Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1881 — Quick Fortunes. [ARTICLE]

Quick Fortunes.

Oil City Derrick.

That the oil region is a country where fortunes are made quickly, is well known. The man w'Uo is begging his bread to-day may be wearing a diamond in his shirt front to-morrow, and the day laborer of last week is a monied man of the next month. On our streets we can point to men who couldu’t draw a check for ten cents six months ago. Now they can draw their check forslO,oOO and the bank wouldn’t aocept it. Yonder is a man who walked into OH City as a tramp a year ago. To-day he is a porter in a hotel. Here comes a man who borrowed ten cents of us 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 aiid you will see the same evidence of prosperity. A man who came into this field when the excitement began, with lees than SIOO, Is now worth as many thousands. Another, who was put in the lock-up and borrowed money to ■pay his fine, was arrested last week and sent to jail. He couldn’t borrow anything this time. Here’s another man who went there with his last cent in his pocket. Last month he drew % 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. The diamonds Bparkling in yonr shirt front in the rays of the morning sun may be pawned for fifty cents ere the orb of day sinks to rest The man who hasn’t a place to lay his head tonight, will be provided with a bed in the “cooler” before morning, but thW man with pluck and perseverenoe, who has less than. $lO on his Arrival here, will in three weeks own a teii acre lease and an ell well, with a $15,000 mortgage on it . . The drains leading from the Philadelphi Mint yielded about SI,OOO worth of gold and silver at the last annual scoifripg. The rroovery of metal by by that operation has amounted to s2l WO in nineteen year*.