A SCEYNE IN OYLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 27 July 1907, Page 4

A SCEYNE IN OYLES.

(Contributed). Nowo ytfce came to passe on ye enthe yeare of ye greate Kynge, even Seton, he who set on everye one who opposed himme, thatte uertaue wise liienae who dwelled in ye citie of ye tloldcn Cowe received information thatte much bitumen ond othere vcrie valuable oyle obtayned within ye l>oweis of ourc mothere earthe, which atte eertayne reasons didde ex* liude from y« soile and greatelve contaminated ye welles and streames. Wherefore ye said wise meiine formed themselves into a eome-pennye and caused great engines to be huilded thatie ve oyles and bitumens might be obtayned bye muehe diggynge. Also they caused 1 great buildings of wood toe be erected, ■yclept derryckcs, and appoynted certain of themselves as derryektors toe see toe ye workinge of ye. ssuue and oblayncd menne, yclept experts, toe hiboure there in. And aftvr mannye dayes and ye

spendynge of gieat. monies ye greate pitte whyche ye experts kulde dugge blewe uppe withe a loude noyse and muehe mudde and bitumen and othere

mattere was rayned unoji

; ye heads of ye experts, untiile they wore forced to make greate ablutions before they were aMe toe eoine againe intoe ye presence of their fellowes onne accounle ol tlieire greai stynke. Nowe came, one of ye expoites. yclept CVrlo. intoc; ye presence of ye ('icrrycktors ynno a great doinge, sayirg, Lo! I have nowe obtavned ye oyle whyehe 1 heretofore promised toe obtavne and .1111 a greate 111, time of mv wored; therefo.e now let us eorkc uppe 'liys effluxion 1111tille we liave dugge more pittes and have much oyle. Also let us make 0111selves into a large eomp-pennye thatte ye value of our shares whyehe we hold maye b<* increased and thatte there maye be more ooftish from ye diggynge of ye pittes. Wherefore ye derrycktors, having comnmnde amongst themselves, and having great faythc in thys expevte and in hys great knowledge of ye subterranean streames wherein yc bitumen and oyle was found, and that ytte seemed goode to them Matte ye shares whyelie they hadde shoulde beeome of greate value, decided to doe as he hadde sayde. Therefore diddo tliey send criers into yc market place, who' cried with a loud voice, "That, seeing thatte they hadde nowe obtayned a greate pitte of thys bitumen wliyeli was of inestimable value, therefore, and of their great bountye ami singleness of hearte they would * cutte their shares intoc mannye parts so thatte ye eommonaylitie might buye aline interest for themselves attc a small price and would appoint brokers, menne of greate probytie and too whom a lye, was unknown, toe receive ye moiineyes wherebye all raenue might become riche alsoe bye becoming with them sellers of ye bitumen and oyle. Tlienne didde alle ye people gathers uppe ye. peunyes whyehe they hadde, and even some they hadde nottc, and ramie toe ye honeste menne and restrayned them thatte they shoulde not unwiselye give too muche, and coulde notte, for all craved to become ricl'e alte soc little paynes. Therefore ye price thatte yc rublic didde biddo was shortly verrye greate so thatte certayne of those who solde mayde greate luonnaye. Now ytte sot happened that a certayne knowinge nianne, yclept ''Sandye,' beganne to consider of these Ihvrges, and lie sayde untoe hiniselfe, Why is ytte thatte ye wise menne, having a pitte wherein is so mueh bitumen, doe cork ytte uppe w.vth soe greate care and do notte selle ytte, thcrchve

makingc muche oottish and alsoe kee'pnge their shares. And ye tliynge had a great odoure to ye same Sandye ot rattes which have died. Therefore didde ye same knowinge luanne take council and didde see thatte ye safe lnanne was he who acted as brokere hetwecne ye wise menne end ye public. Therefore he caused hys name toe be placed amongst ye honest menne who broke and i<„- manny dayes did doe. muche business and grea'e pleasure to hymself. Vette yttc came to passe thatte b'ye-and-

bye some of ye common peujie were, aware of a slight odoure of decaylnge I'odcntcs. wherefore thcye alsoe began toe say, ''Surely these goode menne have altogether denuded themselves thatte we might become ryche. Whyelie seems notte altogether toe be believed; therefore these made enquirye ammongslo themselves and ye odoure began to arise withe still greater force so- thatte niannye endeavoured toe sell ye shares whyelie

