Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-04-13
Strong indications of oil have been
found at the S. w. Noble ranch, at
the head of East fork. Shale strong
~ impregnated with petroleum has
been taken out, and by sinking, it is
believed, flow will be struck.


Schoenstein, tailor at Tucson. is a
lucky and unlucky man. He is lucky
in that he made a small investment
in mining stock and received 5000
per cent on his investment. He is un
lucky in that he might have realized
$4,000 per cent in his venture if he
had held on longer.
He regrets that he lost $25 900 which
was ready to fall into his pocket. He
is not ageing, however, worrying over
his i'll luck in that respect.
1T was a gamble. The skies were
cloudy all the time. l put my um
brella up too soon-kept off the gold
en- shower" was the way he put it.
Il rejoice that I helped to contrib
ute to the fortune of Charles M
Schwab, the steel magnate. He needs
the money. He no longer needs his
steel job, but he might wake up some
morning without the price of break
fast"
Schwab, through an agent, bought
Schoenstein's stock three weeks ago
Il was Tonopah Extension. The price
paid was 81 share. Three weeks
later, it is said, Schwab sold his stock
for $11.50 a share. Press dispatches
stated that he cleaned up a tidy sum
aggregating $1,500,O00.
A little more than a year ago. Sch
eenstein, like hundreds of others
crossed Death Valley to Tonopah, at.
tracted by the lure of the hidden gold
in the land Of death" He carried with
him his scissors and goose. He ex
pected to find gold, to become wealthy
but he did not desire to starve while
on the search. So he took along his
tailoring implements and opened q
shop.
"Bullfrog is not dressy town, and
the tailoring business was not rush
ing" he remarked. During much Of the
year blue shirts and pair of overalls
are the conventional garb. There was
not much for a poor tailor.
"One day last May broken gambler
came into my shop. He was blear
eyed and shaky after night at the
tables, and broke, but the lust of the
game was still in his blood, and he
wanted to play more.
Bill'-he knew me we'll; anyway
first names go in Tonopah-'Bill,' hi
remarked, here's a buch of Tonopat
Extension. Give me so bones and it..
yours
MY whole capital was $50, but
decided to buy. l gave him the
money and bought round of drinks
that cost me 50 more. AS we had thu
round l was the butt of many joke!
OF being sucker. The gambler wen
Immediately to the table and lost tn,
money. l pulled freight and went tt
San Francisco
In the Pacific metropolis Schoen
stein forgot Tonopah. The dash an,
whirl of gayety of the big town was
relief from the sun scorched mimi,
camp in the Nevada desert. Schoen
stein even forgot his mining stock.
He left the stock behind when h,
changed rooms. He later returned TO
1T and was informed by the landlad,
that it had been thrown into the rub
bish in the cellar and might possibl,
be found there. There in an ash bar
rel lay the stock which three week
ago was worth $27,500.
Schoenstein put the stock in bank
-Four weeks ago he received an offe
of $4,000 for the stock He accepted
A little later he learned to his sorrov
that the stock was worth $27,5OO.
Tonopah, according to Schoensteir
Is great camp. It's population cor
sists, he says, of $500 miners and /
500 sharps and fakirs.
There is gold all about that cour
try" he stated, "but there is no we
ter. Holdups are frequent there, an
the highwaymen demand only water
1t is more precious by far than tn
gold in the ground In the towns-il
Tonopah, Bullfrog and other camps