The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-04-24
COAL OIL JOHNNY.
Now Facts About the Spendthrift. Who
Spent 100000 n Year

NOW Facts About the Spendthrift' Who
Spent 100000 IL Year.
The visitor to the oil regions asked
hrst about Coal-Oil Johnny and
next about John ID. Rockefeller.
The statement is Of ten published
That Coal-Oil Johnny has died on
that he has regained his squandered
fortune. There is as much truth in
one as i'll the other. He is still alive
ut the age Of about fifty years, and
his address is Ashland Saunders
County, Mob, where he has lived for
the past twelve years. He is at pres
ent employed as u station agent at
Ashland. BE has not recovered his
fortune or any part of it, but makes
a comfortable living and has nnnar-
emily forgotten the princely days of
his youth.
Coal-On Johnny was about three
years running through with his for
tune. 1t was at housewife where
Johnny began to throw away his
money, but tha1 town, although one
OF the ned hot Oil towns, was soon
too small for him. Erie, Buffalo and
PlttsburR knew him next, but it was
at Philadolphi8 that he DISTINGUISHED
himself most. How much money he
squandcred III three years is matter
OF conjecture, even in the oil country.
There ls, however, q wide misappre-
hcnsion ss to the amount. His for
tune did not reach into the millions.
as has SO often been stated. The
best Judgment here places it at not
above 100000. EIe was the adopted
son OF widow McClintock, and at her
death her oil farm and it's accumulate
eel earnings passed to him. Perhaps
100000 was turned over to JOHNNY
on the settling Of her estate, and his
share OF tho product of tho farm after
That time Is supposed to have been
about $2OO,000. He therefore suuan-
dcred about 100000 year for the
three years the money lasted. AT
the end Of this time the old boz ANA
farm had ceased to yield aid his
money was spent.
Ills career rs Il Spendthrift came to
&n end on Thursday, February II.
1868, when he filed a voluntary Deti,
ton in bankruptcy in the United
States District Court at Pittsburp
HIS indebtedness at the time was
thus scheduled:
II: W. Kanga, Girard House,
Philadelphia. $40 s2A
William e. Galbraith, attorney
at-laW, Erie, Pa. 10000
j. E. Caldwell e Co., Philadcl-
phia, jewelry. 5.SO5
JOhn -. Jones, harness 1880
w. S. Horn, cigars. 56
f.. H. Conklin, PHILADELPHIA.
liquors. 2,O24
Phelan q Collcnder, billiard ta
Dies. 1900
Unknown creditor, oil painting 1000
l. or mats, SOC
Total, $40, ,7S9
This scedule tells it's own story OF
q royal spree extending over n period
of three years. The Indebtedness at
tho Girard House Was for board.
liquors, cigars, etc. While at this
hotel he Occupieda a suite of rooms on
the parlor floor, and usually had
from one to three kindred sports with
him, whose board and expenses he
paid for the sake of their company.
The amount of his unpaid bill at the
Girard House, nearly $4,000, is an
indication that he and his compan-
ions lived tolerably high. How much
money he paid to the Girard House
isnot known, but it is thought to have
been as much as he left unpaid.
1t is a curious fact that the old
played-out Steel farm has been revived
and is making another man rich The
man is John w. Waits, of Oil City,
who bought the old place o fow years
ago for $1,000. He has since been
offered $80,0O0 for it. Waits was a
street gamIl about Housewife when
Johnny Steel was cutting his wide
swath there, and frequently held the
young Oil princes team while the lat
ter went into q saloon to get drink.