Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-02-02
Dead Mans Spring
How It Got Its Name.

~ known as the old oil country,
in a rugged part of Venango county"
said John Gilbert, the travelling gro
ceryman. the man who drove me over
the hills was a grizzled native who
seemed to be able to remember a
whole lot of incidents of the early days
of petroleum seeking. On our way, at
a wild and rocky stretch Of the road.
We came to a rivuiet that flowed across
it, and the native pulled up his horse
and stopped.
Want TO get ont" said he, and
take a drink out O. Dead Mans
spring.
The question was startling, and
didn't see any spring. but l was
thirsty, and / said l would be glad
10 have the drink if he would produce
the spring.
go to the upper side O. the road,
yonder, where you see this little run
come out O. that lunch o. bushes
said he. push the bushes open, and
you'll find as proper a spring as you
ever set your eyes on to, or put your
mug in
~ followed directions, and true
enough, among the rocks and bordered
by a rank growth Of ferns. was a deep
spring. at least two feet in diameter.
sweetest | had ever lasted. ] quenched
my thirst and got back into the wagon.
Now said the native. see that
bummcck on t'other side O. the road,
'longside o that big rock"
Il said | did, for the hummock was
plain enough to be seen.
well said the driver. that's the
dead man that gives the spring its
name. Coed APP, Joe,'
We drovs along some distance, and
the native made no further reference
to the dead man Or the spring. In
fact, he seemed to have forgotten all
about them, but l was a little curl
Gus, and by and by ! said:
land how did it happen?
THE driver looked at me for all the
world as If he hadn't the slightest
idea of what l meant. | pointed my
thumb back over my shoulder, and was
about TO explain, when he exclaimed:
"'Oh-h-h! Him?
"'Yes.' said |. And the spring.
We'll. aid the native, the spring
was always there, but he happened
Jest because crude crease is the best
thing in the world for to make hal:
grow on bald heads, and rattlesnake5
won't touch anything that's got 1t on
II looked at the native a little uu-
easily, but waited.
Dan Mitchell. | s'pose. was ibe
luckiest man that ever struck OIL he.
said, after ahile. not cause he struck
oil so much as it was cause he used a
big lot Of it on his bald head to make
the hair grow.
Dan had a couple o. good wells
down yonder long the creek. but he
was prospectin' for more, He had r
bald spot on top Of his head about the
size of a pancake, and it worried Dan
tremendous. cause lie was a young fell
Ter yit, and had hopts.
Somehow or other Dan hadn't
heard yit that crude creased start hair
to CROWN on to bald heads as sure az
a mustard plaster d start a blister,
and that rattlesnakes, which was plcn.
tier than flies round a 'lasses jug,
drawed the line at =. and let anything
alone that had it on
".'While you va putin down a
well. you had to kick rattlesnakes out
~ ry-nIyr .xsax - ~ IN aItth NTH t-ntY
all the time. but the. minute yoal
oil and she began to squirt. |
them rattlers d begin to cut sticks |
away from there SO fast that you
wouldn't be able to find one within a
mile O. your camp. Don't blame EN-
much, for crude grease don't smell
anyways nigh like Il pineapple.
"'And that's the reason, | s'pose,
folks hain't took to the crude
grease cure for bald heads more than
they have. They'd have to go into
quarantine, | s'pose, While they was
it, anywheres outside O the oil
well, anyhow. Dan Mitchell had
hat bald spot and il was maxim his
dark, when N day { told him
about the crude grease cure and he
pitched into usin' it for certain.
con one OF his prospecting trips
Dan come along this road. 1t wasn't
/ road then that you would run
wagons onto, and as some one had
stole Dams horse he was walkin'. 1t
vas a hot day in summer. an Dan
lad put on a more than common big )