The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-12-11
A Strange Tale.
oil CIty Blizsard.1

when the rain washed the snow from the
hillsides, and leaves the roads covered
with ice in ridges where tho sleighs have
beaten II down, and transforms the slopes
into dangerous sheets of ice. My partner,
whom will call George, and myself had
ridden horseback from Garfield to Muir
ply 10, which was due that day at Ball
town. Having obtained the information
needed, we started back on our ten mile
ride just at dusk. The clouds hung low,
the rain came down with gusts of wind to
hurl ii against us, and with our rubber
coats tightly buttoned about us, we allow
ed the horses to pick their way along the
slipry roadway. Half way up Minister
Hill the road ran for several rods along
shelving rock. This was now glare of
ice where the water had run over it, and
washed by the rains, required tho utmost
caution to pass it in safety, for on the low
er side from the edge of the ice 10 the rag
ged rocks below was a sheer drop of over
forty feet. All of the Balltown scouts will
remember this place. George was ahead
and my horse trailed behind as we APP
preached this spot. A stronger gust of
to stop a moment, and as we started again
we heard the rapid hoof beats of another
horse coming down the road beyond. BY
the sound we knew it was some one on
horseback, and made the remark, "If
that fellow doesn't check up before he
strikes the ice, he'll go over the bank"
At that moment we saw the rider turn the
bend in the road beyond the icy spot, and
through the dusk recognized one of the
reckless pace, and, although both of us
shouted to him his horse was on the ice
before he heard or needed our warning.
The animal slipped, caught itself, slid
again, made desperate attempt to check
| its headway, then fell sideways on the
treacherous ice, with Graham's leg caught
under the saddle. The horses impetus
carried it forward rapidly toward the prec-
ipice, and its struggles only increased the
danger. Both of our horses were sharp
shod, and the same idea must have come
to each of us. l do not remember just
how it all happened next; but our horses
sprang forward with a bound as the spurs
touched them; we dropped from our sad
dies and the next moment George had
hold of the horses tail while he clung with
his other arm to his own horses forelegs,
and had grasped the horses bride, with
my own feet braced against my roan's
hoofs. Those horses seemed to know
what was up as well as we, for they stood
like rocks, and could feel my own ami
NAL brace himself to keep his feet in place
as the strain came upon us. But we were
in time, and the fallen horse and rider
were stopped in their dangerous slide
within a few feet of the brink. / don't
know how the others felt, but after Gra-
ham had got on his feet, and his horse had
been pulled and slid into a safe place, 1
found myself so weak that had to lean
against my horses side several moments
before had strength to reach the saddle.
AS for Graham, he left his horse for a
moment, crept on hands and knees to the
edge of the ice, and looked down forty
feet to where the jagged rocks were piled
up below, then creeping back, said:
ard been dead by this time, boys, if it
hadn't been for you, guess, but I'll even
it up with You some day, or else speak a
good word for you when die"
The scouts drifted to Wardwell Thorn
Creek and became scattered around Pitts
burgh all but Graham. He left soon aftor
the above adventure and went to Colum-
bus, Ohio.
George and 1 began wildcatting. We
made several failures; began to scratch
the bottom of our pockets, and tops of our
heads to obtain ways and means, and
| finally began securing the country in
search of indications. We found several
promising openings, and one day, while
sitting in our Office puzzling our heads as
to which place we should locate in, tele-
gram was handed us. 1t read as follows:
COLUMBUS, o., June IL, 1885.
Locate your well at -. You will find
oil there. GEO. GRAHAM.
We laughed at Graham's assurance that
we would find oil, until the thought struck
us, how did he know that we were think
ing of such a location. We had found it
within week, and no one, we thought,
knew anything about it.
"We will locate there, anyway" said
George. "It's as good place as any, and
Graham may be onto something we don't
know Of"
We drilled the we'll, struck oil, and
made a nice little fortune. A week or two
after the well was completed 1 wrote to
Graham telling him of our fortune, thank