF fate, fortune and luck
that he determined TO quit his boarding
place, and, for tho sake Of economy, take up
his residence in an abandoned engine-house
on his lease. This engine-house was all that
remained of his attempt to strike oil the der
rick, boiler, engine and other machinery hav-
ing been sold to pay his quondam wife's
debts.
With the hands engaged In purely mo-
chanical labor, the busy mind breaks away
from the mental office of the body and scars
into "a world Of its own. The u%nthinking
hand plods on, the quiet eye performs its
part; but the mind, roaming at its will, builds
castles, towns and cities, prints pictures in
bright array at close Of day, until ambition.
filed with light and hope, returns to cheer
and soothe the wearied senses that In honest
labor wore the hours away. Suddenly
awakened from its lethnrgy, McWilliams'
strong mind ran on before, and with a master
hand built water works, laid lines OF pipe,
and poured into the owners pockets a stream
Of gold. Tho practical outcome of this hope
full train of thought became apparent on the
nrst day of February, when McWilliams,
after working-hours, began to dig founda-
tions for a new boiler and pump
Those three scape) graces, old grand
mother Fate, her worldly-wise daughter,
Fortune, and her impulsivs granddaughter,
Luck, watched McWilliams with curious at
tention that day. Here was n former slave,
IN defiance OF their teachings, well started on
the road to prosperity; here was a case that
demanded attention. II McWilliams, by
sheer force of will and energy, could get
along without them, they surely could not
get along without him. They must get him
back in some way, and with this resolve they
retired TO work out their plot.
The fourth day of February, 1865, will
long be remembered by mon That drill for
crude petroleum, 1t was tho day on which
Fate hot her last arrow at McWilliams.
Leaving the clumsy pump and greasy water
barrels in charge of an INDECENT negro, Nc
Williams set off for OIL City to buy machin-
cry for his new enterprise. Second hand
engines and pumps were not plentiful, but
after a tiresoIue walk up Oil creek Nc
Williams succeeded in purchasing what he
wanted
1t was late in the afternoon when, on his
return, he came in sight of the hills of Pit
hole. A towering cloud of smoke hung over
the city. Holmden street was in flames. The
fremont house, the Syracuse house, the
United States hotel, the Buffalo house and
the Chautauqua livery stables were great
blocks Of fire.
McWilliams fastened forward. His first
thoughts were for his pumps and water-bar-
rels. or course, in their eageruess to subdue
the fire the citizens would seize upon his pump
thAAA AAS vi a. ~ ~ " u VI
remuneration. In basty or careless pumping
they would destroy the well or pump it dry.
Painting and breathless, McWilliams looked
eagerly at the burning buildings. Only q
dozen or so of frantic men seemed to be near
them, and no water was being thrown on the
flames. The well must have gone dryl Nc
Williams sat down upon a stump and
groaned. Fighting against fate was a hard
job after all. After a few moments he rose
n,l r..1f,,Nnl- naak.l -, $1,000 Ii -
He would know the worst. The Scotch grit
in him came to the surface, and he deter
mined, with set teeth and clenchod hands,
that neither fate, luck nor thu devil could
swsrve him a hairs breadth In his purpose.
He would succeed; hell itself had no power
that would make him pause.
But what was this, as he climbed a slight
rise Of groundi Three thousand men were
crowded upon his lease. Something unusual
had occurred, 1t could not ave been that
the well had merely gone dry; no one
cared about that. 1t could not have been
that the negro had fallen into a quicksand
and disappeared; no one cared about n white
mans life, much less a Negroes. What was
it-what was fate's revengsl
Tho crowd pressed like madmen about the
pump. Greasy drillers. with strong, rude
motions, elbowed aside less stalwart mon and
trod on the toes OF finely-dressed spectators
from the ca Small men went down like
straws in the crush and were carried out half
~strangled. Employers fought with workmen
for places at the pump.
"What new misfortune is thisF' cried Nc
Williams, US a man dashed past him.
"They pumped your well dry and The
runner was gone befors tho sentence could be
finished.
The well had gone dryl This was enough
to start with. What next McWilliams
forced his way into the crowd with fierce
energy. Men recognized him and gave him
room.
The pump-hsndle was flying up and down
like a runaway walking beam. Then Nc
Williams, crowdins forward, suddenly
stopped. Something there-there where his
eyes were chsinad-sent the blood back upon
his heart, and left his cheeks and lips like
ashes. 1t was DILL
McWillinms' luck had run on To its ut
termost limit; 1t had lone its worst, and
here WAS tho resulti Mcwmiams had
pumped for water and found DILL Tho first
Of the wonderful surface wells of Pithole had
been struck. Did Mcwfliams carel No;
for in that trying moment, when the sun
threw the radiance OF that sparkling stream
OF oil into his staring eyes. the Scotch per
versenoss held its own. He had done with
fat. aud luck forever.
"'Fore God, MasSs," shouted the negro, as
he caught sight of Mcwilliams in the crowd,
Else po'ful glad TO SEQ you. l pump dis yer
ting for de fire, an de mo- dey frows on de
mo- de fire burns"
Tho negro was right. 1t will DO rvmem-
bored that the disco very OF the famous sur.
face wells was due to the fire on Holmden
street In specifies amazement the iirenieh
saw streams OF water turn to fire aid 20
blazing heavenward When 1t becnne
known that the water-woll ON tb- hillside