The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-13
MARIE PITOU7S LUCK.
A MAID WHO BEGAN LIFE IN THE
Oh REGIONS AND is RICH.

- mHtL WITH 6EGAN LIFE I'm TIE
Oh REGIONS AND is RICH.
She Tails the Story of Her Strange and
Exciting Career-Shs Started with ST.
Ooo-She Now Does All Her Business
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 as l know
personally concerning her strange career.
| saw Colonel and Madame Blank, for
merly Marie Pitou, at 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 story is as follows, as related
by Mime. Blank:
My maiden name was Marie Pitou.
| came to America in 1875 with William and
Robert Greaves and their wives. l was en-
gagged as maid TO Mrs Robert Greaves.
These gentlemen were wealthy land
owners, and also had large iDsSrests in
Glasgow, Scotland. Ny 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. l was IS years
old at that time. I had been taking care
of myself since 1 was Il. and had become
pretty independent. The quarrel l had
with Mrs. William Greayes at East Brady
was q slight affair, and l suppose L took it
IS a pretext to leave the party, as had
fully mede up my mind after seeing some
of the oil wells around Petrolia to stay in
the oil country. It seemed so fun of life
and activity that | was really fascinated
with the strange little world of oil. l
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 I left, and this mon
ey 1 had given in charge of Mrs Greaves.
This l obtained from her, and to the
amount Robert Greaves added my wages,
amounting then to about 800, and $500 ex-
ira William Greaves added 500, so l
came back to the oil country with 81, 000 in
round numbers.
HER FIRST INVESTMENT.
l 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. l had no idea
what oil was worth or now much l might
have to pay for land. [ remained at the
Central hotel in Petrolia for week. l
could speak only a little English, and
could not get along very fast. I got &C
qdainted with lady who drove me out to
the Isaac Steele farm, but l could not
make any investment there.
heard of Butler and went over there.
l gave livery man $40 to drive me over in
q buggy, and from this man l learned of a
little tract of land which / visited the next
day. l thought all land was good for oil
purposes and so made haste to buy it. I
hired a lawyer, and he looked up the titles
and negotiated for the purchase of it.
Some days after had made the purchase
l heard that there was not much Hkeli-
hood of oil being found there. l felt very
blue and went TO Pittsburg, thinking that
if it proved valueless | might have to go
into service again, and would look around
for a position
The hotel keeper in Butler had my ad-
dress, and one day / received q 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
Oh 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 nay property. l was
advised TO put down C well, and would
have done SO had not such tempting offers
been made to p4o to sell. finally accepted
an offer OF nearly a, 600
SIZE LOCATES II NEW YORK.
Nine. Blank then related how she was
scared out of the oil country by the fear Of
nitro glycerine. and came to New York
She remained here only short time, and
then went 10 Baltimore, where sho made
some money Ia real estate speculation. In
Baltimore she became acquainted with
the wife Of stock broker, and got some
knowledge of the stock business. The
broker had a connection with a New York
firm, and finally bought into it as a partner
and came to New York 80 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 10000, when
she closed out all Ter deals and went to
Paris to visit her sister.
When she got ready to return to New
i Oih ItE SlSlbS "GIUeu 10 accompany ueT,
and rather against her judgment she con-
scented for her TO do so. The sister was a
delicate girl, and on the FIRST day of the
voyage she died suddenly of some heart
trouble and was buried at sea. Marie was
herself taken iii after this. and after land
ing IN New Y erk was taken to St. Luke's
hospital, where she was obliged to remain
for three months.
Nine. Blank is believer in dreams Her
husband related one that was fulfilled in a
renGrllabIe manner. She dreamed on two
different occasions that there would be
big break in the stock market within q 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 at 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 ma king these trans
actions came the Marine bank failure. and
the stock market ratified down oil follow
ing it IN sympathy In this decline and the
subsequent recovery dne. Blank made a
small foTtuRe-New York Cor. Oil City
Derrick.
Remedy for Red Face.
Red nose, face or hands usually betray
need CT pUrgatives or the free Use OF whole
meal bread. which IS in growing demand