The morning news., 1894-08-19
GHOST OF THE GAS BELT.
Vision of LONELINESS With an Accom-.
paniment of the Sweet Sound.
From the Chicago Times


paniment of the Sweet Sound.
From the Chicago Times,
Portland, Ind, Aug 1.-THE northern
part of this country is puncturedl by hun
dreds of holes where massive steel
pointed drills, propelled by sturdy and
powerful little engines, have pierced the
bosom of mother earth in a fruitful search
for that foul-smellinR, greasy commodity
known as crude oil. Scores of derricks
rear their heads three score and ten feet
heavenward, their gaunt forms like the
skeletons of a mythical age, except as the
great walking beams move up and down,
when they almost seem imbued with life
and being. The steady thump, thump of
the drills echoes, re-echoes, and dies
away IN reverberations; the bull-wneels
creak uneasily as the cable winds or un-
winds around them the sand line as it
plunges fathoms into earth sereeches like
the wall of departed spirit, and the
kissing steam from the strong heavy
boilers fades away in ambient air.
The sight to one unaccustoInGd to it is
a strange one. The sounds are peculiar,
and the work something entirely out Of
the general run. Pools of greenish-look-
ing oil stand everywhere about, quiet
men are busy attending 10 their labors,
and there is scene of activity on every
hand.
Such in brief, is a part of Jay county.
and it is there that late manifestation
from the spirit world mas made its ap-
pearance, much 10 the mental disturb
ance of the drillers and bumpers who
saw it.
Far up on the Loblolly ditch, where
rank vegetation, rattlesnaKes and turtles
flourish, is a long line of fine-producing
oil wells, and, as matter of course,
quite a number of bumpers are required
to look after them. Each pumper. sepa-
rated from his fellows, has his little
group to attend to night and day and
through the hours of darkness must keep
vigil that all is well. Sometimes he is
busy, and at others sits i'm the boiler
house, lighted by a fiieke11ng gas fam
beau, smoking his pipe, or, per
! chance, reading a copy of the Chicago
Times, brought from town by an obliging
friend
1t was at one of these times, a few
nights ago, that pumper for the Stan
dard OIL Company was lounging drowsily
on bench watching and waiting for the
morning hours TO come The night was
quiet one, except for the coarse cough of
the exhaust pipe. the roaring of the gas
in the firebox, and the occasional hoot of
a far off owl.
He had grown sleepy under the monoto-
nous sound and his eyes were half closed,
and his pipe, an ever-present solace and
friend, laid neglected, when suddenly
there was an unusal noise. 1t was as if
some distant orchestra was playing
sweet and enhancing music, and struck
upon the ear Of the thoroughly awakened
listener as heaven-seut notes, while at
the same time he experienced a creepy
feeling like one who feels that danger or
the supernatural is near.
Louder grew the tuneful sounds, until
it seemed that the whole air rang with
melody. Every instrument Of human
kind was in that grand symphony, and
the dazed pumper felt that he was for the
time being almost carried away from
earth. The escaping steam and the roar
ing gas mingled with the rest Up and
down, forward and back, the melody
quivered and quavered, and, with the
same quickness with which it burst
forth, died away in the distance in
strains of wOndrous sweetness. IL was
imposing and yet something more was to
come. From behind tall derrick there
arose faint light, gradually increasing
and assuming the contour of a white
robed figure as il did So The outlines.
at first aim and shadowv. became
stronger and brighter, and apparently
a woman in flesh and blood glided noise
lessly over the ground. through the
matted grass ana weeds, toward the
pumphouse. The watchers eyes were
fixed upon the sight,and beheld a maiden,
or the form of one, Of SURPRISING beauty.
CLAD in flowing white rooes, and around
her halo Of faint blush light. Her face
was such as artists dream of, and her
hair hung in a golden sheen A profile of
great sweetness surrounded two big dark
eyes and poutng rosebud mouth The
figure raised one hand in the air, made a
beckoning motion, and for an instant the
lips parted in smile; then the apparition
slowly faded away.
Long before the startled man had re-
gained his composure 1t was goae. the en-.
gine was still working along, and thedrst
cock Growing for dawn. "
To friend the next day he related the
story and was scoffed at for his credulity.
The twain finally agreed to watch tho
following night, but IL was long after
midnight before there was any appear
ance. There was the same sweet music
of the preceding night, the same beauti-
full fgufe, and the same fading away, but
neither of the men is able TO even con
ceiYe any idea regarding It, The curious
AFFAIR can only be set down as another
mystery.