•lieye haddo bought npto ye wise menne 'gain, saving, "Deare friends we would lotte in nnye wave defraude you of

latte whyeh ye have soe well earned, herefore give us our pennies whyelie we

have disbursed for shares and have all ye just reward of your labours." Where upon, hoewver. didile ye wise menni turn their faces from ye public and diddi liyile their teares of joye and ditlde raisi their thumbes and toes untoo their nose; in token of sorrowc lhat tliey could no (lo_ still more good things and diddo say "Naye, botlvevs, thys we cannot d<>», foj nowe thatte by our great kyndness yi have a shave innc alio thys great wealth we eouhl notte with annye decenevi again deprive you of ytte." And, thougl 'tis sadde to telle, one was heard toi sae, ''Darn their decem-ye." Thus yt public haddc to ilepnrtc with as muck satisfaction as myghte be. Nowe attc thys tyme alsoc diddo it oecurre toe otheres thatte they should become deiryctors alsoo, and therefore didde they r orin syndicates and obtayne lanile for i.vle pittes and didde sende afar and ;ettc expertes an haddc greate onginos nayde. lint bye reasons thatte theyc vished notte to spcnde alle their own leiiuyes in makyiige ve greate pittej, hercfore didde they form lnannie comeicnnyes and did investe their moneyed nd with greate success, for they didde iscover places where ye bitumen liadde. isen from ye bowels of ye niotliere arthc, and alsoc where there might be onnde great issues of a certayne air or i-ynd, yclpt "gasse," ye whyche didde mrst iutoe llame If fire were lielde heretoe, and didde cause tea partyes oe be UcliU l upon ye ground wherefrom ■e gasse didde issue, and vessels of ymie toe be boyled thereon thatte alle ou wished myghte. drink of ye waterc ihvche had been heated bye ye gasse. md alle thys tynic didde arise mutiny ie erie wroiigiiillo fumouros of dcfunctc attes so thatte atte yo last ytte myght ,'ell be undcrstoode thatte alle ye lande •■as full of deade 'uus, Even was ytte aydo thatte vessels uf oyle liadde been onvevede privily from ye first greate itte, where no doubte some oyle w'as, ml haddc been founde agavne toe ye povling of ye unwary, untitle noe lanne could knowe wliat to believe bntte hatte ye whole aire was greatly tilled I'itli gassc. Nowe those wise incline vho atte ye first hudde obtayned ye ;rcaWoyle pitte wliyche tlicy liadde ■orked ujipe, continued diligently toe liggc more pittes, still pcrmittinge of hevre greate goodnesse, people from far came toe buyc shares ill yo greate inclertiikynge and issuiuge from tyme oc, tyme suche reports as they liiyglite hink (lite, but keepvnge ye cork in ye rst pit with great care. Yet, on ocasions, as 011 ye advent of annye dysinguished strangere, especially if ytte lyglit be thatte lie should prove worthie o lie permitted to huye shares, didde e derrvetors and expertes with greate arc partially remove ye corke, therehye ettynge some little oyle come into a mall vessel, toe ye greate jnyo of those vhn were privileged to see ytte and toe e scllynge of liiannye shares. ]!uttc iow on ail hauies didje arise a great lainonre thatte ye corke should he taken ut altogether from ye mouth of ye pitte hatte alle myght sec ye great llowe of >yle of wliyche ye derrvetors haddc poken. Alsoe atte thys tyme diddo ye oldercs of shares arise and saye thatte here should be newe derrvetors, soe liatto after much mumuiringe and burnnge of hearts eertayne new derryctors "ere elected, and they, findynge thatte 'tie became even more difficult toe keepc c corke ynne ye great pitte bye reason ' y- great quantity of gasse, didde deide too take outtc ye eorkc altogether line ye presence of ve lioldcrcs of shares, rhercon there was greate joye and much mying of shares whereby ye hearts of ■e honest menne who broke were grcntly ejoiced, and these diilde continue their icnccfullc wave teaching ye common peo>le how ihoy myght make greate forlilies with gasse. Butte mannye of hose who had sold thcii' shares gotte old upon tlicsr stomaehe for fcare thatte hey hudde, through fimke or disbeliefe, nst ye greate fortune of whyer ye goode ivokeres had told t.hcm, wherefore manive of them didde run and didde buy noro shares, givynge greate sunnnes to t huge content of ye honest brokers, \nd omie ye setle daye enme alle ye lerrvctors and expertes and brokercs .ml common people and didde stande alle I'outle ye greate pitte, whvche hadde leen called ye blowere 011 accounte of "e noise of gasse ivhychc was about 'tie, and ye cliiefe of ye derrvetors didde nake a settc specehe and'didde then lirecte thatte ye corke should be reuoved, though feeling hymnelfe sornevhat fearfulle thnlte by reason of hys ■reate office he shoiilde staiide somewhat

■ 'too close toe ye mouth of ye pitte toe be altogether healthy. 'J'henae dldde alio ye people notice a greate rumbling and roaring and thereon great quantltyes of ga-se ddde rush throughc ye pypes whyche hadde been provided and alsu came much oyle and bitumen thatte ye hearten of ye holders of shares didde rejoice. Butte even as they stoode a greate burst of oyle and gass didde come and overcame ye pipes soe thntte alle flede, vett.e even soe manure of ye devryi'lors and those who were alle hamie did become monuments toe their own laboures became coated with bitumen and oyle from head to foote thatte tliey stankD. And atte ye last ye ex pertes did stayc ye oyle and all menu.returned toe tbeyre homes in great glee, saving only (hose who had aforetime loudly jeered alte ye '•Oylemenne and flasseres." And lioivai'lere ye lande was covered with dcrdycks and derryetors and there was joye in ye lande.—live Cartouche.