The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-26
nEGaAR THEN or TING
'.Ssotty'' Mcbride after Patient Ef-
or Awakes tho Owrer OF Largest
Gusher I'm the World
From the New York Heraid.)

IllGSNuEE. ANaA A-~oat WIEN 0%te
|pennileSs and o knowing where n
next meal was to come from for him.
self and his hungry family! Today. al
most a millionaire.
That, I'm a word. Is what the last
week had In store for "Spotty' Nc
bride. After thirty years of frui;less
work and endeavor. "Spotty" Mcbride.
Jon Tuesday last. drilled in" the big
lgest oil well I'm america. which trans
formed his condition from abject power
lty to N OF wealth and a~ffiuenee-
Not since Coal Oil Johnny" was
making history I'm western Pennsyiva-
Inia has there been such excitement i'm
1.-THE oil country rs there Is today !
Butler county. Just across the ATIeShe-
my county line. and not nor than
Twenty miles from this city.
The day after the vel was drillei
t"Spotty" was no different from what
The was the day before. All he would
Isay was: THE new we'll will he
known as the Marie. My little girl al
ways said that If | every struck a well
must name il after her. and ! prom
Used. Everybody always laughed when
1.-The subject was mentioned. N idea
lof "Spotty' Mcbride ever striking any
Thing. But here Ii Is at last, boys. AMI
1.-THE little girls wish is gratihed-"
Two days before the Marie came i'm
l"Spotty'' Mcbride pleaded, actually
begged, of John Newell. a Pittsburg
lhotel man and oil operator, and broth
Ier-in-law of Daniel 0'Day, OF the
standard Oil Company, to give him
ISGOO for an eighth interest i'm the hole.
but the limit had been reached.
NO. 'Spotty,' no." said John Newell,
1--we stake1 you too often already. 1
wouldn't give YOU six cents"
Two days after the lucky strike John
Newell offered "Spotty' Mcbride $3.50
1000 for the same one-eighth interest
This time It was Mcbride who refused
Thirty-five years z 'Spotty" Nc
bride was a boothlack and general
lroustabout ut the Hotel Lowry in But
Her. ard the oil fever struck him when
The saw Goal Oil Johnny spending his
money. He gave up his bootblack
lstand, scraped together what money
The had and invested IL in merchandise
HE sold his stock to the oil drillers and
Imade big profits, until the time arrived
when he could drill II hole of his own.
That was thirty years ago. Mcbride
had always been considered lucky and
Ibis first venture was watched with the
lgreatest interest by the oil men. The
lwell came in n dry hole and "Spotfy'
Mcbride went back 10 his old boot
lblackine stand in the Hotel Lowry. He
Twas not discouraged. and was soon
plugging away again for another stake
To relate the history of "Spotty'
Mcbride from hat M down to with
lin n month ago would only be a repe-
ltition of struggles and failures. Never
lonce in all these years did he meet
with success. Every we'll that he drill
led came in a dry hole, but every time
THAT he went back To the b~ootblacx
island there was that same look of de-
Termination on his face.
Mcbride had married during these
Years and children came faster than
money.
In all of his ventures he was helped
!out by friends, for every one who knew
: E"Spotty'' was his friend. They took
r their turns, just as friends take turns
|sitting up with a sick man. The re-
lsults were always the same.
Two months ago "Spotty" gathered
!, together about 500 and announced 70
- HIS WIG tnat HS was oth " A"
lone last effort. If that failed he would
lgive up forever the idea of striking
D loil. Then he set about looking for Il
: ~|lease. 1t had always been a standing
g, Joke that "Spotty'' picked out the
= |most undesirable looking territory. and
: There was more thar a smoker when il
: ilecame known that he had secured d
V lease on the DIR. o. X. Waldron farm
I%graa p,ifaS from the fnun nf RtrfIQr
+ THE smoker developed into n laugh
;. when "Spotty' started TO drill his wei
:, within three hundred feet of a previou.
= well that had come in a dry hole.
q The day that the Marie came I'm Fin
: lnegan left his home. in this city, fol
|, 1.-THE Waldron farm. As he left thu
: house he called back to his wife
n I"Mary, / won't be home till we strike
a thousand barreller." She gave hin
!, la look of disgust for throwing hi
= money away. That afternoon she re
n lceived a telegram from her husband
Il Announcing that the well was lin" ant
. was producing 1900 barrels a day.
!, The day before the work was finish
- led Mcbride went to Peter +. McCool
4 Iof the Standard Steel Car Company
n land told him how bright things wer'
q Hooking. On the strength OF this Nc
J. lCool furnished money for options OF
100 acres Of ground around the well
o. Since the Marie came I'm they have re
fused 100000 for their holdings OH
4 thine oil men say they are worth sew
9 Ieral times that amount.
r The Marie has settled down 10
STEADY flow OF 2.4O0 barrels a day, am
a lis still the biggest well in America
The oil Is being piped by the Standard