Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-26
SUNDAY IN OILDOM.
what a Beautiful Day Will Bring
Forth to Amuse the City
Visitor at Mcdonald.
LITTLE CESSATION OF ACTIVITY.
Many Modes Of Diversion Open to the Field
Men in Gambling and Drink
ing Resorts.
LITTLE CESSATION OF ACTIVITY.
SLEEPING AND EATING LIKE SOLDIERS.
Religious Services and Athletic Sports Within Sight of
Each Other


and the gods who, in mythical lore, gambo
through sylvan glens, could not have wished
for more fitting weather.
Everybody who reads the newspapers has
heard about Mcdonald and its vast petro
leum resources during the week, but its
SUNDAY scenes are bit more interesting,
perhaps, to the average reader who does not
possess piece of the prolific territory. The
trains 10 and from the mushroom village
were crowded with passengers, the majority
of whom had tickets labelled Mcdonald.
Faces familiar on Fifth avenue were seen
tramping and trudging through the grease
covered meadows and woods eagerly exam
lining a new well or one about to come in,
and scrutinizingly looking at the Matthews
or McVev wells, out of which have flowed
800 to GOO barrels of crude an hour.
There is still lots of ready money in the
earth for the speculative gentry, as only
yesterday gusher of 400 barrels capacity
brought gladness and gain to the heart and
purse of big producer. The field is very
productive, ana Dame Nature continues to
ton, I'll do the rest"
NO PLACE TO MEDITATE.
The DISPATCH writer was fortunate in
having an up-countrv oil man, who is per-
fectly familiar with Mcdonald, and through
his courtesy every point of interest was
gained. The mar who is wont to wander of
on a Sunday, and sit him down in silent
meditation, should never go to Mcdonald on
the Lords day. There is very little cessa-
ton of business in the bustling burg,
and if one was not directed by
the calendar. he would not know
it was the day of rest. Up and down the
main thoroughfares people were hurriedly
coming and going ever and anon. The
mOurnful sound of the village church bell
is supplanted by the grating chug of the
drill, working its narrow way down to the
depths where the greasy fluid is found. In
Mcdonald proper are five churches, Pres
bvterian, Lutheran, United Presbyterian
and two colored congregations These were
established before the excitement broke out.
All are very well attended.
On the other hand, the non-church-going
element is largely in the majority, and any
one who is disposed to while away his time
about the gaming table, or quatf cool cup
of an exhilarating beverage-beer, wine or
hquor-he can be accommodated with very
little ado on his part.
The drills are as rule shut down on Sun
day, which allows the festive driller to fill
up his inner man with liquid refreshment-
wishes TO risk his hard-earned dollar
on the ace, deuce or high card
or wager and wait for the little ball of the
roulette wheel to drop into the hole or sit
down to a stiff game of ''draw," he can have
his speculative propensities satisfied with
out going out of the State.
CHANCE GAMES AND sPEAK-EAsIEs.
There is no paucity of ''speak-easies,"
md xrh
in the town, replied that "about every
third door is whisper joint"
1t is sure thing that hungry man will
go in want longer than thirsty individual.
There is big opening for a first-class res
taurant in Mcdonald, for the scarcity and
quality of food is something startling on
Sunday.
American pork finds its way into the
town in very large quantities without any
interference from the authorities, while
barnyard fruit is a great product used in
connection with salty ham. The reporter
after tour over the field returned to a res
taurant onlyto find apie and glass of milk
to appease his stimulated appetite. The
Sunday visitors had devoured everything in
sight. About ten so-called eating establish
ments are doing business there, and one has
the inviting sign over its door, French
Cafe. 1t is not necessary to remark that
its proprietor never conducted place on
the Champs d'Elysee, or back OF the Ave-
nue. de lOpera in Paris. The fumes eman-
ating from the cafe were very suggestive
of Splane's court or spaghetti.
A PEEP INTO A LODGE
A new hotel is now in the course of erec-
tion which will be a boon to the visitors
and producers who desire to eat and sleep
in comfort. Everywhere throughout the
field where rig is up, an improvised lodg-
ing and eating house is built for the drillers,
tool dressers and other wOrkmen. A look
into many of these revealed lot of Sleep
reading, others playing with the uncertain
pack of pasteboards, all seemingly content
and happy
If you would stand on the crest of the
hill and look over the field anv number of
gaily dressed young ladies with their escorts
could be seen. They did not mind the
grease, and no doubt many a spot was car
ried home on a Sunday female costume. A
picturesque little cottage nestled in the
woods on the McVey farm, was
an attractive resort. The musical
PUNK, plunk of a banjo, with
mouth organ and guitar accompaniment.
amused the pasersby. Songs not found in
Moody and Sankey gospel hymns hoated
out upon the still Sabbath surroundings.
was this the case up in the Bel
gian and French quarters The foaming
lager was flowing freely, while these foreign |
classes, carrying out the customs of their |
countries, had gala day.
INDUCING IN SPORTS.
Games, such as handball, quoits, |
foot races and other diversions were |
freely INDUCED in, the women tax |
ing an enthusiastic part in applauding
the contestants. BY the way, these women |
are as hard workers as the men, The latter !
mine coal, while their wives stay at home,
and, when not performing domestic duties, |
make brick. 1t is a common thing to see |
a score of women digging clay, tramping it |
and molding it into shape for building pur-
poses. As consequence they are all robust |
and healthfUl. In this connection it might |
be inserted here that since the discovery and |
production of oil at Mcdonald there has
been a marked decrease in sickness and /
DIR. J. Jamison said that a
year ago tevers were very prevalent but
that the neighborhood was exceptionally
free from sickness. Whether it is due to
the odOr of the oil which purifies the air
and kills many germs is a question of scien-
tific research which he had not looked up.
AT any rate the undertakers here have had
l vast amount of spare time at their dis
Dosal lately. Yesterday the livery business
vas up to the top notch of activity,
lot conveyance or horse being obtainable.
The people of high and low degree are all
liberal spenders in the thriving oil town, if
hey only had a chance to dispose of their
money outside of gambling The streets
asst Saturday night contained no less than
> fakirs with their different displays.
striking machines, lnng testers, Mexican
Ioe with his herb medicines-a panacea for
III ills--nr,I ttIInr,.,c4 Ilill.- -