Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-10
FAMOUS spENDERs OF THE eos.
Goal Oil Johnny" Now Earning Fifty
Month as Station Agent in Ne
braska Town.

| I had Il mighty good time. but if
had kept all the money-it would nave
theen millions now--I would be fai
tmore worried than | am at present
IYou see. | have my health and $50 a
month
| A parsonage of the long ago, man
lmany believed dead, was talking one
lday recently in Warren, Penn. He Is
local Oil Johnny" Steele, famous
| spender Of the sixties, who set a swift
pace for six months with the wealth
PENNSYLVANIA oil wells gave him, ana
who since then has lived on reeollee-
tons of his spendthrift days.
| Coal Oil Johnny"-the name stu
clings to Steele at 70-was visiting i'll
the state where his reputation was
made.
/ nm only hard working station
lagcnt now. out at a little one-horse
town in Nebraska But I'm not kick
ling. I'm still lucky. / had just been
transferred from Ralston, Nep., TO
Port Creek, in that state, when tor
lnaao came along and all but wiped
Tout the town of Ralston. So, you see,
fortune has not altogether deserted
me. / have no desire to be throwing
money around like sawdust now, as
did wher younger and not 50 WISE
| Fortune knocked at the door OF the
lpeorhouse in Franklin County, Penn
lsylvania in 1857, and found Johnny
land his little sister waiting. Her al
vance agents were William McCHhtock
land his wife, owners of small farm
of not very productive lana on oli
lC,reek. in the same county. The NC
| Cljntocks adopted Johnny and his SIS
fer The boy was then about IL years
iold. 4 little more than year later
the farmer died. leaving the place TO
! the widow. Feeling the uhceftaihes
of life. Mrs. McClntoek then made her
will. leaving to her adopted daughter
about 20oa I'M cash she had saSed.
The farm she beaueathed TO johnny.
| Tn 1859. soon after she made the VIII,
oil was struck on the farm by Coiohei
Drake to whom she had leased olie
eighth OF an acre for prospecting pur-
poses No one knew whether there
was any oil there to speak OF Ni'ea
Mrs. MeCliutock'S lease was Hhaue.
lcalling for a royalty of one nan VI.
total number of barrels that should
he brought in.
Under the hard rock beneath Tue
lsurface of that old farm there mus
have been lake of oil waiting TO De
tapped. for it flowed and sushed from
that first well For every othef par
relfn, th3t came forth Mrs. McGlin-
ltock got SIS. The uncertainties OF me
We're brought home to johnny one
March afternoon in 1862, when ne re-
turned after a days work in hauling
oil to find the farmhouse in ashes. ms
foster mother had tried to quicken a
l a k.a1 lost
in the fire that followed
Within a short time Johnnys farm
for he was the owner then by the
terms Of the will-was gushing oil IN d
. steady stream Almost every eighth
lof an acre parcel of it was stacdei
with a derrick, for he leased it out y
oil onerators. ROYALTIES went on pill
ing up. Some say that Mrs Meclin-
tock had accumulated $4,000 in royal
tiles before her death. This sum, de-
! nosited in a national bank, gave John
my his start in life, Wniie 'he royai'is
continued to roll in
Surrounded by money, Johnny began
q futile attempt to keep ahead of the
/ supply coming in. Several 'frlenus
who attached themselves to him snow
I cd hin how to keep his head apoVs
4 the rising tide of greenbacl<s. one o.
these was a man named Slocum. VIII
r Slocum. Johnny left his home and
: vcune woman, whom he had marrles
i in 1S62 and his baby, boy. Ioset"
r or they went to Philadelphia. Iher'
tbav met w. H. Wickham, New
q York oil operator, who offered oe eea'
a one million dollars for the farm, agree
e ing to pay $4,000 down. Steele ciose'
e the deal. Slocum was cheered by III
a newest good fortune that had over
G taken his friend and they started GU
$ to wake up Philadelphia. -
: Failing in with the owners Oh
II minstrel show, Johnny maghanimoua
;, -, offerad to buy it and take it GU
n IN the road for tour. the SNOW
owners were willing and the tour ina
e f,llowed through Pennsylvania am
). New York State towns became ITO.
10 one money-spending journey. In
- show did good business at first, put III
:, method of travelling on regular Tram
:. was too slow for Johnny ana M
fr;ends So he bought locolho.N
= on6 cars and the minstrel troupe pro
= ceeded bv special train, opening CHAM
,opne between stations. They Junpe
. from town to town and bushes
=. iumped from bad to worse. 'oi,i,,
= woke up one morning anu -.
=. had tipped away several huhoie
;, thousand dollars. ~
:. Rake in Philadelphia, he met car
- man at the hotel VINO toiu nm -
e wife wanted diamond ring.
.Ride me around the block, sal
IL Coal Oil Johnny" and III give w
'e ss 900 for your cab" you bet' SAL
the cabman; get in"
Is When they had completed the On
IN chit and were back again at the
1t ,ard House. Coal Oil Johnny" CAV
40 the cab driver the money.
ne Go buy your wife that DIAMOND
/ he said and keep the cab. doh
!. want it." ,
I'd Johnny resented the cold manner
q which clerk at the continental az
e tel met his request to see tue pr
10 prietor." But he finaiiy met '''e =" :