Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 118 — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

for a hundred thousand bottles, he at once set to work in earnest at manufacturing his lini- ment. In his little laboratory he now spent the eater share of his time, and turned out about wo hundred bottles per day. The doctor at once contracted with the famous Rowell adver- tising firm for ads. in all the principal papers of the U. 8., and dispatched agents to the whole- sale dealers in the various States to introduce and sell the liniment. But for the fact that the doctor had a good bank account at his disposal, the concern must have gone to smash, for the initiatory expenses were enormous, and Jack’s small pile was but as a drop in the ocean. The first month things looked desperate, and Dr. P., as we shall name him, was fully as des- pairing as Jack. The agents reported poor suc- cess, and orders came in very sparingly. “* It’s little use to continue making what won’t sell,” the doctor said, as he and Jack consulted, in the gaa” € one day at the end of the third month. ‘I’m out of pocket about twenty thousand dollars, and the receipts have not yet reached a tenth part of thatsum. I’m heartily sick of the venture, and want to sell out!” | ‘Ditto I,” Jack replied, dubiously. ‘I’m fifteen hundred dollars deep, and haven’t got a red in my peer yo-day. What will you give me for sole possession?” ‘** A hundred dollars. Perhaps I can get back that much out of it.” ‘*T'll take it,” Jack said, glad to get even that much. The doctor accordingly paid him over a hun- dred dollars, and, first signing off his right and title, Jack left the laboratory, and found him- self upon the streets of New York, out of em- loyment. P What next to turn to, he was puzzled to know. His latter ulation had reduced his fortune to a hun dollars, cash, and one house and lot in Boston. The rent upon this place was overdue several months, but he had left the collection in charge of Bob Beekman, and found it unnecessary to return to Boston. Reports were daily coming in of the ‘“ red- hot” times up in the Pennsylvania oil regions, and actin PS impulse, he bought him a ticket for Oil City, Pa. Arrived there he found that he was not yetin the heart of the oil regions, and accordingly visited Titusville, Pleasantville, Shamburg and Red Hot, bringing up in the latter place for a short stay. A chance was offered in a new lease for in- vestment in shares, fifty dollars ak a fortieth share. He accor ly invested fifty, and had now twelve dollars left, which was in those days equivalent to one week’s board. He saw that work was what he must now re- sort to, and he hired out to run an engine on a pumping well, at three dollars per day and It was dirty work, and the first year’s anniversary of hi struggle for a fortune found ay as black and grimy ascould well be imagin- Resolved to be pemuperate, he associated only with those whose soc ety was not likely to lead him into temptation. Consequently he got the nickname from the rougher classes of the ‘‘ Par- ag ” a . clung to him as long as he remained n ot. In those days the towns of Shamburg, Red Hot and Tip-Top were acknowledged to be the wickedest in the United States, while Petroleum Center, Tideoute and Rouseville were not far behind. The men were, with the exception of a few ulators and prospectors, a lawless, dare- evil crowd; the scum and ruffianly element of the different States seemed to be concentrated in the few oil towns we have above named. To save their earnings was not the least part _ of their calculation; consequently fights, drunk- enue and sprees were the order of the our. Jack’s quietness and sobriety were a theme of conversation among the roughs, for it was some- thing beyond their comprehension. Not anoth- er young man in Red Hot who did not step up to the bar and take his “‘ rations” as often as the condition of his cash account would allow, and to have one “ teetotaler” in the town was against the moral principles of the rougher ele- ment, . At this period the notorious Ben Hogan boss- ed things in Red Hot—was feared as a despera- ugilist of no mean order. One night Jack was sitting in the bar-room of 4 Jack Hoyle. the Draper House, when Hogan approached him, as usual in an intoxicated condition. **See heer, young feller, you’ve got to i u to the bar and take your whisky, to-night. Ye’ve played Parson long enough, an’ we're go- in’ ter make ye swaller yer rations, you bet! Cum along now—it ain’t a-goin’ ter cost you nothing ter drink wi’ Ben Hogan!” CHAPTER IV. WHISKY AND OIL. ‘‘] RATHER guess not,” Jack replied, quietly. **] don’t drink anything, thank you.” ‘**Can’t help thet, my younker. You've got ter drink with Ben Hogan, or skip out o’ the town, I tell ye! There don’t no chap sail around this town, ’cept they’ve drinked wi’ old Ben, ye know, an’ I ain’t goin’ ter allow no exceptions, sa Ry You'll have to out-drink me then if I start in, before I give up,” Jack said, a little angered. “] presume if I was to try, I could drink any six men in the town drunk and sober im” ‘“See heer, Parson, ef that’s yer game, we'll ive ye a chance. I'll bet ye two hundred dol- ars that you can’t drink me drunk, and you stay sober.” “ Agreed, if by so doing, it will free me from your invitations to drink, hereafter,” Jack “All right! Ye shall have yer choice of bev- erage, an’ I’ll take whatever you do. Ef you’ve ot fourth-sand rock to git old Ben Hogan b’ilin’, "ll let ye alone in the future, and pay for the chain-lightnin’ besides.” ‘*‘Then meet me here, to-morrow night, and we'll settle the matter,” Jack said, turning to his paper, which he had been reading. ter Ben Hogan and his crowd had departed, and the saloon was partly emptied, Mike Calla- han came from behind the bar. ‘*So you're goin’ ter drink ag’in’ old Ben, eh, Parson?” he said, grimly. ‘* Yes, that’s the agreement,” Jack replied, yawning. ‘*But, I reckon yer off yer groove, Parson. Ben ‘ll drink you blind an’ stiff, ere you know PK S par he \ baad ! See rire ok noticed you have a grudge against the old sinner. Now I want you to enter into a plot with me and I'll give you half of the proceeds. I