The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-31
The Oil Territory of ,oanaA West.
From The Le,siston Jo.,na,.

f4H 9 l. WV wy AcUsoeO~ oVuyHUtl
n- This time, as l have promised 10 do, i will
speak specially of Boutwell,, stating what /
saw OF snouSht l saw during my recent visit
TO the Canada oil regions. q i.r ,aIaliii d
bothWell Is now a village of several thou
cand inhabitants, some say four, and aspires
to big things in the immediate future IL IA
at present both the productive and CONNER
clal oil. centre of Canada West. Whatever
may be the future productive developments
It Is probable that it viii always continue to
be the commercial centre. IA, an n. -.
several oil wells are going down in the
immediate vicinity of Boutwell,. and one. the
Scotch Companys No, 15, lis doing very good
business in the way of pumping oil but most
OF the wells are scattered along either bank
of the Thames river, which is two miles from
Bothwell. 1t will, however, require circle
OF with diameter of about five miles to in
clude all the good pumping wells. Yet near
y all OF them are near the, Thames, and are
found, as general thing, in elusterss though
there Is scarcely farm for five miles along
the river which has not one or more wells To-
Gated upon it. a.,t l... f'-..,.,,.- -, 81, =.
The total number of wells down or qeing
down in the vicinity of Boutwell, cannot be
far from 800. Of these some thirty or forty
are pumping successfully; visited at least
20 wells which are at work and doing a fair
business. Of the thirty or forty wells pump
lng, certainly eight OF them are worth s40-
600 each and upwards. They are the Prince,
Lester, Pope, Mellen, Forest City, Oseood'
badger and Michigan. Perhaps | should in
ciude the Pepper, as she has revived wonder
mlly OF late. There are Eve old wells which
have pumped $4,000 worth Of oil each and
upward, at present prices, the Chambers. Vie
toria, Pepper, Lick and Old Scotch -C0mpany's.
They are all still successfully at work OF the
wells that have gone down 70 the depth that
a4f. n n
safe in saying that not more than a dozen
have failed TO secure Il In paying quantities.
OF the four wells that have gone down enD
feet, two are good wells, the Mlchican and the
Maple Leaf. The other two, the Chicaao AMI
the Empire, are now in the hands of Penn
sylyanians who are very connden: that they
win, with large pumps. rlcoced m exhansfinz
the water and making good wells of them.
No well, therefore. can bS called A f.ilrrra
for the want of Oh, until il has gone down to
the depth Of the deepest pu1uping weh A
yet the deepest well Is 4 good one: whiL. n
remains 10 be seen whether oil nav not h. tb.
tained at depth much greater stil.
But wells prvve failures Cor oGher causes
than lack OF OIL Crooked holc.. angular
ho'es, Peor tubing, caying IN of IN rock. great
now OF water and loss OF tools may earh ru-
IN well. fet think myself sale in saying
Thai, no well has heen permanently abandon
Cd, while operations have been temporarily
suspended upon perhaps half a DOZEN. 80
TAR as Developments have gone al ltothSeii,
they do not Justify me In saying that more
| than one well out OF fur. upon the present
tested territory, viii prove a faiiure-vih iail
| TO make good returns.
1 This. then, Is the result Of my observation:
| one well out Of four failure, two wells our OF
Fouy melium. one weii out Of four large. And
there Is no spot about DothEell where well
can' be su.ak 10 the depth of 400 idet without
an,gino OH In some quantity.
Now As 70 the product OF the wells con-
cludc that the daily average OF the weiis now
humping is about 20 barrels each. What Is
| called 100 barrel welkyill average. about 80
barrels, and 10 barrelWell win average about
s. The habit prevails, when speaking Of
well, of giving only its tested capacity at some
particular time, making no allowance for ac
cidents and variation in the flow Of oil. Thus
| an erroneous opinion gets abroad as to the
actual amount of oil obtained.
The following figures 1 have from gentle
| man who claims to be posted, and certainly
1 has had the opportunity and occasion to learn
| the facts. During the months OF November
and December last, there were shipped from
Boutwell, 5000 barrels of oil; in January be-
| tween 1000 and 5000 barrels; in February
between 1000 and 5000 barrels; while since
December, from 5000 to 10000 barrels have
been stored. -- ILL., -I.,...... --, D. .
During the winter, oil sold as high as S12
in gold at the tanks, the refiners furnishing
the barrels. 1t is now selling at from So to