davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

With the slenderest shadow of a
hope-merely, in gambling parlance,
to shave run for their money''-the
partners decided in favor of the we'll.
In selecting the bluff near the upper
end of the property they disregarded
the advice of experienced oil pros
pectors. To drill there was pro-
nounced an act of folly.
To emphasize the hopelessness of
the case work was begun on Good
Friday, April 13. Any gambler would
have laid big odds against such an
unhappy combination.
For ten days the drill burrowed its
way through varying strata. On Mon
day, April %, it gnawed slowly for an
hour through hard formation more
than an eighth of a mile below the
surface.
"She's struck sand!" shouted the
driller.
It was only that the drill had
dropped into softer formation-and
the sand was likely to be as barren as
Coney Island's-but force of habit
impelled this cautious man to con-
meet the we'll with the storage tank
provided to save the first rush of oil.
He was just in time. Before the
tools could be withdrawn from the
hole yellow torrent gushed forth
and filed the tank with a roaring and
splashing that sang of millions.
She's struck DILL" was the shout
ind it echoed down the valley and be.
yond, till at every farmers door and
on into the cities were echoed the
magic words, ''Struck DILL"
Every telegraph wire in the land
flashed the story of the Blossburg Oil
Company's Great Gusher, and capital
lists began to speculate on the strange
developments that might follow the
discovery of subterranean petroleum
lake east Of the Alleghanies.
As for the Great Gusher, it spoute6
forth 2200 barrels the first day ant
$500 the second day.
Before noon on the third day it hai
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
week days and Sundays. with no sign

week days and Sundays. with no sign
of weariness.
It is the greatest we'll known to the
| northern oil fields since 1882, when
the Cherry Grove field, in Warren
County, Penn, made the world ring
with tales ofIsudden fortune.
Cherry Grove knocked the bottom
out of oil prices and ruined thousands
of men engaged in the oil business
elsewhere. Blossburg may do the
same thing if it proves to be over q
big lake of oil and not merely small
pool. as was the case with Cherry
Grove, which exhausted itself in
year.
This important question can be
settled only when test wells have been
sunk for miles around, and from the
way spectators are rushing into the
Pine Greek region doubts must soon
be dispelled.
The Blossburg property is being
honey -combed with drills. A we'll near
the Great Gusher is yielding $40 bar
rels day, and another is productive
III a smaller degree.
Just what kind of sand the oil comes
from no one knows. As soon as the
tools pierced the shell the we'll flowed
and no sand was bailed out. Whether
there is ten feet of it or fifty, whether
it is brown, white or gray, no one
knows as vet. The company has been
kept too busy caring for the oil to
worry about the color or thickness of
the sand in which it has been stored
up.
The little town of Gaines has ac-
quired some of the character of
Western mining camp. The hotel has
been overAowing for three weeks and
the proprietor has secured every vacant
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

twenty well-known beauties of the
island were contestants for the honor.
Sonora Josefna Herrara de Pulido,
the daughter of Count Fernandina,
was the last Cuban senorita to be
similarly honored.
Silvia Alfonso was born in Cuba,
but was educated in Paris. She lived
in New York from time to time during
the past four years, during the pro
gress of the recent insurrection.
She will be the recipient of every
honor during festival week and will
remain supreme for two years until
the next festival is held.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

room in town for his guests. The
telegraph and telephone have become
metropolitan in their activity. Keen
men with large bank accounts roam
everywhere, swapping up speculative
chances. Their talk is all OF barrels
and dollars, leases and wells, drills
and ripe lines.
The Standard Oil Company, alive to
the great possibilities of the new field,
is laying four-inch pipe line across
the mountain to connect with their
main pipe line twenty miles away.
On the lighter side of human ma
ture at the Pine Creek rush are
ranged the clairvoyants and hazel
twig magicians who infest new oil
fields. One of these ''oil smellers"
will sell out his occult gifts as a pros
pector for from $40 to $3.50, accord
ing to the means and credulity of his
client
Some Of the individual cases of
sudden fortunes are full of interest.
Joseph Bernauer was a poor man
two years ago. His little farm on the
bank of Pine Creek yielded him liv-
ing and that was all. He peddled
milk every morning and evening to
the housewives of Gaines.
His farm proved to be right on the
oil belt and his income from royalties
is now over $500 month.
This discovery has made a group
of country storekeepers aud small
farmers rich in trice. Men whose
total worldly possessions were worth
perhaps $500 have been offered $685..
900 for their rights in this gusher.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

