St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-06
Georgia Ann Shy Erstwhe Louisville Mendiean Will No
Longer Be Shy the Money That Makes the
Wheels Go Round

barrel, and this we'll was making 1,500
barrels per day.
Those were the days of Goal Oil
Johnny" and other famous characters
days when all were on the alert for
news from the field. ready to move at
an hours warning. SO, when a horse
man dashed over the wild road from
Pithole to Titusvile with word that No.
q u. S. had. proved guSher. excitement
knew no bounds. Hundreds started at
once for the new field, on horses, IN
wagons, on foot, with baggage and
without.
In six weeks from the time the first
well was struck the population of Pit
hole reached 5000. By October the
Magic City had reached its most as
founding stage of development. AT
that time two theaters were in full blast,
one of which -Murphy's-cost $4,000.
In the town were dozen hotels.
among them the Chase house. the st.
Cloud, the Danforth. the st. Nicholas
and the Morey, some of which had been
built at cost of $4,000 each. A Ro-
man Catholic and a Methodist church
were completed and a Presbyterian
church. "built just for fun" was under
way. Two railroads were finished and
others were being surveyed.
Tie postoffice handled more mail mat
ter than any other IN the state of Penn
sylvania, except those at Philadelphia
and Pittsburg. Residences, bar-roOmS,
dance houses, brokers offices. banks,
drug stores, law OFFICES and other build
ingS covered what few months
previous had been titled fields.
Railing old Dick Long@ell Since
then of the Oil City Der
sick) burst into town one day ready to
start daily newspaper, but he couldn't
get a building for love nor money.
Longwell, however, wasn't neWSpa-
per man.
"I'll issue the first number of the
Pithole Daily Record" he roared. ''be-
fore daylight tomorrow, if we have to
work in balloon"
And he did issue it, but his compost
tors stood knee-deep i'll mud while
working at their cases.
At this time, October, 1865, Pithole
was seat of trade employing millions
of dollars in money, Il city with the
third largest postoffice in the state, a
city with water works, efficient fire
and police departments, magGiti-
cent hotels and theaters, teeming with
a busy, industrious, enterpriSng gen.
eral population, and with artisans, mer-
chants, spectators, agents and profess
sional men. city with railroads, eX-
press and telegraph offices, and the
ordinary accessories to populous munic-
qualities.
A party of Philadelphia capitalists
found an ignorant old farmer named
Copeland. who owned 22O acres of land
three fourths of q mile south of Pithole.
They offered him 100000 for the prop
erty, but he refused it, saying he
'WOuldn't hev no home eff tn old house
WIZ sold"
Another man, living two miles north
of the city, was offered S750,000 for his
farm of 200 acres, but lie SWOre 1t would
not be sold for less than 100000, 900.
Both of these farms were tested and not
enough Oil was found to pay for pump
ing the wells.
When the Press correspondent came
to Pithole short time since, he had to
let down the bars of fence to get in.
Not q soul lives there. A farmer in the.
valley four years ago purchased the en-
tire city, buildings and all, for $1,000,
which was paid to the collector of
taxes. Your correspondent drove to the
renowned postotfice. Two calves thrust
their heads through an empty window
frame and gaZed al him. Three or four
sheep scampered out of what was once
the 100000 Danforth house. Graded EN-
bankments of the railroads remain, but
the rails and ties are gone.
A popular tree twenty feet high is
growing in the cellar of the National
hotel. The Metropolitan theater is
gone. Grass, stones and underbrush
cover the site of Murphy's theater. The
Morey hotel, the Battersea. the st.
Cloud, the St. Nicholas and the Hubbs
house have vanished. The sites of Del
monico's cafe and the johnson house
can be located by only half-filled cellars,
overgrown with weeds and brambles.
| Dr.. ChriStie'S house on First street
and the banking house of Prather g.
| Wadsworth on HoImden street remain
| in fair state of preservation. Our
correspondent climbed through the
broken door of large drug store on
First street and brought away from
| the shelves several fancy walls as souv-
enrs. In Main street, where millions
of dollars once daily changed hands, ARE
stacked cornstalks. The avenue erst-
while lined with residences are titled
fields.
Today Pithole is scene of the most
abject desolation.
Upon the hill overlooking the ruins
stands the Presbyterian church. Its
bell still hangs, its pews remain, and OH
the pulpit desk rests the clergyman's
bible. One of the builders of the editice
was Scotchman, who amazed great
wealth and left Pithole in its glory to
go to his home across the water.
A few years since he died, leaving a
large sum to the church away out there
in Pennsylvania. But the society had
long before disbanded. and the money
could not be disposed of as directed.
The decline of the magic city COM
menced within a year of its wonderful
rise. Oil gave out in 1886, and terri
bic fire swept the town. All the old
timers moved away. All? No. all bu
a score. These quietly sleep among the
briers ard bushes that run riot over
the little graveyard where they were
laid away when the now dead city was
| q hniIirU cparhiOU ldrOn Of