i
MR. : MEEKS'
T "T" K said his inline was Slocks,
f 1 ami it struck thoughtful ones
in Buffalo Horn that the pa
tronymie was singularly appropriate
for the gentleman himself wns a mild
eyed, "sundy-looklu' " little man, with
a self-deprecatory nlr that suggested
a standing apology on his part for pre
suming to exist. He floated into town
quietly, and bo unobtrusive and modest
whs he that It was several days before
his presence began to be noticed, and
then only on account of a rumor that
bad gained circulation to the effect that
lie was an officer of the United States
Secret Service. Then Buffalo Hornites
lulled. Of course, like all Western peo
ple, they understood that It Is not best
to Judge from appearances; but, oh!
what a chump I'ncle Sum must be. to
send a wee bit of a man like this to
arrest an Oklahoma malefactor!
To be sure, nolxidy had the temerity
to suggest this to Sir. Meeks. There are
communities In which the one who pre
sumes iiM)ii appearances is taking very
long chances, nud Buffalo Horn wns
one of these. Therefore, Mr. Meeks
was treated with great show of respect
liy all the leading citizens, who squared
tilings with themselves by privately
"giving him the horse-laugh." And, ail
unconscious. Mr. .Meeks kept on his
way, or. rather, stayed where he was
and lay In wait for some certain crim
inal who wns wanted for violating a
score, more or less, of the Federal
statutes.
In strictest confidence, and with
4'hlld-like faith, he had Imparted more
or less Information concerning his mis
sion to Mart Winslow, the landlord of
' the little hotel where he was staying
4ind Mart being, after the manner of his
kind, an Inveterate gossip, soon spread
what information he had gleaned from
the stranger, thereby causing a broad
grin to appear whenever his guest wns
mentioned.
"Oil. but ain't V easy?" chuckled
Mart to a couple of friends, one day,
as he nodded towards the bar-room,
where Mr. Meeks was engage.' in "set
tin 'em up" to the ever-ready crowd.
4,I' ye ever see sech a sucker? Comes
jere mi '.spec's th' duck 'e's layln' for
f lope right Int tih tli' camp an' give
"isself up, 1 s'pose; so yere'e stays, dlg
gln' up lil'teen a week fr board an'
spendin' copious at th' bar. Oh, I e'n
ma ml it awhile."
"tlawd! S'posln' th' man sh'd come
In. all or a suddlntV" said .Tim Wylle.
the city marshal. "Say, 1 bet 'e'd die o'
cnre!"
"What Is it tli' little feller wants.
Mart'" asked some one sitting by the
window.
"Sli-h-li! Easy. Frank! oh,
I d'no', not now. Hut I'll bet ye one
thing 'taln't nobody he's n-golu' t
ketch right off."
It cnnie to be rumored, within a day
or two, that "Kingfisher Williams
was the man Mr. Weeks was after, this
rumor lxing based upon the fact that
the little man had been very quietly,
of course making Inquiries concerning
that notorious person, whom numerous
county and national ollleers were more
or less anxious to meet. He was not
known personally to any one In Buffalo
Horn, but Mr. Wylle assured the little
man that Kingfisher Wtllinms was a
very bad man, Indeed, and that If Mr.
Meeks effected his capture It would be
a great feather In his cap whereupon
the little man swelled up considerably
and luvlted Mr. Wylle to Join him at
the bar.
It was about n week after this con
versation that the secret-service officer
ami the city marshal were standing in
the bar-room, discussing some question
or other, when the door opened and a
stranger entered nnd, walking tip to
the Iwr, called for w hisky. Mr. Meeks
wns looking earnestly upward into the
big marshal's face na the stranger en
tered, but withdrew his gaze for a mo
ment to glance at the new-comer. Then
he reached for Ills revolver.
"There'll my mnn!" he remarked,
calmly, In nu undertone, to the marshal,
"(let buck from the bar, please."
Wylle, dumbfounded, did as ho wna
bidden, In time to see the stranger look
up Just at Mr. Mooks got him covered.
"Hand up, Mr. Williams!" com
Sudei the little man. "I want you!"
: PRISONER.
