The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-27
OIL CRAZE RECALLS
 LEGEND OF LONG AGO
Stories Of Squanderine By Coal Oil Johnny Which Amazed Our Grandmothers Mostly
 Myths But Some Founded On Facts

this made him news. He had caught the popular fancy.
 Still, there was basis for this legend of the last generation but one.
 And there .wers such things as smash ing all the hats in barroom and buy ing new ones, or taking a box night after night at burlesque show or buy ing race horse.
 The day was not satisfied with credit ing him with the usual wastrel tricks, such as running greenbacks through his buttonhole for urehins to grab at. It was not satisfied with hearing (truly) that he practiced c0rnet in his hotel room; nor yet. with his attempt to learn boxing from Joe Coburn in New York Every time Coburn knocked him down Johnny set up the drinks for the house, and Coburn was splendid judge of dis tance. There were Steele's receptions for the hordss of supplicants, and there were his general doings in wartime Philadelphia. Johnny himself did not have imagination enough for his period, 70 the pace was set for him. Banquet and special trains were invented as well as offers to buy a $2OO, GOO theatre to give a single performance.
 Grestest Story | Myth
 The greatest story of all Is still to be heard from old timers. It is the hotel story. Coal Oil Johnny" enters a Philadelphia hotel. The clerk is imperti- nent.\ Johnny, carrying his protest to the manager, is again affronted and, being thought buffer, is taken when he offers to rent the place for day at $10,OO0. Proprietor pro tenn, he fires the clerk, tips every servant $25 to in sure cooperation, and invites the town, all meals free, and champagne with every meal. Saturnalia, and n fortune lost in . few hours. So the yarn runs. Once upon a time men were ready to fight to prove 1t true. But it is only a part of the myth. Steele did get a $25,000 hotel bill, but it was for him. self and Slocum for six months.
 When he first came from the oil fields. Steele was offered $1 1,O0O, 900 for his farm by William H. Wickham, who later was mayor of New York. Steele asked $1,200,OOO and took $3O,- 900 as binder, giving his note to as- sure it's return if the deal fell through, according to his own account. While the note ran, he stayed mostly drunk.
 Then there was a crash of thunder and the djinn vanished, and with him the magic pot of gold which Steele had possessed for two years. Coal Oil Johnny" awoke to snarl of legal com plications, and his title to the farm was gone. There was only the myth left i; that lived on.
 The remainder is story of beating back. He leaves the show; you see him at last back home in Pennsylvania, standing on the porch of his father-in- laws home, ashamed and afraid to knock. He is taken in. Nothing is said. John w. Steele buckles down to work. He could take life easy as side show, but he wants to be man. In little while he has teamsters outfit paid for from work; little later, cot tage. Then he leaves his reputation be- hind and goes to Iowa later, when rec .ognized, to Nebraska.
 He told the story in Coal Oil Johnny, His Book" more than twenty years ago. s.Ee eagH.. II present the narrative to the world with no apologies whatever," he says, to set at rest misapprehensions." And again: "Iiconsidef it somewhat out of place that I should offer an excuse for making fool of, myself" He hopes his book may save some other young fool.