The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-07-05
ishment. ami both slpke together:
"Whai's that for?

Eve thought ieiicr II IL. was nv
reply. 1--WE concluded not 20 buy.
You NAV keep your assignment. or
give Il % snme one else The well
may be a spleuded investment, but
think un the whole tn not take any
stock ia g.
They saw that was I'm earnest. and
two angrier men never saw. Fred
if that was his uame-Stpod glaring at
me with the expression II a hungry
hyena lalkrd st his prey; aud Dick.
the one who had ayowcd that he had
NO interest in the sale except- 10 help
his friend. came rluee mp 90 me and
shook his fist ia my face.
You can't come that game on as.
my fine fellow be gruwled. This
trade j. all dome. and that paper Is
ours. Hand 70 over.
He sh"ok hl- fist again. Now their
conduct confirmed my suspicious.
"Lock the door. Fred. said the fell
low who was menacing me. Wen
see about this pretty quick
stop there" cried. producing a
revolver. and cooking IL. a. Fred
started for the door. Lock that
door. and I'll blow you through
lie did stop. verl suddenly Nv At
titudr and weapon were VIVA, they had
not expected.
Il believe you arr two great scoun-
drcls. said. II have done nothing
here vet % bind 10, if To- You ia any
wav: and certainly shall not now.
arose To- ms feet with the pistol in
INV hand. Now ana going "a leave
this >hanty. and if any one offer To
prevent me IL will De- the worst for
him. Look ont there,
Not "a hand was raised; no violence
whatever WIS offered. They stool
quietly aside while walked ont; and
did not put up my pistol until had
put safe distance between myself
and them.
! went straight down Ia the we'll
aud found q great commoiion in the
crowd gathered there. The pump was
still working. but the oil had stopped
running. BY this time ] was pretty
well excited. and mounting the plat
form, / secured the attention Of the
crowd. aud gave them . brief account
Of my experience with the proprietors
Of this well They listened with man
ifc-iaiinn- of anger. aud when / had
done doom voices rose al once.
Those fellows owe me five hundred
dollars for work. one cried.
"Aud me two hundred for boardr'
"And me- fifty for hos- hire" etc,
etc.
Lets find the ru~csl~." some one
suggested. and rush was Instantly
made for tine ~haniy. They were ten
minute, too late; both the men had
gone. leaving behind them the evil
dencrs Of q preripiiate flight Il wa,
well for them thar they were not found;
their sWiudlrd creditors were angry
enough to soak them in their own vat.
Some Of these creditors attached the
/ property that afternoon. and then the
whole swindlc was exposed. The man
in charge Of the we'll wa, one of the
victims. and hr lid not hesitate to eN-
pose the fraud. A. it now appeared
the well had not been put down more
than thirty feet. and. Of course. not a
drop Of oil had been reached. Ten
barrels Of oil had been purchased and
brought on the ground in the night.
and this was actually kept running
through the pipe out Of the spout. and
back again from the barrel. bv means
Of concealed pipes. OF course the
humbug was In hourly danger Of de-
lection. as the crowd was increasing
and becoming more curious; hence the
haste Of the two sharper- ia pressing
the negotiation.
/ remained in the vicinity less than
twenty-four hours after that began
TO see that | wa, hardly keen enough
TO cope with the rascalS Of the place.
who were looking for Just such men as
myself Perhaps | might have made
fortune il had stayed. but | dill not
feel like trying. OF course
knew that such adventures as these
were in a large minority. hut / began
10 be sick If the place. and thought it
best 10 retire with my money in nv
own pocket. while could. ! surprised
and gratifed my friends by my early
return. and went hack into business
with the unpleasant thought that had
sacrificed about five thousand dollars
in my haste to thy the experiment Of
oil-Speculatiun. Never mind: l have
more than got it back again, and with
it an experience which will. l trust.
keep me clear Of all such dangers in
the future.
There j. a brief sequel 20 this trne
story that ought 10 be told. ! visited
Auburn State Prison a short time ago,
and saw the convict~ AT work. clad in
their parti-colorcd suits One Of them
glanced up rs | passed. and instantly
dropped his eyes again. That glance
was enough; spite of his close-cropped
head and costume, recognized the per-
son who had figured by the name of
Dick. The warden told me that he was
in for ten years for forgery. Mr.. Fred
have not heard from. but If he is not
in that penitentiary he is in some 9th.
er-or ought 10 bee. And don think
it wrong in me to hope that in their
cases the Governor will exercise the
parloning power very discreetlyl-
James Franklin Fits. il Bdllou's Mag
HziGe.