The story of the "Great Gusher,
as it is known in the parlance of oil
men, is one of the romances of for
tune, deserving q place beside the
bonanza tales of California and Ne
vada. Those for whom the we'll is
pouring forth its $1,000 day are coun-
try merchants and professional men,
formerly of moderate means, none of
whom knew anything about the oil
business. They are former Senator
Walter Merrick, John Aylesworth,
Del. Aylesworth, William Aylesworth,
DR.. D. o. Merrick, George Clark, J.
D. Connors, W. s. Scott, Mark Davis,
w. H. McCarty, A. Il. Botchford, 81.
r. Whittiker, F. d. Stratton, w. G.
Babcock, F. L. Jones and W. A. Rob-
erts.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

city OF mountalnSlue nltn-
erto sacred to rattlesnakes.
It has added millions to the real
estate values and made heiresses Of
poor farmers daughters for many a
mile around.
Most important of all, it has proved
that the geologists were wrong when
they decided, years ago, that oil
would never be tapped east of the Al
leghany watershed, aud it suggests
the possibility of the worlds oil mar
ket being flooded to such degree as
to bring prices down to next to moth
ing that is, if Mr.. Rockefeller were
not here to keep them up and put the
difference in his pocket.
Such, in brief, are the facts concern
irg the Blossburg Oil Company's well.
the source of river which is jealously
caught and imprisoned as it gushes
from the earth, because every gallon
of it is worth money.
1t is pouring out wealth at the rate
of 1865, 900 a year-a thousand dollars
day-and it represents only the be-
ginning of what may be expected of a
region where land is ten thousand
times more valuable to-day than it
was before the oil discoveries.
This last is literal fact. If the
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

The company is not incorporated
and business is carried on as CO.
partnership.
The drilling of the Great Gusher
was a forlorn hope. The company
had already drilled one we'll on its
lease of 155 acres and had found tn e
sand as dry as powder. Under the
lease a forfeit would have to be
paid if two wells were not sunk. The
forfeit would amount to about the
same loss as the drilling of we'll.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

SUNS. to ripe old age
should keep cool, not overload the
stomach, breathe pure air and lots of
it, eat vegetable diet, not eat late
suppers. go to bed early, not fret, not
go where he'll get excited, and not
forget to take a nap after dinner.
Though he is a doctor himself. he
threw all his medicine away years ago,
and he says he does not know what an
ache or pain is. He takes regular de.
light in his gifts to colleges, but will
not allow anyone to make hero Of
him, as he hates excitement. He
says q man must "keep cool" if he
wants to live hundred years. "It's
the worst thing in the world" he
maintains, "to get angry or cross. I"
He gets up at 6, eats light break
fast, works till noon, eats vegetable
and fruit dinner, without tea or cof-
fee. takes it easy the rest of the day
and goes to bed at 8. He says he
does not want to die till he has given
away all his money.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
Making q Collar Button.

In the first stage of the manufac-
ture of single-piece collar button
there's circular disc stampted out Of
strip of metal. Being fed into sew
eral machines, it at length gets into
the third form, so like grandfather's
hat.
Rapid blows, and many of them,
from powerful hammers bring it to
the fourth stage.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

repaid the partners their entire ex-
penses on the lease-the investment
had cost them only 5000.
At the close Of the fifth day they
were $4,000 richer for the. mere
trouble of catching the oil.
Then the Great Gusher sobered
down to the cheerful song of $1,000 q
day, and this it continues to sing,
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

the age of eighty
years. He says he
expects to live until
he is a hundred. and
his rules of life are
W worth considering.
"Most msn dig their
yes with their
teeth" he said. "My
stomach is my friend
and I'm happier than
any other man on
earth" He says the
man who wants to live
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

Senorita Silvia Alfonso y ALBANIA,
whose portrait is here shown, has
been voted the beauty queen cf Cuba.
The election was recently held in
Havana preparatory to the carnival to
be shortly given there, over which
Senorita Alfonso will reign. Some
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
How to Live a Century.

