Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-04-03

we'll O box pump of his own manufacture,
and with the help of a dozen barrels and
few lengths of two.inch iron pipe established
the McWilliams' water works.
McWillians was pretty low down on his
luck at this time; for lie was less than a
newer of wood-he was drawer OF water.
In Pithole in 1866 tho drawing of water
was much more profitable than 1t had been
in ancient Palestine. In dry months water
retailei at 10 cents per drin!. and 81 per
bucket; but in the closing days of January
go cents per barrel was the ruling price. Even
in tho dry months there was little
danger Of u water famine, for, as the price of
drinking water increased, the demand fell of
to such an extent that O'Relly, . saloon
keeper who had come to Pithole with kcG
of liquor on his back and thirteen cracked
glasses in his pockets, was enabled to buy
diamond pin as big as walnut and to run as
the popular candidate for mayor. At tho
time when McWilliams broad back began to
hcave up and down with the motion of the
pulnp-hande, water was cheap enough to
drink, and yet not too expensive for an oc-
casional cleansing of soiled linen, 50 that at
the end of tho first days pumping McWill-
iams considered himself justified in looking
forward to the time when he might put in
boiler and engine and stcam-pump
At the close of tho second day Nc
Williams was SO well satisfied with
his dca,nce of fate, fortune and luck
that he determined to quit his boarding
place, and, for the sake OF economy. take up
bis residence in an abandoned engine-house
on his lease. This engine-houso was all that
remained of his attempt to strike oil =; tho der
rick, boiler, engine and other machinery hav.
ing been sold to pay his quondam wifes
debts
With the hands engaged in purely me-
chanical labor, the busy mind breaks away
from the mental Office Of the body and scars
into a world of its own The unthinking
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 weared senses that In honest
labor wore the hours away. Suddenly
awakened from its lethargy, McWilliams'
strong mind ran on before, AMI with n master
hand built water works, laid lines Of pipe,
and poured into the owners pockets Il stream
of gold The practical outcome OF this hope.
full train Of thought became apparent on thu
first day Of February, when McWilliams
after working hours, began to dis founda
tions for new boiler and pump.
Those three (scap.) gracoS, old grand
mother Fate, her wor!dly-wise daughter,
Fortune and her impulsivc granddaughter,
Luck watched nlcW IliiHms with curious at
tcntion that day. Here va, n former slave,
III defiance Of their teachinss, well started on
the raad 10 prosperity; here was case that
demanded Httcnt.on. IL New iliams, 10y
sheer force Of will and energy, coul | get
along without them, they surely colli not
get along without him. They mus. get him
back in some way, and with this resolve they
retrc1 to work out their plot.
The fourth day of February, 1865 will
long be remembered by men that drill for
crude o;roeun. /, was tho day ON which
Fate shot her last arrow at New llia.Ms.
Leaving the clumsy pump and greasy water
barrels in Charge of an INDECENT negro, Nc
Williams set off for OIL City to Luy n.achin
cry for bis new enterprise. Second hand
engines and pumps were not plentiful, but
after treSome walk up Oh crenk Nc
Williams succeeded III purchasing what ho
wanted.
1t was late in the aft"rnoon VIXEN. on his
return, he came in sight OF tie hills OF Pit
hole A towering cloud Of smoke hung over
the city. ECln,cn street was in flames. Tho
fremont house. the Syracuse house, tho
United States hotel, the Buf'ao hou,e and
the Chautauqua livery btaoles wevo Sroat
blocks of fire.
McWilliams Mastered forward. His first
thoug hts We're for his pumps and water bar
relR. OF course, in their Cagcrness to su5duo
the fire the citi2ans woGll seize upon his pump
and Use oil TIE water without II thought of
remuneration. In hasty or careless pumping
they would destroy the well or pump il dry.
Painting and hreathless McWIliiams looked
eagerly at the burning buildings. OAly Il
dozen or SO OF frantic iaan seemed to be near
them, and no water was being thrown on the
flames The well must have gone dry. Nc
Williams sat down upon stump and
groaned. Fighting against fcte was n hard
job after all After few moments he rose
and resolu:elv pushed ON toward his lease.
He would know the worst The Scotch grit
in him came to the surface aud he deter
mined with set teeth ald clcnchel hands,
that neither fate, luck nor the devil could
swervo him hairs breadth in his purpose
Ee would succeed; he'll itself had no power
that would make him pause.
But what was this, as he climbei a slight
rise of ground! Three thousand men wer.
crowded upon bis lease. Something unusual
had occurred. 1t could not have been that
the well had merely gone dry; no one
cared about that. 1t could not have been
that the negro had fallen Into Quicksand
and disappeared; no one cared about white
mans lite much less u negro's. What was
it--what was fate's reveuge'
The crowd pressed like mldmen about the
pump Greasy dl,llers, with strong, rude
ILL, al al
trod on the toes Of fnaly-dressel spectators
from the east. Small men went down like
straws in the crush and were carried out half
stranglcd. Employers fought with workncn
for places at the pump
"What new misfortune is this" cried Nc
Williams, as a man dashed past him.
"They pumped your well dry and" The
runner was gone before the sentence could be
finished.
Tic well had gone dry! 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-hande was flying up and down
like a runaway walking BEAM Then Nc.
Williams. crowding forward, suddenly
stopped. Something there--there where his
eyes were IDe DiOuu upon
his heart, aud left his checks and lips like
ashes. 1t was DILL
McWilliams' luck had run on to its ut
termost limit it had done its worst, and
here was the result! McWilliams bad
pumped for water and found oil! The first
of the wonderful surface wells of Pithole had
been struck. Did McWiliams care2 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-
verseness held its own. He had done with
fate and luck forever.
"'Fore God, Massa," shouted the negro, as