wan to beat this man, so that he will let me alone in the future. If he gets beat, it will do him more ood than a sermon. We will start off on beer. can drink at least five glasses without feelin any effects. Hogan will drink the same, an each of his glasses must be liberally salted with whisky. I will then call for gin, and while you give Hogan the pure article, Yl take a brim- ming glass of water for mine. Now, what do you say—will you do it?” “Waal, Pll blazed if I don’t,” Callahan replied, in admiration. ‘* You’re a sharp young Soon an’ here’s w’at’ll tip ye the hand, fer rue, The matter was settled, and Jack went to bed until midnight, when it was his turn to go to work again. He knew this was the only way to beat the king of the oil regions, without incurring his hatred, which he was not desirous of doing. The next night when he entered the bar-room of the Draper House, he found it crowded with the roughest customers in the town, including the notorious Ben, himself. The news that the meek and quiet Parson was goin to drink ainst the brutal Ben for stakes, spread ike wildfire, and a delegation had come in from every town surrounding to see the sport. ‘Hello! here’s the Parson!” Hogan exclaim- ed, triumphantly. “Say, young feller, are you ready to test my storage capacity for beverage? I hain’t even smelt o’ a bunghole to day, jest on account of waiting to polish you off.” ‘“‘Haven’t got enough money to make the wager two hun ” Jack replied, stepping up to the bar. ‘‘Callahan, can you lend me the rhino?” The barkeeper nodded, and laid a couple of hundred-dollar bills upon the counter, and Hogan instantly covered them with an equal amount, for in those days of ten-dollar oil, money was plenty out among the wilds of north- western Picteess Spe: The money deposited, Jack turned and nod- ded to C an: “Give us two beers, barkeeper. We will start in moderate.” The two beers were drawn and quaffed—then two more, by which time Jack noticed an ap- parent effect on Hogan. He was more talkative, and as usual 5 J his language was anything but refined | or pleasant to hear. . “Give me straight gin, brimmers,” Jack ordered, and when they came, he made but one mouthful of his, while Hogan took his in sips, The crowd began to see which way the con- test was going to end, and cheered the Parson, accordingly. It was beyond their comprehen- sion how a man of Hogan’s caliber who was con- stantly ey ey in liquor, could be beaten at his ews game by a mere stripling and a teetotaler at that. But one followed another at regular inter- vals, and at last Ben Hogan the notorious ruffian and pugilist fell to the floor, dead drunk, while Jack coolly pocketed his stakes, and retired te his room for the night. Not once did a suspicion enter the people’ minds of the deception that had been practiced or it might not have been so well for our your speculator, On the following day he heard that eae had sworn to get even, but the fact that the rough had left town gave Jack hope that the threat may have been only an idle boast, With the hundred dollars he had won, and fifty he had saved out of his wages, he bought three more shares in the well, which was now rapidly eparoacse completion. a change, it was now arranged to have Jack go on duty from six in the evening, until six the following morning, thus bringing him into all of the night work. He acquiesced, how- ever, and worked faithfully as directed. One night as he was working in the engine house, and whistling merrily to while away the time, Callahan slipped into the engine-house with a mysterious grin. ‘Sh! he cautioned, in a whisper—‘‘not a word! coe ge and three or four of his gang are outside, with tar and feathers, and propose giv- ing you a dose. I found it out by accident, and propose we give the divils a stame bath.” Seizing a rubber hose that was attached to the boiler, he screwed on a nozzle, and stood ready in front of the door. ‘*When I yell, ‘now!’ turn on the steam full heft,” he ordered of Jack, who stationed him- self at the stop-cock. Pretty soon the door of the engine-house was flung open, and four roughs attempted to enter, but at the signal from C , Jack turned on the steam, and a scalding torrent was turned upon them. With howls of pain they staggered back—then beat a hasty retreat, and that was the last effort made to molest Jack. They had fairly found out that the Parson was able to look out for number one, A few days later the Ducky-Dear well reach- ed sand, and instantly began to spout at the es- timated rate of a thousand barrels a day, the ape jet spurting clear over the top of the der- rick, The news spread like wildfire, for this was the biggest strike yet made in the Red Hot ter- ritory, and evidenced much future prosperity to the town. When Jack heard the news, he instantly hired a hand in his place, and jerking off his greasy arments, and on his better ones, he hastened to he scene of excitement, where hundreds had alspady preceded him, Anticipating the spouting beforehand, the company had n provided with proper pipe- age and tankage, and the casing head was soon capped, and the oil run off into.a tank, e well was then re-cbristened the Clown, and afterward the Whooper. ’ Jack had now resolved not to work any more at manual labor, but to return to his chosen pro- fession of speculation as soon as he should re- ceive his first dividend from the well, in which he had an interest of four-fortieths. The first twenty-four hours’ flow of the well yielded just one thousand barrels of first quality crude oil. } The second day the yield dropped down to five hundred, but as the company had lands to lease in the immediate neighborhood, the fact was suppressed from the public for several days. . In the meantime the well continued along af five hun Is a day for some days, wher it sudden! e dry, and not another of oil could be got out of it, literally s Part of those holding shares, were in favor¢ having it torpedoed, while another part objea ed, and asa result nothing was ever done wit ‘Bix thousand barrels of oil were sold for si thousand dollars, and out of this, Jack realieed oe is share seven thousand and two hundred fe) EOmichoo (C SS (E()