Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1881 — Romance of the Oil Region. [ARTICLE]

Romance of the Oil Region.

Tltusvilla World. Napoleon Rogers lived with his parents in the beautiful city of Titus ville, on the banks of Oil creek. Na poleon was young and ambitious. He was smitten with the charms of Lucinda Merkel. After an ardent courtship, he took his ease to Mr. Merxel, the father of the fair Lucinda. Adolph Merkel was a merchant,and had accumulated gold galore, while Napoleon was poor as an outside refiner. “No!” said the father, sternly. “You, who cannot support yourself, have no right to ask for the hand of my daughter. Go!” and he spurned him with his boot. When Napoleon struck the sidewalk, he turned with flashing eyes: “Mark j’ou, Adolph Merkel, the day will come when your miserable store will not be a peanut stand compared with one I shall own!” Young Napoleon disapjieared. Years rolled on., . Our hero had been toiling upon the Pacific slope, and had erected a business house in Chicago that was gramlbeyond compare. It was filled with rare and radiant-fcoods from the looms of every land. Napoleon had photographs taken of the inside and outside of his magnificent trade palace, and sent them to Adolph Merkel, who had refused him the hand of his daughter because of his poverty. FINIS. The store was mortgaged for more than it was worth; the goods belonged to another party; Lucinda was married to a red-headed oil-broker, and was fat and had twins.