The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-12-27
AFTER OIL WAS STRUCK
USES TO WHICH NEWLY RICH PUT
THEIR MONEY.

West Virginia Farmer-Patent
Leather Shoes the Desire of Another
Grateful Father and Sons Bought an
Axe for "Mother."
In West Virginia many persons have
suddenly become we'll to do through
the finding of Oil on their barren farm
land, says the New York Sun. The
effects of wealth on these newly rich
ones have been curious.
One old section hand living near
Warrington owned little house and
very small plot of ground. A firm
of drillers made the customary bar
gain with him; and planted their der
rick right alongside his house.
They struck oil, and they struck
it rich. The we'll developed an output
Of about 200 barrels day. The old
section hands share ammounted to
something like $3.50 a day. This
is not so bad for a man who had ney-
er earned more than SIPS a day in
his life.
He threw up his job on the railroad
and now he Just sits on his porch day
in and day out and watches the slow
movements of the great wooden walk
ing beam of the pump that is draw
ing for him from natures wealth
a sum each day totally beyond his
capacity to spend. At this time OF
life there is little likelihood OF his ac-
curing new tastes that would make
his money of use.
An old farmer living near Volcano,
on the Parkersburg branch OF the Bal
timore and Ohio. had few acres OF
barren land, and he willingly allowed
some prospectors to put down well
on his property. A gusher was struck,
and the farmers share Of the oil soon
amounted to $4,000, which sum all in
cash was turned over to him.
A dollar in cash had been an un-
usual sum for him to have at one time,
and the sudden possession of so much
money filled him with desire to
spend some of it. He donned his best
suit of jeans and took the next morn
ing's accommodation train for Parkers-
burg.
After wandering about that city all
day looking for a suitable investment
he finally paid s1,500 for finely bred
bull! There was just about as much
use on his farm for bull as there
would be In the proverb1al china
shop. The sterile soil Of his farm did
not produce enough blades of grass
to furnish the bull with one good feed,
and the farmer had no other FOOD
fit for his purchase.
When asked by his neighbors why in
the world he had made such a use Oh
his money he simply replied:
"Well, I had to spend the money
somehow"
At the bottom of piece OF farm
land on the side Of a mountain lived
a snake hunter, as the West Virginia
mountain farmer is nicknamed, In
little log hut. The daily fare OF this
man and his family has never been
anything other than the farfamed
"cornbread and sow belly" In sum-
mer he went barefooted, while heavy
rawhide boots covered his feet when
cold weather came.
Oil was struck on his farm in such
quantities that the farmers share
promised soon to make him the veal
thiest man for miles around. AS soon
as the first installment Of cash was
paid over to him he was seized with
the desire to spend. He made arrange
ments to pay the town visit.
Using shank's mare, his sole means
of conveyance, by the way, he took a
short cut across the mountains until
he reached the small railroad town
that meant metropolis to him, and
the very first thing he bought was a
pair of patent leather shoes!
Perhaps the best example OF all the
embarrassment caused these folk by
the. sudden acquisition Of wealth was
the case Of family Of mounta1neers
back in Calhoun county. This family
consisted of father, mother and four
grown sons. Every member or the
household burdens, but the work OF
chopping all the wood as well. This
latter duty is not light task by any
means.
The father and his sons were good
examples of the West Virginia seng-
diggers-that is, diggers OF ginseng
roots. Between times they would hunt
with rifles sixty years old, with bar
rels six feet in length and weighing
from fifteen to twenty pounds, with
which all of them were dead shots;
any one Of the men could easily knock
out the eye of a skuirrel at the top
Of the highest tree.
But very little work of any kind d1d
they condescend to do, and year after
year they spent their time thus, liv-
ing in their old log house OF one room
without seeing $40 in cash from one
years end to the other.
Then wealth came.
Prospectors traced oil until it LED
to the neighborhood of the old log
house, and a well was driven on the
place, upon the usual terms. A gusher
rasu,+ed and when the money for the