The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-01-26

DlaZeu forth for q brief season, and
then went out Perhaps there was a
touch of destiny in the name 1t was
Just after the war, when good names
were scarce, and the new town was al
lowed to name itself. A natural pit. or
hole, in the rocks on the summit of a
neighboring mountain, furnished ma
terial for title, and the town, with
registering indifference, adopted the
suggestion
The day on which McWilliams adj
mitted to his inner consciousness that
he was down on his luck was January
~, 1866. 1t was something of COM
tort to him, even In that condition, to
know that fortune had deigned to notice
him. He had drifted il on that stream
OF men fresh from the trenches of the
hostile South, and, in common with his
neighbors, had invested his savings in
what was then mere speculation. He
! had leased small tract of land on the
hillside above the town, and started to
| drill for oil. This was in the early sum-
mer, or spring, of 1865. Developments
| in the immediate neighborhood were so
uniformly successful that McWillams
was looked upon as lucky fellow and
future oil prince. From the awakening
of this sentiment date the beginning
of McWilliams' run of ill-luck, for at
this time he was shamefully 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. L
am inclined to the belief that she did
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 plausible argument to the
effect that McWilliam's 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
l have said, McWilliams was easily i'm
posed upon. Like a thorough going
oil man he refused to let anything stand
between him and the oil well of his
dreams, and in 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 state of constant dissatisfaction
and misery. With a wariness truly
Scotch in its origin and tendency, Nc
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 failed to pro-
duce anything but the driest kind OF
dry wells, that the indignant wife, de-
claring that McWilliams had failed in
his duty toward her, left the oil coun.
try to try her fortunes elsewhere. After
paying his wife's debts, McWilliams-
now penniless and friendless seated
himself on stump on the hillside above
Pithole and admitted to himself, with a
dull feeling of satisfaction, that he was
down on his luck.
McWilliams' luck had deserted him
at last! The hopeful man had waited
a long time for fortunes wheel to stop
in front of him; and now that it had
stopped flying spoke had Knocked
him down. Most strong and healthy
persons will resent 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 putfs of steam that tloated away
like snowy banners from painting en-
gnes; hearing the rattle of machinery
and the clang of busy hammers, anG
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 un
recognized by McWilliams. This re
volt at fate was in another form, but {
remuneration of a religion, and the ulti
mate issue was neither argued with mol
questioned. The subtle sophistry o
unknown argument within him did no
find its way to his lips. So far as car
be learned his utterances were emphat
ic and commonplace. "Well, said he
81 guess I'm pretty low down now
luck's all gone to thunder. and no mis-
take LuckP To the deuce with luck