The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-29

"a = IA NIUE 70 no but XIII time
have no less ambition. no less
triuruph.than tho sturdy ones who are
in nc height OF conflict. j. does not
altogethcr matter II they think they
have a fcw Years to live. There is
Just chance the doctors were wrong.
Physicians don't know everything.
They talked OIL nn,il their imag:nr-
tion was fired, and then. being young
alih adventurous aud drcadfnlly tired
Of the mono.ony Of idl. .ay3 IN q
strange land. they decided 10 tempt
fortune. Th.y had few thouYand
dollars.
Wien person has noney ana i de-
sire To get action with II, ii is snr-
prisinE how. soon he fact becomes
knoWn Mallory and hia TWO friends
hardly had decided Upon making n
plunge into tho oil district before ono
OF their cqua.ntanccs tried 70 get
,hcni to put their money into q well
lie was sinking. They didn't do IT.
They wanted a we'll OF their own. They
Travelled out 20 the can joaquin VAL
ley and Inspected tho development
there and heard a lot Of m5re or less
accurate news of the ncighbor hood
but when they cndeavored 10 buy land
anywhere near the proven district
they were appalled, at the prices skcd
They did not haze enough money TO
buy :: sixteenth of an acrz 1t seemed
and when they Went little beyond
tho proven district the prices still wer.
fr!Ehtfully high. One of he men with
whom they Iickcred for (. bit Of land
was cha grincd - find thcy they had
less money than he had supposed. but
he did not lose hope Of making a deal
with them, for he ventured the sug
gnstion that, If he was foot loose as
ticy We're and not tied down 10 n coii-
pic OF wells in the Joaquin Valley, he
would go into the Rosita VALLEY and
sink few wells on some land he had
there.
Mallory rriclcd UP his ears ut the
mention OF the Eosita Valley.
Think there's oil there?' he asked.
Lots OF it, was the reply. 'Why.
this whole country is over a sea OF
oil. Go up in the Rosita and sink a
we'll and you'll be rich in no time But
tho land is high priced there. Not as
high as it is here. I'm nor anxious to
sell mine. but II you boys want a slice
OF it III let YOU i'm
Before that day closed Mallory and
his companions had paid $4,000 10 their
kindly friend for a small piece OF land
TINT would have been dear at So an
acre according TO the standard OF
values. The seller. when chided by an
other oil man for swindling the three
1ungcrs. excused himself BY SAYING
il he didn't take advantage of them
some one else would. and. besides, ..icy
didn't need so much money, for they
Wouldn't live long.
With the purchase OF tho land Mall
lory and his companions were chockfuI
OF business. They were eager to get
started, and the way they hurried a
rather slow going dr!ller With whom
they made contract 10 go into &c
Rosita and sink "a. Well on their prop
crty was delightful TO see they did
not know II, but they picked up the
poorest drller in California. Not only
was Cassidy poor at the work. but his
equipment was wrctchcd. About sc
only thing TO recommend tho man was
his good nature.
Mallory and his companions had
many a disappointment before they saw
drilling begun. In the first place. they
discovered the land they had purchased
WAS up on the side of a Hill, and not
down in the valley, as they supposed
Mallory knew then that he had been
robbed, hut lie had no recourse. lie
had TO go ahead. There was no turn
ing back. The triumvirate mad iea.,
than a thousand dollars left of the.
capital and Cassidy demanded $3.50 for
moving his plant to the Rosita, anu
81 a foot for the first ESQ feet he went
down and an increase in price TOR
cvcryI additional go feet. While the
plant was being moved Cassidy disap.
pcared lie didn't show up for nearly
a week. Then he was extremely penn
tent having blown in the $50 he had
received. Tho week OF delay told OH
the nerves Of the three men, but once
work was begun they became enthu-
sinstic. The frst day things Went We'll
and that night they went TO bed happy,
but in tho morning it was different.
Things began TO happen 10 Cassidy $
rig. The cable broke. 1t took n ioug
time to repair that damage and opera
tons had not been resumed long before
dherc WAS more trouble.
Nearly every day IT was The same
turcd. self-indulgcnt well driver was
rotten. Mallory, quick to see the trou-
bic. hurried TO town to get some SIP
plies that improved conditions mater
tally, but the work was slow and tedi.
oua in the extreme. Through Stalc ana
through fossilifcrous stuff. then through
ilinty rock and then shale
again, tho drill was driven until 500
feet was reached Cassidy at this point
asked for more ,nonoy. Ito got ii, hut
when II was paid the three lungcrs
held n council of war. They ~ Gro noar
tho end Of their nile. They had hoped
To strike oil at $50 or 800 fAc. Such
things had happcncd. Not, perhaps as
high IN on II hillside rs their we'll
vas situa ted, but miracles havc hap