The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1889-05-11
SANDYS FORTUNE.
An Episode of the Oil Regions in
1880.

l was at Warren soon after the IA
nous Cherry Grove disaster. For the
benefit Of those who know nothing of
the petroleum country of Pennsylvania,
may say that Cherry Grove was the
name of one of those mushroom dis
tricts which. became densely populated
in a day and deserted the next. That
is to say, an enterprising man would
go into the heart of the woods and sink
a mystery" well; he would ''strike
OIL" mayhap a ''gusher of several
thousand barrels a day-and instantly
the woods would resound with the
blows.of the axe, and the hills would
bristle with gaunt derricks. For a
time the feverish life of the place
would attract multitudes of speculat-
ors, gamblers and evil women; even a
church might spring up in a night.
Then, suddenly, the excitement would
flicker-a succession of wells might
prove ''dry-holes" or busters" a
new territory might be Opened-and
speedily die out The multitude would
vanish, the roar of the torpedo and
the puff of the engine no more be
heard in the land. This, in brief, was
the history of many mushroom dis
tricts in the oil regions; it was the
story of the Cherry Grove disaster in
1880 Two men, Davis and Murphy,
had made about million apiece out of
the mystery well, ''646, " which opened
up the new territory; do not know
how mauy hundred men and women
were ruined by the crack. Every
body specialized in oil certificates; l
met a clergyman who had abandoned
his profession to do so; oil scouts were
college graduates.
To return ts my story. When l
reached WarfeH where the nearest oil
exchange was established, the excite
ment in the Cherry Grove country had
largely subsidized. But the stranger
would not have believed it from the
pandemonium of the exchange. sat
outside the railing and watched the
bowling fiends within, one of them in
particular, a long, thin man, with
sandy hair and mustache, an appalling
mouth and voice of infinite reach.
At recess l made his acquaintance,
through a common friend, with whom
we both lunched. Said my friend:
SANDY here, is the pride of the
exchange. He has made more money
in less time than any of US, and lost it
sooner. Two hundred and fifty thou
sand in three hours, wasn't it, Sandy?"
This elected, after. some more press
ure and wine, the story / wanted to
hear, which, as Sandy" modestly re-
lated it, ran somewhat in this wise:
Il thought had a good thing. Oil
was then selling at very near dollar
and a quarter-call it a dollar and a
quarter. There wasn't any Balltown.
had the best scout in the country,
bar ST Hughes-could put his ear to
the ground a hundred yards off, and
tell the flow of a well to the barrel.
One day he strolled into Change,
winked to me, and we went over to a
window together, and sat down.
Look natural as you can,' he said, I'm
going to stump you Go ahead,
said |.
"'Doa5'S ''n1ystery' IS a ''duSter =" ;
Il quivered all over, of course. for
it was terrible big news. The market
had been unsteady all day, expecting
to hear big things of Doak's well, and
the new territory it'd open up. But 1
kept my face and feet, lit a cigar, let
on 10 yawn, and made my plans. In
about quarter of an hour l got to
work. First went at it slow and eau
tious, as if [ was uncertain, and the
boys guyed me, and sold all l wanted
to buy, and they thought was trying
a bluff game, and dared me to buy in
big blocks. Then l went in tooth and
nail, and bought all they offered me,
till they began to suspect ME, and won
der what was up. About two o'clock l
let the news leak out Then it came
over the wire:
q" 'Doak's mystery is a dustern
Such a crowd of crazy men you
never saw. They lost their heads and
fought the price up to $1.30; then
sold. l was in about $780, 900.
''Of course, wanted to do the square
thing. l telegraphed to all the near
est towns, and ordered down all the
champagne they could spare; L went
about Syself in Warren and bought up
every bottle l could find for sale, and
invited the whole exchange that night
to big dinner We had great time.
They were all good fellows, and ]
don'tobelieve one of them was mad al
me for my luck. Before nine O'Clock
was soaked with wine.
lust about that hour, or little be-