DR.. D. K. Pearsons, of HiL sdale,
ILL.,, a millionaire who is making it his
business to give away his money to
enterprising colleges in the West, re-
Gently made some very interesting
statements IN explanation of his con-
dition of hearty and hopeful health at
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

The average distance travelled by
British engine drivers is from 10000
to 80, 900 miles every year. There are
about 10000 drivers in the United
Kingdom.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

A specimen of edible earth lately
Drought from Fila soft, pale pink,
,layey substance-proves to be ar
aluminium silicate, probably kaolin,
With about 7.6 per cent. of iron oxide
IS a mechanical impurity.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

The American water hyaclnth winch
IS not infrequently an obstruction to
navigation, in southern rivers has
been successfully killed on the n el
oomene canal, New Orleans, by a
! chemical spray.
A specimen of edible earth lately
Drought from Fila soft, pale pink,
,layey substance-proves to be an
aluminium silicate, probably kaolin,
with about IT, per cent. of iron oxide
IS a mechanical impurity.
The water storage required to pro-
luce one horsepower for one hour,
With au available head of 10 feet,
would be represented by the capacity
,f tank 20 feet square and 10 feet
leep; at head of 140 feet the storage
tank would still be required to be 10
.eet square and about three feet deep.
A French inventor says that he has
solved the problem of sending a num-
ber of dispatches simultaneously on q
single wire. His system, which was
explained before the Academy OF
Sciences, was recently tried success
fully between Paris and Pau. Twelve
independent currents were sent on
;he circuit at once in either direction,
making total of "a kilograms.
The public library building in Chi
,ago is protected against the invasion
If fire from the outside by means of a
,o-called "water curtain" At the top
Of the building is system of tubes
through which water, supplied from
,ank. can be caused to flow over the
outside walls. Recently the efficiency
Of the water curtain was tested by the
occurrence of a fire in large spice
mill adjoining the library building.
The water being turned on, the outer
walls were Immediately covered with
liquid sheet which, as the tempera-
lure was low, became eventually q
sheet of ice.
A flexible metal hose is made at
Pforzheim, Germany, by rolling up a
metal band like screw thread, the
specially profiled edges engaging in
one another so as to form continu.
ous joint, which is made tight by a
cord of rubber or asbestos. The
metals chiefly used are galvanized
steel and phosphoror- bronze. The
pipe is remarkably flexible, and its
one disadvantage of tending to un-
twist through rough usage is over
come by making it double, with op-
posite windings. 1t is intended for
mining purposes instead of rubber
hose 1t is made up to eight inches
in diameter, and to withstand pres.
sures up to 200 atmospheres.
1t is curious thing that in all the
balloon ascensions and experiments
that have been made in recent times,
there has been collected no satisfac.
tory data on so important question
~ how long time a balloon will re-
main in mid-air. It is, however.
the gen aral opinion that, because Of
the change of the temperature of the
day to that of night and It's effect on
the gas with which the balloons are
inflated, it has been possible to keep
the ordinary balloon in the air for
only about 80 hours without replen.
'shing the supply of gas. Some Ber
lin scientists are to make an effort
IN gathering moro exact information
soon, when they will be sent up on
one of these airships, containing
Bis, 900 cubic feet of gas. Provisions
for ten days will be stored in the car.
which will be eight feet square and
will accommodate five persons, With
sleeping quarters for three.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The American water hyacinth which
s not infrequently an obstruction to
navigation, in southern rivers h's
been successfully killed on the n el
oomene canal, New Orleans, by a
chemical spray.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

1t was belief among the Egyp-
tians that the third finger of the left
hand was connected with the heart by
means of slender nerve From that
belief came the custom of wearing
the wedding ring on that finger.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

The Eads bridge across the Missis-
sippi river at ST. Louis has always
been subject to the phenomenon known
as creeping rails" The creeping
occurs always in the direction of the
traffic, and varies with the amount of
tonnage passing over the rails.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

Then machine turns up it's edge.
Still another rolls it over.
Then its head is put into shape.
Last comes the polishing.
How seldom do we stop to think OF
ell the brains and energy that go into
every tiniest articlel
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

While cutting timber in the forests
near Cromwell, KY, lumbermen found
bone in the heart of solid oak tree.
How it got there is mystery.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

When a mystery 10 unravsled there's
pretty sure to be long yarn.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

Even the rich girl may have q poor
complexion.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.


