Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1881 — Life in the Oil Regions. [ARTICLE]

Life in the Oil Regions.

That the oil region is a country where fortunes are quickly made is well-known. The man who is begging his bread today may be wearing a diamond in his shirt front to-morrow, and the day laborer of last week is a moneyed man of the next month. On our streets we can point to men who couldn’t draw a check for ten cents six months ago. Now they can draw their check for SIO,OOO and the bank wouldn’t accept it. Yonder is a man who walked from Oil City as a tramp a year ago. To-day he is porter in a hotel. Here comes a young man who borrowed ten cents of us last week to get a glass of milk. Now he wants to borrow ten cents more. He says he wants to buy a meal. He dines on liquid meals. Go to Bradford and you see the same evidences of prosperity. A man who came into this field when the excitement began with less thaa SIOO, is now worth as many thousands. Another, who was put in the lockup, and borrowed money to pay his fine, was arrested again last week and sent to jail. He could not borrow anything this time. Here’s another man who went there with his last cent in his pocket. Last month he drew his check for $20,000. He, too, is in jail. He signed another man’s name to the check Such are the ups and downs of oil life. Here to-day, in jail to-morrow.— Oil City Derrick.