The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-07-05
ALMOST CDZENED.
An Expensive But Perhaps Profit
able Experience.


NY >ior1 will illustrate the impru-
drncr, not g" say folly. with which
men will often ari when under the in
flucncr Of SOME cuuirolliu. passion.
such ~ the expectation If great gain.
Aud 10 will ais" illustrate how men
may redeem thrni~clvc, from tine COLI
srqucurc~ "f such imprudcurr or folly
bv prompt anil dcridcd action.
I be- f3ri~ bring mc back no great
distance iu ms experience; The great
Pennsylvania oii fever was then at IT,,
height; fainlnu~ -forir, ucf,. told of
mrn realizing hundred, Of thousand,
by the simplest speculation Ia Lands.
and many of ans friends were convert
ing their business into cash aud de-
parting for no. thcairr of financial OK
element The fever -uuu overlook
me. and yielded Co g. wa, at that
time the senior partner in large and
fouri-hin- country retail Store. ] was
thirty-iiyp years old. with a gnud wife
aud two children W, home was Ia
me the most attractive spot On earth.
and \ month hrf"rr determined io 90
to the oil regions could moi have been
persuaded that ana, thing To- the shape
81 tciuldsiion could win mr from il.
But ia this ca-o the tciupirr attacked
me a. the weakest point
Gao now, my fancy whispered 10
me. while there l. a chance; this
golden harvest will not last long.
Venture boldly; put ia q few thousands
and make a c"ol half million. il has
been done more than once, and You are
quite rs likely a. any ono to do il
ag1in. When Won have done this. YOUR
family ~ well ~ yourself will be- above
all the chaucrS and risks Of trade. in
dependent for life. Il is your highest
duty 10 go."
prevailed upon myself to think that
this WAS ~o. preached my plan to
INV wife aud several "f nav best friends;
they all opposed it. They reasoned
that IL was better Tor mc to STAY here
with q certainty of fair profits. than to
g. into oil speculation aud risk all
that had. Very true in the abstract,
l allowed; hui had got myself to
thinking that could not fail. No
Wild, crazy gambler or sperulator ever
expects to lose his money; they are
continually hoping for good luck. and
the hope amounts 90 an expectation.
80 with mc. Ny interest in the bust
ness was worth fifteen thousand dol
lars easily; on hurried sale IL brought
twelve. and la order to realize the cash
in hand. ! WAS compelled to reduce il
to ten. These figures will show how
insane upon the subject had become;
and yet, my condition was no worse
than that of hundreds Of others.
With sad but hopeful farewell TO
my family aud friends ! was OF for the
oil regions And had Ia pass through
Buffalo on nv WAY. and there stopped
over one train. 20 get my draft for ten
thousand dollar, exchanged for bank
certificate Of deposit for the same
amount Then. with the certificate
safely slowed away in the leather bill
book which ! always carried in my
inner h-easi-Pockct. went ON to We
mango.
arrived AT one Of the new Oil-settle-
meutS in the evening; and after camp
ing down all night on the floor Of a
shsnty. for lack IT better accommoda-
ton. sailed ont the next morning on
a prospecting tour. Whichever way
INV steps turned | saw crowd. a
tumult II anxious, eager men like my
self, hurrying about or gathered around
some well where WAS flowing the
precious green fluid. Nothing was
talked Of or thought Of but oil. and
every body seemed watching for
promising speculations ! went about
all the day, observing the WAYS Of the
place. aud toward night turned my
steps hack to the shanty. Before had
reached IL. my attention was attracted
20 q group Of men who stood a few
rods from my path, aud I went out Of
my way tn join them. ] found they
were standing about the machinery Of
a new wcll. which was pumping 3
steady stream into n vat
Fifty barrels to-day eNultingly
exclaimed q dapprr little fellow. with
a huge lnu>iarhc and an unmiStakable
city cut % his clothcs lie was stand
ing on the platform Of the derrick.
above the crowd. as he spoke. and
seemed to hc cNpatisting upon the
we'll Fifty barrels since sunrisei
Not q flowing we'll. tu be- sure; but the
pump brings up the oil in a steady
stream. and its nay opinion that it'll
last A. long as any VOL on the
ground"
Its doing splendidly. - said another
man; tall da>hing fellow. who was
emphatictlly pulling 70 cigar.
Them the two owners Of IL. said
a man army elbow.
Good for them. another re-
marked Their fortunes arc as good
A. made"
J fingered around the place. listen
AiiE ~ NAlNtA NN~f-A NtlNN@ AAuA MElH
made upon she well and is lucky own
ers, and finally returned TO the shanty
and Law down on my hard bed with a
feeling that was something like envy.
l dreamed al night # oil-wclls. and
aWokc in the morniHg with the resolu-
ton that would own an interest in
one Of them lrcfurp dark.
As ! passed the Sltoi whore ] had
stopped the night bcfnrr. un nv way
along the productive lands. / walked
over 10 the well acain. The pumping
was going un rs before, and the oil
came out In great streams into the
tank. ] watched It for few moments,
with that kind of fascination which
the victims Of IN uil-mania generally
felt, aud was Turning away with a
sigh. when my shoulder WIS tapped
by one Of the prnprieiors. the little
fellow who had talked so glibly the
night before.
"a pretty good well. sir.n he said.
Il don't see any reason why Il Won't
pump Ike this for years"