elds of South Africa. Never in the wildest
days of the gold excitement in California was money more rapidly
accumulated or squandered than in the oil regions of Pennsylvania.

Johnny Steele fell heir to all the lands of Dr. McClintock. Wealth
rolled in upon him; he entered upon a career of extravagance. He spent
thousands of dollars daily, he literally cast money to the winds. His
notoriety spread to the furthermost limits of the country; the daily
papers, the weeklies, the monthlies printed exaggerated accounts of his
profligacy.

Skiff and Gaylord's Minstrels crossed the path of "Coal Oil Johnny," as
Steele had been dubbed. Lew Gaylord made a great ado over the
spendthrift. Steele accompanied the minstrels for a few days; their
pathway was one wide streak of hilarity. When hotel men complained of
the boisterous behavior of Steele the coal oil spendthrift bought the
hotel for their stay.

"Coal Oil Johnny" was the sensation of the day. He bought the minstrel
boys hats, coats, shoes, trunks and that most coveted minstrel
decoration, a diamond.

The minstrels flourished for a few months. The public rebuked the
unenviable notoriety of "Coal Oil Johnny." The minstrels steadily
declined. "Coal Oil Johnny" went down with them. His money gone, he was
made treasurer of the troupe his prodigality had ruined. When the ending
came there was none so poor as he. Hotels where he had spent thousands,
refused him even a night's lodging. He went back to the farm; the acres
he had cultivated were covered with oil derricks; the friends he knew
had departed; he was almost a stranger save for the notoriety he had
acquired. Unabashed he seemed to take a pride in the spendthrift race he
had run. He drove a baggage wagon; afterwards he became the baggage
master at the depot in Rouseville.

* * * * *

There never was a full rehearsal of the minstrels ere they embarked for
Parker's Landing on the good boat "Jim Rees." There was no railroad to
the oil regions from Pittsburgh in those days. The Allegheny River was
navigable to Venango, opposite the present Oil City.

Two members of the minstrels, song and dance men, took a dislike to
Alfred. Others soon became intimate with him, they enjoyed his humorous
narratives, particularly his experiences with Node Beckley and the
panorama. The two members mentioned exhausted the new boy's patience and
he invited both to fistic combat. His challenges were laughed at; t