The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-12-02
IN THE GIL REGIONS.
The Noteworthy Struggle fI.sI Wound UI
the Career of FhsaeT:seHatI Town.


The topic was draw poker. and it had
been suggested to group OF half q
dozen New Workers in the Astor House.
rOtunda 10y NEWSPAPER paragraph
which said thar the Little town OF State
Line was the greatest place for poker
playing ia all tine oil regions.
.'-teil. that's sayiT" good DEAL"
said a man in the group. for consider
ing. the size Of their average pile. the
Oil-lieid poker snarp5 viii stick to q
pair OF aces ;is faithfully as anybody
that ever took cards"
But | knew al an oil town that in
the summer OF 1882 had about 1900
Inhabitants the same man went on,
''and by November OF hat wear the sole
industry of the town w-.~ draw DoSer-
Ii was the town OF Garfield. in Warren
county In the early part oE the sum
mer the first wild cat well in ne Cherry
Groove district blew the drill out of the
hole and began flooding the region
with oil Within 4 lew weeks n rail-
road WAS running over logs through the
hrmiock forest, n city OF shanties and
tents had sprung up, and the drilling
wells We're 50 thick that the bull wheels
almost rubbed against one another. 1t
WAS estimated that -. 900 persons were
on top of that barren hill: there were
theatres. dance houses. pool rooms, and
gambling hells; all the noted fighters of
the oil region We're there, and the boom
was the biggest thing OF its kind ever
seen in this country
but the oil cane out like water from
Il blister alter half dozen wells had
been sunk ami by the time snow fell
every well was q dry hole About the
Oniy persons left there when ! visited
the town. just before the HOLIDAYS. were
the keeper Of wha; had been the princi-
pal hotel, Hebrew cloihier, and a
Chinese iauudrlman. The hotel man
had a big mouse on his hands. and was
waiting for a chance To sell it for old
lumber. Tue Hebrew ciothier's pecu-
liar;ty WAS that he came there in his
shirt sleeves. and $40 man ever mad seen
him nave a coat on The Chinaman
Wa, SO fascinated To- jack pots that he
couldn't get away. These three resi-
dents had settled down 10 poker play
ing, evidently to see which of the three
should have what money they had left
They PLAYED in room that had been
occupied by the Sunday school of the
First Methodist Church. Every morn
keeper buttoned mp his great coat and
walked leisureiy To the poker room. the
clOtnieU's white shirt >lepves flashed
around the corner, and the flowing toy
gerry OF the ChinamIn fluttered in the
blast as he joined the two other men
They kept up the game till late at
night. was there three days and saw
no other industry.
The next spring was in Warren, and
inquired how the game came out The
ChInaman's weakness for lack pots
ruined him, they said, and he was last
seen striking out cross lots for Oil City.
The Hebrew clothier hung on better. but
his caution in tine matter of bluifing en-
abled the hotel man gradually TO break
him by taking an ante OUt of him every
time he had The ace or drew cards He
went away in his shirt sleeves in
clustering snow storm about the 1st of
March. The hotel-keeper had a pipe of
natural gas running into his bar-rOom
stove, and he sat by the fire till warm
weather, and then opened another house
up i'll the New York oil field"