With an oath, the other "drew," and
for n few seconds there was a con
fusion of shots, in which the city mar
shal could take no part by reason of his
revolver getting stuck and refusing to
coma forth. Then the stranger threw
up both hands, In token of surrender.
"Have you er a pair of handcuffs,
Mr. Wylle?" asked Mr. Sleeks. "Put
'em on him, please. Sorry, Sir. Will
iams, but I can't take any chances with
you."
Williams did not answer, but growled
angrily under Ills breath as he sub
mitted to being handcuffed.
"I'll git you for this!" he said to
Wylle, as the latter stepped back after
finishing the operation.
"Oh, ye will, will ye? Walt ontell my
frleud, Sir. Sleeks, gits through '1th ye,
Sir. Williams," was the cheerful reply.
"Wan' r put Mm In th' cooler?" asked
the mitrshiil, presently.
"No, thanks. He'll bunk with me to
night, and to-morrow we leave. SIucli
obliged, all the same."
It was not more than an hour before
every one In Buffalo Horn knew that
little Sir. Sleeks had, single-handed,
captured the notorious Kingfisher Will
lams, after a short battle in which no
body was hurt; and the general senti
ment was of the "Well, I'll be dog
goued!" variety.
That night Sir. Sleeks had a levee
nnd blushlngly received the congratula
tions of the best citizens of Buffalo
Horn during a period of two hours,
while his now staunch friend, Jim
Wylle, obligingly guarded his desper
ate prisoner. Had he been a less tem
perate man, he might have retired
somewhat the worse for liquor, as did
most of the citizens of Buffalo Horn;
but he kept his wits about him and was
as sober as his prisoner when they
turned In.
Next morning, a half-score of leading
citizens had sufficiently recovered from
the night's revelries to nceompanv him
and his prisoner to Four-Mile Creek.
lhls honor wns modestly protested
against by the little man, who seemed
not to see that he had done anything
remarkable, but he was hooted down,
and when they reached Fonr-SIIle bis
escort parted from his with three rous
ing cheers nnd n volley of revolver
shots by way of salute.
It was about one o'clock In the nfter
nou when nu excited, hatless mnn,
mounted on n Minting horse that
dripped with perspiration, dashed up
to the Hotel Winslow, In front of which
a nuniberof citizens were sitting discus
sing the events of the day nud night
previous, and hoarsely announced:
"Kingfisher he's killed 'im!"
"What? Who?" asked Winslow.
"What ye talkln' about, man?"
The stranger wns gasping for breath,
but presently mnmigod to explain that,
twenty miles south, he had been resting
under a tree. by a Btrenm, when a little
man nnd a big man, whom he hud
known In Kingfisher as "Kingllsher"
Williams, came along and dismounted
near by. The little man was leaning
over to get a drink when Williams
sneaked up behind him and struck htm
down with his handcuffs. After this,
said the stranger, he saw Wllllnuis take
the keys from the little man's ioeket
and unlock his handcuffs. Then he shot
the Insensible victim with the hitter's
own gun, mounted, nnd rode away; and
the new-comer hurried Into Buffalo
Horn the faster because Williams
caught sight of him as he was leaving
and took a few shots at him.
"W'y dldu't ye shoot back 'r else git
th' drop on "Im w'eu 'e hit little Sleeks
wP th' bracelets?" asked Jim Wylle,
fiercely.
"Cause, In the first place, I didn't
think 'e'd kill th' man. Second" and
the stranger eyed Wylle quizzically
"I reckon ye hain't real well acquainted
ith Kingfisher Williams, be ye?"
In less than an hour the little town
wns practically depopulated of men, all
but the cashier of the local bank and a
few bar-teuders having gone on the
warpath to catch nnd hang Kingfisher
Williams for the murder of Mr. Meeks.
The stranger did not accompany theni,
his horse being blown and himself not
being anxious to meet Mr. Williams.
However, It made no difference, m ev
ery one knew the ford which tht
stranger said was the scene of the
tragedy.
