Year: 1879




regions, unpleasant as they must be to
those not interested in boring. yet some of
the most romantic events on record have
been enacted at the wells, and true stories
are told of them which put imagination to
shame. One which | heard the other
day haunts me so that | must write it
down.


A certain man, who had been moderate
ly comfortable during his life, having been
inoculated with the oil feyer, examined
his farm and fancied that he discovered
tokens of "oil." He ut once engaged the
proper men, with their machinery, and
set TO work at great expense to bore. He
spent all his ready money first. When it
was gone, oil had not been found. How
ever, this was only because he had not
yet touched the right spot. More boring
must be done. The oil, he felt sure, was
there.


Scartely less hopeful than before, the
oil seeker led from his stable his fine
horses. took his cattle from their sheds
and sold them, and the work went on still
frutlessly, but he could not stop now
Men were making fortunes about him
every day; he felt sure of ultimate sue
cess. The few fields he possessed went
next. Then his house his old homestead.
His wife not one whit behind him in
enthusiasm, was the first to propose selling
the furniture, and with her own hands
took from their case her ear-rings-the
only valuable jewels she possessed.


The great machine prodding away
amongst the rocks swallowed all The
g., l,1 s.,
even elegantly, now lodged and fed as day
laborers might; the wife earned bread
for them by washing or sewing for her
neighbors: but she took a long journey
on foot, sought out her father, very old
man,and begged him on her knees to give
her, then and there, the portion which she
knew he had left her in his will. The
father yielded. The money-it was not
much-was brought back to her husband
by the faithful wife, and went as the rest
had gone. One afternoon, the once COM
Portable farmer stood penniless. He had
neither house nor lands, nor cattle; no
other clothes than the shabby trousers and
hickory shirt upon his back lie was
almost barefoot and had not credit for a
loaf of bread.


He looked at his wife. courageous and
accomplishing, but with starvation in her
eyes, and felt II remorse too bitter to
endure. II would be better he felt that he
should die; then indeed, people wonld
pity her. Her family would take her
home. She would suffer privation no
longer.


Walking about the place in II listless
manner he picked up a long strong cord,
and his eye fell upon Il strong hook in the
empty barn, from whence be saw in
Imagination, his own form swinging cold
and stiff and horrible to look upon.


81 hope some of the uen will find me
and keep the sight from her." he said.
Poor wife! poor wife! she did not de-
serve this, if did,


Then he went slowly down towards
the spot where the man he had hired tc
bore for oil was hard ut work amongst his
men.


stop them," he said, in a despairina
voice. stop them. owe YOU money
now that shall never pay you. I've
been a fool, but | don't want to be more
of rascal than | can help. Stop your
mem"


For II moment the throbbing and clink
ing ceased. All was silent. Then looking
ut his broken down employer the heart Of
the great, rough fellow melted.


Go to work sgain. Give him the rest
Of the day." he cried to his men. Its
only IN hour. There may be luck fol-
him yet.


Luck for metz sighed the ruined
man.


He flung himself down upon rocl
hard by and buried his face in his hands
The word of sympathy, the act of kind
ness, had quite unnamed him. He haC
grown 50 used to sneers. For ten minutes
he lay there weeping, though no one knew
it.


Then-what was tP Had he gone mad
A sudden shrew-a yell-a shout. Ii
that brief space of time the hard hearte,
rock that had stood between him anC
fortune had been drilled through, oil hac
been reached. The well had spurled
That little act of kindness had saved him


In an hours time the farm was packed
with people. The well was pronounced
the finest yet discovered in that region
and the man who at sunrise had been :
beggar was offered u million for his pos
session.


1t is said he sold it for more, after hav
ing made six hundred thousand dollars b.
the well itself, and is now one of tn
most solidly wealthy men in his locality