The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-09
The First Oil Works.

struck was on the McElhenny or Funk
farm, and was known as the Funk we'll.
Funk was O poor man when the well
was sunk. Oil was struck in june. 1861,
and commenced flowing, to the as
tonishment of all the oil borers in the
neighborhood, at the rate of $50 barrels
a day. Such a prodigious supply of
grease upset all calculations, but it was
confidently predicted that the flow
would soon cease. 1t was "Oil creek
humbug," and those who had no direct
interest in the prosperity of the well
looked day after day to see the stream
stop. But like the old woman who sat
down by the river side to let the water
run out, that she might cross dryshod,
they waited in vain. The oil continued
flowing, with little variation, for fifteen
months, and then stopped; but not be-
fore Funk had become rich man.
The we'll, however, had long before
ceased to be wonder, being quite over
shadowed by newer sensations. On the
Tarr farm, the Phillips well burst forth
with a steady stream of 1900 barrels
daily. Not to be overdone by the terri
tory down the creek, the McElhenny
farm produced another marvel. The
empire" we'll, close to the Funk,
suddenly spouted four thousand barrels
a dayl The owners were bewildered.
1t was decidedly too much of good
thing. The true value of petroleum
had not yet been discovered, and the
market for it was limited. Foreigners
would have nothing to do with the
greasy, combustible stuff. Our own
people were divided in opinion. Sore
thought it dangerous thing, to be
handled at arm's-length, while others
set it down as humbug, of which the
community should keep as shy as possi-
BILE. The supply was already in advance
of the demand, and the sudden addition
OF four thousand barrels day demor-
allied the market. The price fell to
twenty cents barrel, then to fifteen,
then to ten. Coopers would sell barrels
for cash only, and refused to take their
pay in oil, or in drafts on oil shipments.
Finally it became impossible to obtain
barrels on any terms, for all the coopers
in the surrounding country could not
make barrels as fast as the Empire could
fill them. The owners were in despair
and tried to choke off their confounded
well, but it would not be choked off.
Then they built dam around it, and
covered the soil with grease but the oil
refused to be damned, and rushed into
the stream, making Oil Greek literally
worthy it's name. Finally means were
found for controlling the flow of the oil,
huge tanks were built, and the precious
fluid stored up, until barrels could be
obtained in sufficient quantities to hold
the daily yield of this tremendous foun-
tain of petroleum. The "Empire
flowed for nearly q year, and then
dropped to a pumping, well ri"iai-e
about ono hundred barrels uay. .,,o
next great flowing WE'LL ~%asn Vas put %s down @
in the year 1862. 1t was sunk under
great difficulties. J. W. Sherman, who
was the original owner, commenced
next above the McElhenny, with limit
ed means, his wife furnishing most of
the money. Soon it became necessary
to procure an engine, and there was no
money to make the purchase; two men
who were i'll possession of the desired
article were thereupon admitted to
share for the engine. Soon after, when
the drill had almost penetrated the
" third sandstone" the funds were ex-
hausted. A sixteenth interest was offer
ed for 800, but no buyer could be
found. Ultimately it was sold for $50
and an old shot gun. A horse became
necessary during the work, and share
was bargained for the animal. at last,
when all the means that could be raised
by borrowing or selling were about ex-
hausted, oil was struck, and flowed at
the rate of 1,500 barrels day. The
flow continued at this rate for several
when it declined to 700 bar
rels. The we'll continued flowing for
twenty three months, and then stopped,
but yielded thirty or forty barrels
day by pumping. For the first year,
the proprietors made but little, owing to
the low price of oil, and the difficulty of
getting it to market, but during the
second Jear the market improved and
an imm ense fortune was made.