Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-06-21
ALMOST COZENED.
An Expensive But Perhaps Profit
able Experience.

My story will illustrate the impru-
dence, not to say folly, with which
Elen will often act when under the in
huence of some controlling passion,
such as the expectation of great gain.
And it will also illustrate how men
may redeem themselves from the con-
sequences of such imprudence or folly
by prompt and decided action.
E The facts bring me back no great
distance in my experience: The great
Pennsylvania oil fever was then at its
height; fabulous stories were told of
men realizing hundreds of thousands
o by the simplest speculation in lands.
and many of my friends were convert
ing their business into cash and de-
parting for the theater of financial ex-
. citement. The fever soon overlook
me, and yielded to it. I was at that
time the senior partner in n large and
hourishing country retail store. l was
thirty-iive years old, with good wife
and two children. My home was to
me the most attractive spot on earth,
and month before determined to go
to the oil regions l could not have been
persuaded that any thing in the shape
= of temptation could win me from it.
But in this case the tempter attacked
me at the weakest point.
Go now" my fancy whispered to
me, ''while there is chance; this
golden harvest will not last long.
Venture boldly; put in few thousands
and make a cool half million; it has
been done more than once, and you are
81 IL .
again. When you have done this, your
family as well as yourself will be above
all the chances and risks of trade, in
dependent for life. 1t is your highest
dnty to CO.
/ prevailed upon myself to think that
this was so. l preached my plan to
my wife and several of my best friends;
they all opposed it. They reasoned
that it was better for me to stay here
with certainty of fair profits. than to
go into oil speculation and risk all
that had. Very true in the abstract,
/ allowed; but 1 had got myself to
thinking that 1 could not fail. No
wild, crazy gambler or speculator ever
expects to lose his money; they are
continually hoping for good luck. and
the hope amounts to an expectation.
So with me. My interest in the bust
ness was worth fifteen thousand dol
lars easily; on a hurried sale it brought
twelve, and in order to realize the cash
in hand, was compelled to reduce it
to ten. These figures will show how
insane upon the subject had become;
and yet. my condition was no worse
&ho hot ~ do % 9Th
With sad but hopeful farewell to
my family and friends was off for the
oil regions And had to pass through
Buffalo on my way. and there stopped
over one train, to get my draft for ten
thousand dollars exchanged for bank
certificate of deposit for the same
amount Then, with the certificate
safely slowed away in the leather bill
book which 1 always carried in my
inner breast-pocket, went on to Ve-
mango.
/ arrived at one of the new oil-settle-
ments in the evening; and after camp
ing down all night on the floor of a
shanty, for lack of better accommoda-
ton, 1 sailed out the next morning on
n prospecting tour. Whichever way
my steps turned 1 saw crowd. a
tumult of anxious. eager men like my
self, hurrying about OF gathered around
some we'll where was flowing the
precious green fluid. Nothing was
talked of or thought of but oil, and
everybody seemed watching for
promising speculations. 1 went about
all the day, observing the ways OF the
place. and toward night turned my
stops back to the shanty. Before Ihad