The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-08-25
a Deal IN OIL Wells

when the widow Turner was left to
|care for herself She possessed sixty |
|acres 81 sterile land. q wretched old
cabin. 4 mule and COW, She had al
WAYS worked IN the field with her hus-
hand. she was q large, bony woman,
unable TO read or write, and the very
homeliest among lot Of homely wo-
men. No one predicted that she would
marry again. and she mad no encourag
ing thoughts herself She lived alone
and all the farm work was done ty
her own hands.
when the oil excitement got started
All the landowners around the Wider
Turner sod out. She alone held on.
she was offered five times what her
farm was considered worth. but she
shook her head. AS matter OF fact,
she was frightened.
Then along came tin peddler. She
had dealt with him before and found
him honest She told him her troubles
and he said:
widow. I am gong to talk plainly
10 You. You are as ignorant as i
mule and Al homely as stump fence
Il know it, was the answer.
..If things had run along as they
we're going you cou'dn't have found .
man in the United States TO marry
you"
Il admit that"
but now you cpn You cannot on'y
find a. husband. but money with him.
let me tell YOU what to do"
They had long conversation. AMI
The result OF II was thai when an Of
FER for the farm was renewed newt day
il was accepted with prcylso. The
widow demanded $4,000 III cash and
a husband. II was acceded to at onre.
II would be very easy 10 and a man =
marry her ard run away afterward.
pienty OF tncm could be hired fcS
$4,000. But the widow wanted an &C
ceptable husband. That was d'feren'.
Thirty men were parsded before iaf
ard she rejected every one. The caui-
taiists had figured on a soft thing
and got ieff. After two months search
and after nfy men had boon brorEhi,
forward one was found 20 fll the bill
He was no scrub. on the contrary, he
was 4 hroken.down gentleman. II WIS
IIEe mating an eagle With ! s--S.s.
Yes. ne would DO n. but there wer.
details 10 be c-~sidcfed. lie must
be hound TO cer.a'n things. and the
buyer Of the farm must ga-sertee hlr.
lie must be bound not 70 run AVA
md not to apply Tor divorce. Re
mrst be bound 10 I've IN the same
honse with her and MT be absent over
three days Al any time without her
written permission lie must toncb
her the cofnracn branches of education
and riiscs OF cti1nctte. He must take
her 10 New York city and Niagara
falls once IN two years. II she wished
10 sign be mus no. be put out Her
money must be her own There were
about q dozen other things mentioned
and the brokcn-down gentleman sad
he'd be hanged II he would. They had
promised him $4,000. but he sad 4
wasn't enough He hung rvt until he
was offered the same as the widow
They .old him that q smart ia~yer
could PICK 4 dozen locphoies "a the
contract.
But The wtow wasn't through yef
They must allow her $4,000 for a
lawyers feet They agreed. and rhe
sent TO Chicago for one Of the leaders
Of The bar Then came he guarai-
tee. The guarantee Of the buyer was
not enough. The lawyer insisted that
some one must gnafantea him. This
vas done. Time had been wasted. and
~gushcrse WIRE being struck allarcund
them. The money was counted ou',
The marriage took place. and the mex:
Day The drIIlcrs were At work The
newly wods went b, the nearest VII
lafe 70 PASS their honeymoon.
The brokcndown gentleman had
eone into the thing 70 make q state
He had a good mind for billiards. good
clothes ana good dinners. bns not for
legal matters. Within three days ha
ran away. Tho wife called upnn the
suarausorr 10 return h'isA They hal
70 hire detective and hunt Tor
month When be was brought back
lie WAS locked up for two weeks. Ne
APPEALED lortho law. has the law said
ihsi ne wife had right 70 take ~
reasonable precautions lie had hound
himself 70 teach her certain things.
Re refusod She called upon bis guar.
aniors. and they forced him 20 do u.
lle had taught her the A 3 &C when
b ran away again Again he was
brought back
Although Inc work II drilling wells
hnd begun At once there we're no re-
suits They drilled here and there for
more than year, but not psDt "
~ was had. That farm was just over
ne OH Inc somehow Biologists said
riere ought TO be great lake Of oil
under Il, bus Il didn't turn out that
way In buying and drilling moro than
half a million dollars was expended
AZ The end Of q year the broken-down
ran away again. When bis hackers
we're called upon 70 return him they
akrced 70 give the wife $1,000 20 LET
them on the contract. The TN pednaor
II 4 80