While cutting timber in the forests
near Cromwell, KY, lumbermen found
bone in the heart of solid oak tree.
How it got there is mystery.
1t was belief among the Egyp.
tians that the third finger of the left
hand was connected with the heart by
means of slender nerve. From that
belief came the custom of wearing
the wedding ring on that finger.
The Eads bridge across the Missis-
sippi river at st. Louis has always
been subject to the phenone on known
as Creeping rails" The creeping
occurs always in the direction of the
traffic, and varies with the amount of
tonnage passing over the rails.
A. A. Putnam, an electrical engi-
neer of Rochester,, N. Y, made an
oral will the other day by talking into
phonograph. He signed his name
ON the wax roll of the machine with a
hot copper wire, and the witnesses
did likewise. Legal authorities say
that the will is valid
A curious plant is the tooth brush
plant of Jamaica. 1t is species of
creeper, and has nothing particularly
striking about it's appearance. BY
cutting pieces of it to a suitable length
and fraying the ends the natives con-
vert it into tooth brush, and tooth
powder to accompany the use of the
brush is also prepared by pulverizing
the dead stems.
A singular accident occurred near
Juliet, Ga, a few days since. A fly
ing pigeon collided with southern
railway train which was coming at
high speed. The beak of the pigeon
broke the glass in the locomotive cab
and so great was the velocity of the
bird that the window was not shat
tered, but round smooth hole was
made, similar to that caused by bull
let when fired through glass. The
bird was instantly killed, but in his
fight his sharp beak came in contact
with the engineers face and the mans
eye was put out
Mrs. Davis Sweet of Boston in STEP
ping from chair seversl weeks age
struck her foot lightly against one OF
the rounds. Intense pain followed
and the usual remedies failed to give
relief. Finally her doctor cut into
her foot and near the heel attached tc
tendon was large piece of bone
that was tearing the flesh Upor
being remove | it was found to be the
exact counterpart of an incisor tooth,
the only difference being that it hao
enamel on the back while the front
was of double thickness. The docto,
is unable to give any explanation as te
the piece He does not believe it is
part of the heel.
In the province of Cordoba, Argen
tine Republic, is great salt lake,
which recently has been surveyed BY
an Argentine surveyor. The lake i,
30 miles long from east to west, an6
81 miles wide at its broadest point
The average depth is from IL to 1t
feet Some fish live in the lake, but
they are small, aud do not thrive well
because of the extreme saltiness O,
the water, which is per cent. solu.
ton. The shores of the lake and it's 15
islands are thickly wooded with pine
and quebracho The lake 10 called
Mar Chiquate, and the region about il
is entirely uninhabitel. Many wild
4
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

A. A. Putnam, an electrical engi-
neer OF Rochester, N. Y, made an
oral will the other day by talking into
a phonograph. He signed his name
ON the wax roll of the machine with
hot copper wire, and the witnesses
did likewise. Legal authorities say
that the will is valid.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14

The water storage required to pro-
luce one horsepower for one hour,
with au available head of 10 feet,
would be represented by the capacity
,f tank 20 feet square and 10 feet
deep; at head of 140 feet the storage
tank would still be required to be 10
,eet square and about three feet deep.
Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
The heBlossburg"Gu :
Greatest Strike on Record,
sNNsYLvANIAs NEW KLoND1KE.


