Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-02-15

solicited hfs counsel and services in n
business matter II was responsible
trust, The fsicnd was going abroad to
remain FOR years, perhaps permanently.
He owned, jointly with his sister, q
piece of property near the great Oil
Belt. 1t might be worthless. and IL
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. II was for
Eugene F. TO discover the value of the
land and TO exercise his judgment in
disposing OF it. He undertook the task
with ill-concealed repugnance. He dis
liked travelling; had q horror of un-
aired beds and pot-luck. He went TO
tho oil regions in bad humor. When
he returned, great change was noticed
in his manner. A month had worked
wonders.
"Just think of it," he said to me,
when he dropped in TO shake hands in
his CHEEKY, hearty way. al thought
those six hundred acres were worth
about five dollars an acre. At the end
of week was offered sixteen thou
sand dollars; in another week it jumped
up TO hundred thousand, and finally
I.et il 90 for four hundred thousand,
half cash, balance in three months.
1t struck us all rs surprising streak
of luck, and everybody put it that way,
but Eugene, who was n convert to the
BELT" theory, held it was simply n
matter of management and business ex-
perienco and sagacity. He asserted
there was abundance of oil territory
undcvcloped, and his friends were sur
prised beyond expression when he am
nounced his resolve to demonstrate the
correctness of his conclusions. He un-
dertook the task of developing, and,
like many another who started out on
the 'Belt" theory, he ended "wild-cat-
ting" In other words, he assumed ex-
traordinary risks. His efforts were at
tended with varying success. He eXpe-
rienced downright bad luck, and rare
good fortune, too.
In q year-less time-his old friends
scarcely knew Eugene F. He was
energetic, confident, positive and de-
cisive: very fair specimen of thor
ough-going American business man.
His ventures proved profitable in the
main, and then, all Mt once, accident
filled his pockets one night when he
slept. He was the possessor of half a
| million. He was in the middle of the
current, prominent craft in the stream
that allurcd thousands, iloated frac
ton into safe harbor, and stranded the
great majority.
seldom met Eugene now. We wer,
in different channels Chance brough
us face to face one day in front of tn,
Era Office.
GLOW are you, Nedp Had dinner
Come with me. want company. M
refusal now.",
SNAKE it tonight, at home, and III
be on hand"
al wish could but the truth is,
am SO seldom Mt home now-I don
know when I've spent night, or rathe
an evening, Mt home"
And this was my boollish friend who
year ago, could not be induced t,
leave his snug library, or cozy living
room, where his wife and children wer
his chief companions.
Half an hours conversation prove
: to me that my friend-the man l ha,
: respected and loved--was as dead a
the Pharoahs. In his place L found
man who seemeda bundle of nerves
He had lost the repose of my oil
friend, and with il his grace. While
was impossible for Eugene F. to be
come either coarse or brusque, his posi-
tive manner and tones, his decision
gave him an angularity that was les
to be admired than his former ease an,
urbaEity.
"Now you have made your pile, Eu
gene, L suppose you will be off to Europ
some of these days. Possibly we ma
lose you altogether"
he looked Mt me with undisguise
astonishment. "What makes you So
thatp"
.IHey sag you are worth nearly
t Million"
: "See hore--this is in confidence
$ Ned they say great deal that ism
: true. But in this instance they are nc
far wrong. But why should quit on
: millionP Have some more mushrooms
!; This is the only place 1 can get decer
steak in town"
"fve seen the time you would hav
been content with quarter of u mil
$ ion."
!, "Yes; in the long ago. Do yo
Il know, l was n fool in those days. N,
ture never intended a man should /
+ content. He ought to be just as cage
! to make his tenth-yes, his hundredt
/ million for that matter-as his frs
d For my part-but mind you don't Il
d your hive know it; don't care to o,
G them after me-rve no intention
/! quitting till I've made five millions"
G "You have only another step to TAX
y and you will establish your claim to a
II the privileges enjoyed by aristocrats.
He laughed.
o mo, am too sensible for that"
J. replied; although, for that matte
y you know l always held nature hi
e made its divisions. There will be he,
|, ers of wood and drawers of water
d long as grass grows or water runs"
n al meant there is danger that one d
.e you will look with contempt ON a m,
Is with less than ten thousand year"
o Don't blame me, my boy" he /
.. piled, in patronizing manner imm
d diately resented, ''if I've set my peg
"a FIVE millions"
'I've seen the time you were as W.
p of, enjoyed the world. literature, Al
10 the society of your friends, and, abo
" all, the companionship OF your wife al
q children, and all on less than thr
rs thousand year, for happen to knt
III you gave literally and lent freely"
ie 81 can only repeat-five million
es my figure. And Pve only made t
ne first notch on that stick"
" "How If you failp You never knc
Il, when the see-saw will bump you on t
W ground"
' The next day Eugene F. lost hr
/. dred thousand. A week later he "
IT, not worth ten. There came out OF
10 y contest, such as was never witness
w. v. before nor since between oil operate
Iss mere wrecks of men mentally and m
~, % ally, physically and financially, ch
'' among whom was Eugene F.. L
), tarantula's bite had poisoned his lil
n, blood. He was was no longer the bril-
ins a neat, scrupulously-dressed, quiet-m,
c % nered gentleman. He was unshay