The Press., 1884-05-15
McWILLTAM'S LUCK.
McWilliams was down on his luck.

Americans, and great many foreigners, that were alive in the summer of 1865, will remember Pithole, Pa. Oil was dis covered on the Holmden farm, early in the year, and before summer closed, the wooded hills upheld an eager city, third ill postal importance in the great state of Pennsylvania. It rose in u night, and like it's heavenly prototype, the comet blazed forth for brief season, and then went out Perhaps there was touch of destiny ill the name. It was ust after the | war, when good names were scarce, and the new town was allowed to name itself A natural pit, or hole, in the rocks on the summit of a neighboring mountain, fur nished 1naterial-for a title, and the town, with registering indifference, adopted the suggestion.
 The day on which McWilliams admitted that he was down on his luck was January 29, 1866. It was something of comfort to him, even in that condition, to know that fortune had deigned to notice him. He had drifted 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 drlll for oil. This was in the early summer, or spring, of lS65 Developments lu the immediate neighborhood were so uniformly success ful that McWilliams was looked upon as a lucky fellow and future oil prince From the awakening of this sentiment date the beginning of McWillitms run of ill-luck, for at this time he was shamefulIy imposed upon by young woman ill Oil City. | The young woman was good enough Ill her way, but her way, unfortunately, was little out of the orthodox line. Person ally, and so far as any one knew, she stood without reproach, but her ideas of life were somewhat warped. She was anxious to get husband. I am inclined to the Itbelief that she did not expect to love her I husband when she got him. It would 1 have been an easy matter for her to get married had she cared less for social dis tinction and future free from trades peo- ple's bills but praiseworthy desire to shine as the wife of all oil prince caused her to throw a drag-net over the unsus- pecting head of McWilliams. McWilliams was easily imposed upon Like thor ough- going oil man, he refused to let any thing stand between him and the oil well of his dreams, and, in straight forward, honest sort of way, he married the young woman out of hand. s assa
 Mrs. McWilliams ought to have been happy but, if the unsolicited testimony of disinterested witnesses may be allowed as evidence, 1t would seem that she was \ in Q state of constant dissatisfaction and ! misery. With 8 wariness truly Scotch in it's origin and tendency, McWilliams re- fused to launch into extravaganza in living until the capacity of the Pithole lease should be known. This vexed Mrs. Me 1 Williams beyond endurance; and it came to pass early in the winter, when the lease kind of dry wells, that the indignant wife, his duty toward her, left the oil country to try her fortunes elsewhere. After pay ing his wife's debts, McWilliams-now ow penniless and friendless seated himself on stump on the hillside above Pithole, and admitted to himself, with dull feel. ing of satisfaction, that he was down on l his luck.
 1 McWilliams's luck had deserted him al last The hopeful man had waited 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 re. sent blow, even from fate With { Scotch slowness to wrath-after picking himself up and seating himself on the stump above the town-MeWilliams ob served that his luck had treated him cruel ly. Sitting there, watching the busy wells around him, the puffs of steam that foated away like snowy banners from panting engines hearing the rattle O. machinery and the clang of busy hammers and noting with sullen brow the prosperity of hundreds of men beside hlm, McWil Hams gave reign to his swelling temper and with sturdy arm aimed blows at fate
 The process of it was altogether unrec ognized by McWilliams. This revolt a fate was in another form than renuncia ton of religion, and the ultimate issue was neither argued with nor questioned The subtle sophistry of. unknown argu ment within him did not find it's way tc his lips. So far as can be learned, his ut terances were emphatic and commonplace "Well," said he, "I guess I'm pretty low down new; luck's all gone to thunder and no mistake. Luck? Who said any thing about luck? There's no such thing Hard work makes it-hard, steady, pound ing work"
 The debate within him sent out no bull letins to the public for several minutes At length, when the sun had suffused hi OJOS "A'4 o SOAeACh 1oAlnAC' from the western hill-tops, McWilliam reused himself angrily, and strode down to the town. Fate must have paused II surprise to see it's grandchild, Luck, s, grievously Haunted by hitherto harmless slave. Sue must have respected him then for McWilliams was beyond her power He had taken his destiny into his ow1 hand.
 The morning of the twenty ninth day O January, 1866, saw McWilliams at worl with a shovel on the edge of his lease He was digging water-well. "Mos likely find quicksand or a coal bed here, he muttered, grimly. Drilled for oil ane found saltwater on the upper edge Things seem to go by contraries with me- Luck having no connection with this we'll neither quieksand nor coals were found but water, pure, fresh spring water, ir volume sufficient to supply half the town Later in the day McWilliams put into the we'll box pump of his own manufacture and with the help of dozen barrels and ; few lengths of two-inch iron pipe, estab lished the McWilliams Water Works.
 McWilliams was pretty low down on his luck at this time for he was less than 8 newer of wood-he was drawer of water In Pithole, in 1s65-6 66, the drawing of wa. ter was much more profitable than it had been in ancient Palestine. In dry months water retailed at ten cents per drink and one dollar per bucket; but ill the closing Ior NF ~sxrE~V 14. l.