The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-02-17
Dead Mans Spring
How II Got It's Name.
nN recent trip through what is

~
in a rugged part Of Venango county,"
said John Gilbert the travelling gro
ceryman, the man who drove me over
the hills was 9rzzled native who
seemed 10 be able to remember
whole lot of Incidents of the early days
Of petroleum seeking. On our way, at
a wild and rocky 81 etch of the road.
we came to a rivulet 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 sp.ing. but | was
thirsty, and ! said | would be glad
to 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 tunch o bushes,
said he. push the bushes open, and
you'll find as proper spring as you
ever set your eyes on to. or put your
mug in
Il followed directions. and true
enough. among the rocks and bOrdered
by rank growth Of ferns, was a deep
spring at least two feet in diameter.
and OF water the cc;uiest, softest and
sweetest | had ever lasted. Iquenched
my thirst and got back into the wagon.
Now said the native, see that
hummock on t'other side o the road,
'longside O that big rock?'
SoiI fn q byly
plain enough to be seen.
We'll said the driver. that's the
dead man that gives the spring its
name. Geed ap, JOe.'
We drove 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 | was little Curl
GUS, and by and by said:
And how did it happen?'
"The driver looked at me for all The
idea of what | meant | pointed my
thumb back over my shoulder, and was
about to explain, when he exclaimed:
'Oh-n-h. Him.
Yes said l. And the spring
"'Well,' said the native. the spring
was always there. but he happened
jest because crude grease is the best
thing in the world for to make hai'
grow on bald heads. and rattiesnakes
won't touch anything that's got it on
Il looked at the native little un-
easily, but waited.
Dan Mitchell, ( s'rose was the
luckiest man that ever struck OIL he
said. after ahile, mot cause he struck
oil SO much as it was cause he used
big lot of it on his bald head to make
the hair grow.
"'Dan had a couple O. good wells
sdown yonder long the creek, but he
was prospectin' for more. He had a
bald spot on top of his head about the
size of a pancake, and it worried Dan
tremendous. cause he was a young fel-
Ter yit and had hop.s.
Somehow or other Dan hadn't
heard yit that crude creased start hair
-to CROWN on to bald heads as sure as
q mustard plaster ID start blister
and that rattlesnakes, which was plen-
tier than flies round a 'lasses Jug
,drawed the line at it, and let anything
alone that. had it on
".While you was putin down a
well. you had to kick rattlesnakes out
20 YOUR way, or carry club with you
ALI the time, but the minute you
struck oil and she began to squirt,
them rattlefe ID 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 'em
much, for crude grease don't smell
anyways nigh like pineapple.
".And that's the reason, / s'pose.