Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-03
S|STERSV|LLE NEWS.
Local and Social Happenings Of the
HuStling Town
Down the River - Personal and
Other Interesting Items Pertain
ing to the Oil Metropolis Of West
Virginia.
Special correspondence of the Register.

Special Correspondence of the Register.
Sistersville, August 2.-An attempt TO
shuttle off this mortal coil by cutting
his throat with a pen knife was made
by bartender Of this place this morn
ing, and he came near being success
full, and it may be that he will yet die
This morning about o'clock John K.
Eckbert, a field superintendent of the
Carter Oil Co., was coming into the city
from a trip to some wells below the
city, and when near the Ohio River
station, on the hill side just above he
noticed a man acting very strangely
and apparently attempting TO cut ms
throat. Mr. Eckbert came on into the
city and notified Chief of Police Reedy,
and that official, after a conference with
the city officials, went after the fellow,
who turned out to be Billy" Foley, a
young fellow who came here from war
rem, Pa, short time ago, and who, up
until a week ago was employed as bar
tender at the Whittlesey Hotel. he
had taken a small pocket knife and
hacked away at his throat in his at
tempt to kill himself until almost eX-
hausted from the loss of blood. When
officer Reedy found him he was about
to make another attempt TO end his
existence, but was prevented. Reedy
took him in charge and brought him to
the city and to DR.. C. P. Sellers office
where his injuries were attended to.
The cash in his throat was 5A inches
long. The only cause assigned for the
rash act was that he was respondent on
account of having lost considerable
money some time ago, he having been
well-to-do at one time, and his inability
to marry a young lady who lives in
jamestown. n. Y. He was very wild
and delirious tonight and the doctors
have faint hopes Of his recovery. His
friends in Warren were notified this
afternoon of his condition and his
brother started at once and will prob
ably be here in the morning.
Prosecuting Attorney G. D. Smith,
of Middlebourne, was in the city TO-
day on legal business. Mrs. c. w. True
and sister, of New Matamoras, were
visitors in the city to-day Judge
briggs. of Bridgeport, who has been out
at the big we'll owned by him and othef
parties. for several days, came in this
evening and went to his home. .Chas.
Gibbs Carter and John Egbert, both of
the Carter Oil Co., left this evening for
Pittsburg. j. D. Sweeney, of Concord,
w. Va, was in the city to-day looking
after his interests in this field. Sam
Brubaker, the popular saloonist OF
Wheeling, is a visitor in the city. Mr..
John Fitzgerald appeared this morning
on the streets with an 8X10 smile on h,s
face and set up the cigars to all the
boys. It's a girl, and it weighs ten
pounds, too.
There is, perhaps, no kind Of an IN
dustrial town known that is affected as
quickly in any way as al OIL town. AS
an evidence Of this, notice how IapiGiy
a town of his kini VIII rise AMI fall.
Why. a mining town IN the ives. l. not
in il at all with al OIL iowa Of the east,
That this fact is painfully tue IS cn'ply
attested by study of some Of the histo-
~ of the towns which sprung up so
quickly in Pennsylvania, flourished
few years and then receded as rapidly
as they had advanced These towns
are also very quick to feel a depression
in a business sense when anything oc-
ours. like, for instance, dry hole being
drilled in what is thought to be good
territory. 1t is in this latter sense that
I wish to speak of Sistersville. In the
early part of the week just after the
wells both on the Ohio and West Virgin
ia sides had been reported dry every
thing seemed to tose hope of life and for
three or four days the town was as dry
and lifeless as it possibly could be with
so many people on the streets. Yester-
day the reaction came when the report
reached the city that the Culbertson
we'll was in and was a good one. The
town instantly woke up and since then
it has ben as lively as anyone could
wish. Hundreds of teams are busy
hauling material for weLS to the front
and all the livery rigs that can be
pressed into service have been hired
and hundreds of people have gone out
front to have look at the big wells
that have come in, and, incidentally to
see il they can pick up a good lease.
And thus it goes. When two or three
dry holes are drilled everybody seems
to be depressed. And then again when
good we'll is discovered everything is
hurry and hustle and all want to get
in on the good thing if possible.
This afternoon a party composed OF
CITY Sergeant Frank Chapman, Thos.
Campbell, Sam Thistle and E. Finley
Kitson, to say nothing Of the dog, went