The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-03
Look Here. Moses, You are an Old
Fool and l am Ditto

In the course of a fortnight the
neighbors of Moses Jackson noticed a
strange woman about his house, but
before they had time to ask question
the Gazette came out with a two col
umn article and explained all. The
strange woman was Mother Clark, the
great locator of mines by means of the
hazel rod. She happened to be passing
through the district, and to her surprise
her hazel rod kept pointing to the
jackson farm. She had felt it he& duty
to stop and tell Moses that great
wealth lay beneath the surface. 1t
might be coal or it might be gold, but
it was there for sure.
Again there was a rush to the jack
son farm. There were scores of diners
again at so cents piece, and this time
there were sleepers for the barn al
most by the hundred. People wanted to
prospect for that wealth; they wanted
privileges; they wanted options; they
wanted to go shares and work things
and the farm was torn up for the
space of two months before the last
digger got discouraged and quit. Then
Moses went down to make a business
call on the editor, and the editor said
to him:
I'VE haven't done quite as we'll as I
hoped for, but there is no kick coming
to us. We sold three options at $4,000
EACH and with the profits on meals and
dodgers the figures run to about $780,
OOO."
"And 1 guess I'll sell out and move
into town. said Moses.
mot just yet. The power of the
press, combined with the innocence and
humility of a hayseed, it mighty. We
have had two good things, but others
are to follow. Return to your farm and
continue to saw wood and say moth
ing"
No coal was found on the Jackson
farm-no coal, no iron, no gold or sill
ver-nothing but a little better quality
of rock than appeared on the surface.
The Gazette editorially observed that
nothing was infallible, and that even a
witchhazel rod had been known to
have the jinl-jamS after a long spell or
wet weather.
The next week it stated that there was
every reason to believe that the rod point
ed to oil instead of minerals, and that it
hoped soon to chronicle great discovery.
The discovery was made in time for the
next issue and it was a corker. Oil had
been found in such quantities that no one
could doubt the existence of a big lake
of it under the jackson farm A rush was
sure to come, and the country was gong
to boom as never before. There would be
at least two more railroads, scores of fac
the farm and called Jacksonville. The pa
per limited that Moses was getting more
than mis- share of the good things or earth
but al the same +in,e was helping his fell
lowmen to do better
There were some who doubted that oil
had been found, nut their doubts vanished
as they reached the farm. There was the
well, the bucket and the smell; Those
covered with grease and convinced that
petroleum was a big thing. That the coal
men had failed was no reason why the oil
men should not succeed. A dozen specu-
lators wanted options before the first
week was over, and every neighbortng
farmer who would sell lease found a
customer at his door. Leases and options
Were taken on the Jackson farm to the
last acre, and when the papers had been
made out and the money passed over the
editor ofthe Gazette expressed his read
mess to figure again with Moses.
THE firm of Moses, Jackson & Co. will
now divide up the sum of s22, 000,'' he said.
as he laid down his pencil, I'VE might
have got more by hanging out, but we are
no hogs. The man who knows when he
has got good thing is the man who sue
ceeds Incidentally, I will add that have
had to hire a girl to book subscriptions,
and / must now issue double edition to
provide for advertisers. Moses, you ought
to have about 81 600 ready for the bank
"A little more than that replied Moses,