RIVER of oil has created O
second Klondike in Penn
sylvania. 1t has made q
citv of a mon side hith-
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-09-07

lawful anxiety was felt for the widow
of the brave General Burnham of Mach
las, Me-, when the doctors said she
would die from Pneumonia before morn
ing" writes Mrs = II. Lincoln, who at
tended her that fearful night. but She
begged for DR.. Kings New Discovers
which had more than once saved tier
life, and cured her of Consumption
ther use entirely cured her" This mar
VellOus medicine is guaranteed to cure all
Throat, Chest and Lung Diseases. ONLY
jlc and Sl.00. Trial bottles free at W
II ShedOn's drug store.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-09-07

Millions will be spent in politics this
year. We can't keep the campaign going
without money any more than we can
keep the body vigorous without food.
Dyspeptics used to starve themselves.
Now Kodol Dyspepsia Cure digests what
you eat and allows you to eat all the
good food you want Ii radically cures
stomach troubles. DR.. d. 4. Blsbee's
Drug Store.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-09-07
Largest display by one exhibitor, G
V Milmede, VI ddlebury. ID,

Largest display BY one exhibitor, G
V Milmede, VI ddlebury. ID,
CLASS 27-FLOwERs AND PLANTS
Fern work. Cora f Thomas, Middle
bury, lst,
Largest collection cut flowers Cora
f Thomas, Middleburv. 81.
Parlor bouquet. Cora f Thomas.
Middlebury, lst,
Hand bouquet. Cora f Thomas, Mid
dlebury, LIST,
Collection of asters, Cora E Thomas.
Middlebury. II, ,
Largest collection ported plants,
Cora f Thomas, Middleburv, LIST.
Collection of pansies. Cora f Thomas,
Mddleburv, 1st, }
Collection of phlox. Cora f Thomas.
Middlebury, ID, ,
Collection of roses. Cora f Thomas.
Middlebury, lst. )
Collection potted plants, Mrs G. y
Dickinson, Middebury. u.
Cut flowers, Mrs c n Dickinson.
Middleburv, special, )
Bouquet wild flowers, Mrs G n Dick
inson. Middebury. u. )
Floral design, Mrs y Dickinson.
Middlebury, 2i,
Parlor bouquet, Mary Gee, Middle
bury. d,
Pair hand bouquets, Mary Gee, Mid
dlebury. ID,
, Native flowers, Mary Gee, Middle
bury. lst,
} Collection of phloX, Mary Gee, Md
diet ury, LIST, !
, Collection of dahlias, Mary Gee,
Middlebury, 1st,
Collection of pansies, Mary Gee,
Mddlebury, ID,
, Collection of asters, Mary Gee, Mid
dlebury, lst,
Floral deaign, Mary Gee, Middlebury,
lst,
, Floral ornament, Mary Gee, Middle
bury, lst,
Largest and best collection of cut
flowers, Mary Gee, LIST,
Cut flowers, Page Potter, Middle
bury special,
CLASS 2S-BREAD AND CAKE.
Sponge cake, Mrs VI L Phales. Mid
dcbury, ID,
Jelly cake, Mrs NJ l. Phales, Middle
bury, lst.
Brown bread. Mrs NJ L Phales, Mid
dlehury, lst.
Wheat bread, Mrs II / Sumner, Mid
dlehury, 2d
Brown bread Mrs II L sumner,
Middlebury, u.
Tin of biscuit Mrs II l. Sumner.
Middlebury, 81.
Fruit cake, Mrs II J. Sumner, Mid
dleburv, lst,
Wheat bread, Mrs II l. Stalker, Mid
dlebury, lst.
Tin of biscuit Mrs II l. Stalker, Mid
dlebury. lst.
Sponge cake, Mrs Stephen Craig,
Middlebury. lst,
, Jelly cake, Mrs Stephen Craig, Mid
> debury, ID.
, CLASS 29-CHILDEEN',
Pencil sketches, Frank Shea, Mid
; dlebury, LIST.
Pillow sham, Cecil DePoutee, New
C Haven, lst
Cross stitch on Bingham, Cecil De-
. Poutee, New Haven, lst.
Crochet Lace, Cecil DePOutee, New
; Haven. lst,
! Crochet slipper, Cecil DePoutee
; New Haven. lst,
, Crochet mat, Cecil DePoutee, New
} Haven. lst.
Premiership, Beatrice Miner. Mid
! dleburv, lst,
Doylics, Beatrice Miner. Middle
| bury. lst,
Pin cushion. Beatrice Miner, Mid
c dlebury. lst.
Outlining. Beatrice Miner. Middle.
! bury, lSt.
Needlework, Beatrice Miner, Middle
/ bury. LIST.
Cotton Patchwork Quilt Belle sum