Thus, nearly every one being gone
southward to mete out Justice to the
alleged murderer of Sir. Sleeks, It was
really child's play for that gentleman
and Sir. Williams, emerging from their
hiding-place in the hills Just north of
the town, and Joining the stranger who
had brought the news, to loot the bank,
three stores, the hotel, and every saloon
In the place, and to get safely away on
fresh horses at least three hours before
the pursuit could be organized.
And that Is why every officer whose
business takes him into Buffalo Horn
and neighboring towns Is looked upon
with suspicion until his credentials are
approved. Lester Ketchum, In the Saq
Francisco Argonaut.
WILLIE AND TAD LINCOLN.
The Two Sons of the Great President
and Their Natures.
Julia Taft Bayne contributes an ar
ticle to St. Nicholas on "Willie and Tad
Lincoln." Who were nlnvmntea nf hpr
brother during the time that they lived
In the White House. Sirs. Bayne says:
Willie Lincoln was the most lovable
boy I ever know sensible, sweet-tempered,
and gentle-mannered. He was
rather fair, with blue-gray eyes, while
lad had quick, dark eyes, and a fiery
temper. Though very affectionate
when he chose, Tad was unyielding In
nis dislikes. His peculiar defect of
speech made It difficult for strangers
to understand him, but those who saw
him every day had no difficulty.
The two Lincoln boys were then a
little over 10 and 8 years of age, my
two brothers being a year or two older.
The elder, Horatio, or "Budd," as he
was always called, was fair, like Willie
Lincoln, while Hally was dark. This
resemblance of the two pairs of boys
was often remarked upon.
Willie nnd Tad were two healthy,
rollicking Western boys who had never
been accustomed to restraint. The no
tice which their father's exalted station
brought upon them was at times dis
tasteful. Willie once said: "Wasn't
there ever a President who had chil
dren before? I wish they wouldn't
stare at us so!"
The first time they went to church
with us, Willie said: "Will he pray
for us, do you think? Preachers al
ways pray so long for Pa." Dr. Smith
did pray for them, as he recognized
them In our pew. Willie's cheeks grew
very red, but Tad was sitting on he
floor of the pew, and heeded not He
was so uneasy that he always sat on
the floor a good part of the service,
drawing pictures, and amusing him
self with whatever he could flud in his
pockets.
On another Sunday, when he was un
usually restless, a young officer friend
of ours gave him a knife, which he
thought Tad would not open, but he
did, and cut his finger, and I had to do
It up in hiy best embroidered handker
chief. On this occasion I was goaded to say:
"I'll never take you to church again.
Thomns Lincoln!" he hated of all
things to be called Thomas "I just suf
fer agonies an the time!" "Well," said
Tad, "wasn't Willie sitting up there,
good as pie, and you poked me with
you toe?"
Election or United States Senators.
In his paper on "This Country of
Ours" in the Ladies Home Journal ex
Presldent Harrison writes of Congress,
and tells how United States Senators
are elected. "The law of 180C," he
says, "provides that the Legislature
chosen next before the expiration of
the terra of a Senator shall choose his
successor, and that it shall proceed to
do so on the second Tuesday after it as
sembles. On that day each House of
the Legislature must vote separately,
viva voce, for a Senator, and enter the
result on its Journal; the two Houses
must at 12 m. the next day meet In
Joint session, nnd If It nppears that the
same person has received a majority
of the votes In each House he Is de
clared elected; if there has been no elec
tion the Joint assembly must take a
vote, and If any one receives a ma
jority of the votes a majority of all
the members elected to both Houses
being present and voting he Is to be
declared elected. If there Is no elec
tion the Joint assembly proceeds with
the balloting, and must meet every
day at 12 m., and take at least one bal
lot each day until a Senator is elected.
The Governor of the State is requed
to certify the election under the seal
of the State, to the President of the
Senate, the certificate to be counter
signed by the Secretary of State of the
State."
Expenses of the White Home,
Congress appropriates between $40,
000 and $50,000 annually for the cur
rent expenses of the Executive Man
sion to meet clerk hire. Including that
of the President's private secretary,
which is $5,000 a year; stenographer!
tyiewr!ters, telegraph operators, mes
sengers, doorkeepers, a steward, and
housekeeper, and light and heat
OnlyThsT
Old Gentleman (to railway porter)
Torter, the rain Is dripping in from the
lamphole all over my trousers.
