Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-08-08

A MAID WHO sEc.AN LIFE IN THE
OIL. REGIONS AND Is RICH.

She Tells the Story of Her Strange and
Exciting Career-She Started with ST.
OOO-She Now Does All Her Business
Through tho 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,
l have put together such facts as l know
personally concerning her strange career
l saw Colonel and Madame Blank, for
merly Marie Pitou, at the colonel's office on
Broad street. They had already related
the story to me, but l did not at the time
have their consent to use it. The sub
stance of the story is as follows, as related
by Nine. Blank:
My maiden name was Marie Pitou. l
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 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 a Pittsburg pa
per while in that city of the Boss" we'll
it was decided to visit it. l was 10 years
old at that time. l had been taking care
of myself since 1 was IA, and had become
pretty independent. The quarrel l had
with Mrs. William Greaves at East Brady
was a slight affair, and l suppose l took it
as a pretext to cave the party, as 1 had
fully made up my mind after seeing some
OF the oil wells around Petrolia to stay in
the oil country. 1t seemed so full of life
and activity that l was really fascinated
with the strange little world of oil. l
could not be turned from this purpose.
had S4OO which had been paid to me as
my share of the remnant of my fathers
estate the week before 1 left, and this mon
ey | Lad given in charge Of Mrs. Greaves.
This l obtained from her, and to the
amount Robert Greaves added my wages,
amounting then to about 500, and 1900 cx-
ira. William Greaves added 5000, so |
came back to the oil country with 81 900 in
round numbers.
HER FIRST INVESTMENT.
l did not have Il very definite idea as to
what l could do with this money, bit l was
fully determined to invest at least Il part
of it in the oil business. | had no idea
what oil was worth or how much | might
have to pay for land. l remained at the
Central hotel in Petrolia for a week.
could speak only a little English, and
could not get along very fast. l got &C
quainted with a 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,
| gave a livery man $40 to drive me over in
a buggy, and from this man 1 learned of a
little tract of land which | visited the next
day. 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 l had made the purchase
l heard that there was not much likeli-
hood Of Oil being found there. l felt very
blue and went to Pittsburg, thinking that
if it proved valueless l might nave to 20
into service again, and would look around
for a position.
The hotel keeper in Butler had my adj
dress, and one day l received a call from a
man who wanted to buy my lease. l 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 a considerable
distance from my property, but concluded
to hold on for further developments. The
excitement grew in hat locality and there
was grca. demand for my property. was
advised to put down Il well, and would
have done SO had not such tempting offers
been made to me to sell. l finally accepted
an offer of nearly $4,000.
SIZE LOCATES IN NEW YORK.
Nine. Blank then related how she was
scared out Of the oil country by the fear of
nitro-glyccrine, and came to New York.
She remained here only a 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 Il stock broker, and got some
knowledge of the stock business. The
broker had a connection with Il New York
firm, and finally bought into it as Il partner
and came to New York to enter the office.
Marie iitou came with them, and through
! this firm made her first investment in
Wal street. She was successful in in
crcasing her bank account to $40, 600, when
she closed out all her deals and went to
Paris to visit her sister.
When She got ready to return to New
York her sister wanted to accompany her,
and rather against her Judgment she con-
sented 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 vas buried at sea. Marie was
herself taken i'll after this. and after land
ing in New York was taken to St. Lukc's
hospital, where she was obliged to remain
fer three months.
Nine. Blank is believer il dreams. Her
husband related one that was fulfilled in a
remarkable am She dreamed on two
different occasions that there would be a
big break in the stock market within Il 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 a considerable amount of oil.
On the second day after making 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 Nine. Blank made a
small fortune.-New York Cor. Oil City
Derrick.
Remedy for Red Face.
Red nose, face or hands usually betray a
need of purgatives or the free use of whole
meal bread, which is in growing demand
all over the Union. The most skillful and