Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-24
MARIE PIT0U.S LUCK
IN
A MAID WHO BEGAN LIFE IN T++E
OIL REGIONS AND ls RICH.

OIL REGIONS AND ls RICH.
She Tells tho Story of Her Strange and
Exciting Career-She Started with ST.
OOO-sbe Now Does All Her Business
Through the New York Stock Exchange.
There appears to be considerable inter
est In the story of Marie Pitou, the French
maid, who came to the oil country in 1875.
have put together such facts us | know
personally concerning her strange career,
i saw Colonel and Madame Blank, for
merly Marie Pitou, Mt the colonels office ON
Broad street They had already related
the story to me, but did not at the time
have their consent to use it, The sub
stance of the storyi as follows, rs related
by Nine Blank:
My maiden name was Marie Pitou. |
came to America in 1875 with William and
Robert Greayes and their wives. | was en-
gagged as maid to Mrs. Robert Greaves.
These gentlemen were wealthy land
owners, and also had large interests in
Glasgow, Scotland My mistress was an
invalid, and the trip WAS made partly on
her account
1t was not the intention to go into the
oil country, but reading in Pittsburg pa
per while in that city of the Boss" well
it was decided to visit it. | was IL years
old at that time. had been taking care
of myself since | was Il, and had become
pretty independent. The quarrel l had
with Mrs. William Grcaves at Fast Brady
was a slight affair, and suppose | took 1t
as a pretext to leave the party, rs | had
fully made up my mind after seeing some
of the oil wells around Petrolia to stay in
the oil country. 1t seemed 80 full of life
and activity that | was really fascinated
with the strange little world of oil.
could not be turned from this purpose.
had 500 which had been paid to me as
my share of the remnant of my fathers
estate the week before left, and this mon
ey had given in charge Of Mrs. Greaves.
This | obtained from her. and to the
amount Robert Greaves added my wages,
amounting then to about 800, and $500 ex-
ira. William Greavcs added 800, so
came back to the oil country with 81 900 in
round numbers.
HER FIRST INVESTMENT.
/ did not have very definite idea as to
what could do with this money, but was
fully determined to invest at least a part
of it in the oil business had no idea
what oil was worth or how much | might
have to pay for land. | remained at the
Central hotel in Petrolia for "A week.
could speak only little English, and
could not get aloag very fast got &C
quainted with lady who drove me out to
the Isaac Steele farm, but | could not
make any Investment there.
heard of Butler and went over there.
gave a livery man $40 to drive me over IL
buggy, and from this man learned of
little tract of land which | visited the next
day. thought all land was good for oil
purposes and so made haste to buy it. !
hired II lawyer, and he looked up the titles
and negotiated for the PURCHASE of it.
Some days after had made the purchase
4 heard that there was not much likeli-
hood of oil being found there. | felt very
blue and went to Pttsburg, thinking that
if it proved valueless | might have to go
into service again, and would look around
for position.
The hotel keeper in Butler had my ad-
dress and one day received call from a
man who wanted to buy my lease. didn't
sell it to him and others came to see me. !
went up to Butler, and learned that wells
on the Gillespie farm were creating some
excitement. The farm was considerable
distance from my property but concluded
to hold on for further developments. The
excitement grew in that locality and there
was great demand for my property. was
advised to put down well, and would
have done SO had not such tempting offers
been made TO me to sell. finally accepted
an offer Of nearly $1,000,
SHE LOCATES IN NEW YORK.
Nine. Blank then related how she was
scared out of the oil country by the fear of
nitro-glycerne, and came to New York.
She remained here oaly n short time, and
then went to Baltimore, where she made
some money IN real estate speculation. In
Baltimore she became acquainted with
the wife of n stock broker, and got some
knowledge of the stock business The
broker had "A connection with New York
firm, and finally bought in It ny II partner
and came to New York 10 enter the Office,
Marie pitou came with Them and through
this firm made her first Investment in
Wall street She was successful in in
creasing her bank account to $4,000, when
she closed out all hor deals and went to
Paris 10 visit her sister.
When she got ready to return TO New
York her sister wanted to accompany her,
and rather against Der judgment she con
scented for her TO do so. The sister was II
delicate girl, and on the first day of tho
voyage she died suddenly of some heart
trouble and was buried mt sea. Marie was
herself taken i'll after this. and after land
ing in New York was taken to st Luke's
hospital where she was Obliged TO remain
for three months.
Mime Blank is n believer In dreams. Her
husband related one that was fulfilled IN u
remarkable manner She dreamed on two
different occasions that there would be n
big break in the stock market within II GER
tain time, brought on by some exceptional
financial disturbance She was sufficiently
impressed by it to close out all her hold
ings of stocks, and Mt that time she had
considerable, and go short of the market
This was the first time she had touched the
oil market, and also gave her broker an
order to sell considerable amount of oil
ON the second day after making these trans
actions cnme the Marine bank failure, and
the stock market ratified down, oil follow
ing it in sympathy, In this decline and the
subsequent recovery Nine Blank made n
small fortune New York Cor Oil City
Derrick.
Remedy for Red Face.
Red nose, face or hands usually betray a