Forter (reassuringly) No, iir, jf,
quite water-tight, I assure you. It's
only the oil leaking a bit-Household
Words.
Whenever two women get together,
and there la a man In an adjoining
room, they soon begin to whisper.
EAPiLY DAYS OF OIL.
BEGINNING OF PETROLEUM
DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Growth nnd Collapse of the Tremen
dous Boom that Followed One Resi
dent Who Objected to the Greenish
Bcutn and Left for Canada.
The First Strike.
The story of the discovery of oil In
PeilllKvlvnnln nnrl the Rtlrrlnn' Inci
dents connected therewith is an Inter
esting chapter in the
country, with which
our readers are un
doubtedly familiar.
But there are many
facts of Interest
prior to the boring
of the wells that are
known to but few.
It Is related of a
fltspnnriifri.il Tttnimni.
COL. UltAKE.
resident, of what afterward became fa
mous as the Oil Prnek reMnns tlmt liU
Interest was sufficiently a wakened by
reports, wnicn reached him In some
Way. of ljuaaiulv rich (ienoslts nf rim I
oil across the Canadian border, to
cause him to leave Oil Creek and repair
to Canada. One of the objectionable
features of the farm he left, according
to the story, was the oozing of a green
ish scum to the surface of the streams,
so much that at the point where his
horses nnd cattle drank it was neces
sary to construct a surface dam, In or
der that the animals might drink with
out being compelled to dip through the
noxious deposit floating on the surface
of the water. This fionting substance
was of an oily nature and long had
been used In the war paints, rites and
medicines of the Indians of the region,
from whom It derived Its name Sene
ca oil. No thought, however, of the Im
mensity of the supply of the multiplied
uses to which It might be put was en
tertained by any one. The oily wealth
the restless settler sought In Canada
failed to materialize at that time.
Meanwhile, In the form of the despis
ed scum oozing from the old Oil Creek
farm he had deserted, It was making
the effort nature afforded to force upon
the world more fitting recognition of
the volume nnd value of It stored In the
hidden natural reservoirs from which
It enme. This oil found its way to the
surface at various points along the
creek flats, notably In the vicinity of
A TYPICAL OIL TOWN
the lumber mill of Brewer, Watson &
Co., perhaps a mile south of Tltusvllle.
Eventually a high value wns put upon
It for medicinal purposes, and the gath
ering of It principally by the process
of soaking It from the water with blan
ketsbecame quite a profitable busi
ness. It also had a limited use as a lu
bricant, nnd a more limited use as an
lllumlnnnt In Its crude stnte.
In the days Just prior to the discov
ery of oil the Oil Creek valley, from
Tltusvllle southward to the Alleghany
River, or to the present site of Oil City,
a distance of about twenty miles, was
practically uninhabited. Titusvllle was
a little lumbering village. It was not
until 1857 that It was believed that oil
existed In sufficient quantities for com
mercal purposes, nnd in thnt year
drilling through rock was begun at Tl
tusvllle under the direction of Col. Ed
win L. Drake, who had been a railroad
contractor at New Haven, Conn. His
salary wns to be $1,000 a year and the
compnny had provided him with $1,000
with which to begin the work of sink
ing a well. The little village afforded
but few of the necessary equipments
for the work, and the funds were soon
exhausted. The company, losing faith
In the enterprise and becoming Indiffer
ent, failed to advance Col. Drake more
money. It was then the tatter's trou
bles began. The drillers he had engag
ed failed to appear. This was due In
part to the report spread over the re
gions that Drake was crazy In believ
ing that oil would be found by drilling
Into the rock. But his faith on this
point was unshaken, after his study of
the salt wells and other investigations
of Insanity, only served to intensify bis
determination to demonstrate that the
theory wns correct It was not until
the middle of June, 1850, that he was
able to proceed with the well, and then
only from outside assistance.
The First Completed Well.
On Saturday, August 28, 1S50, the
drill at the shallow depth of 00V4 feet,
bout 85 feet In the rock, dropped Into
a crevice ns the day's work was beD.
finished, nnd the tools were pulled out
until Slonday morning. The followin,
day, Sunday, the senior driller, "Unci
Billy" Smith, strolled down to the wej
and saw what seemed to be oil within
a few feet of the top. He dipped an
Improvised bailer Into the well and t
came up filled with petroleum. Tlitjj
was the first oil well conceived and
completed. It was not the first arte
sion well in which oil was found, hut It
was the first well sunk for oil.
The period In which the lilgh-tijj
mnrk was renched In the regions, In tht
volume of business, in interest nnd
population, wns in the six years fol
lowing Col. Drake's strike. The ell
max of that period found 100,000 peo
pie In the regions which had been prac
tically a wilderness but a few yean
before. Though the striking of the
Drake well caused feverish excitement
at once, an Immediate Influx of people
to the regions and sent skyward the
vnlue of lands along the creek, there
was a bar to the boom In the limited
means for storing and marketing the
product. Within three years the sup
ply so much exceeded the demand that
the price dropped from CO cents a gal
lon to 10 cents n bnrrnl. There wcrc
three big wells nt this neriod whinh
nveraged 2,500 or 3,000 barrels a day,
nnd several hundred small ones. For
lack of storage nnd shipping facilities
a great quantity of oil wns wasted. In
18G2 a small lake of petroleum was
kept between the big Fountain and
Empire wells and many a boatload
was procured at 10 cents a barrel. In
the years 18(34 and '05 the boom reach
ed Its climax and then began Its rapid
decline.
The Polar Snow Cap of Mars.
We have received the following Infor
mation from America: "A telegram re
ceived at Harvard Observatory on Jan.
11 from Lowell Observatory, now locat.
ed near the City of Mexico, says that a
rift has been observed since Jan. 7 In
the north polar cap of Mars In longitude
40." This "rift" Is probably similar to
those observed nt the opposition of
1894, In the southern cap. Prof. W. H.
Pickering, with a six-Inch telescope,
found one In May 22, crossing the cap
from longitude 330 to 170. This grew
considerable In size, measurements
made on June 0 and 15 Indicating a
width of 100 and 350 miles respective
ly. Sir. Douglass also during the same
month, June 10, detected a second nnd
third rift, the latter running from longi
tude 1(0 to 90. The sequence of phe-
IN THE EARLY SIXTIES
nomena observed sems to indicatethat
they are due to the lower levels at the
poles being uncovered; in this way, as
the snow melts, the bare ground is ex
posed, appearing dark in contrast to
the snow still lying on the more elevat
ed heights. Their broadening Is then
a nntural result of the departing enow,
and Indicates that the polar cap Is at
that time In a far advanced state of dis
integration. Nature.
No Big Men.
A man from the mountains of East
Tennessee was In Washington recent
ly and visited the cnpltol. He met
Congressman-elect Brownlow of the
First District, who knows every man In
Tennessee and calls them by their given
names.
"Well, John," asked the statesman,
"what do you think of Washington?"
"Waal, Walt," replied the f ennesse
an, " 'tween yo' an' me, I'm sorter dis
appointed. I've bin layln' out ter cum
ter Washington fer thirty-odd y'ar. I've
heard thet all th' big men o' th' United
States was hyar. I done snrched higa
an' low all day fer 'em. an' I dldu't see
none. The feller on th' bench, th' Jedge,
I reckon, he be, In one o' them two co't
rooms up thar is mlddllu' hefty, but ole
Abe Thompson thet runs the saloon In
Bristol 'd made two o' him, 'ith enough
trlmmln's lef over ter make two or
three boys. Ther may be big men hyar,
but I kain't fln' 'em." Washlugton
Star.
One-Cent Newspapers.
There are now $8,000,000 worth of
one-cent pieces In circulation, and the
call upon the mint is still for more. Not
all these cents are wanted for the plate
collection. It Is one-cent Journalism
more than anything else which keeps
the wheels turning in the mint as In tbs
marts of trade. rhlladedlphla Record.
When a woman complains a good
deal of cold feet It Is a sign tht la an
old maid.
u
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