The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-03-24
New Discoveries of Oil.

"A Speclal correspondent oil the New
York World, writing from Bradford,
Mexican county, Pa, says: The recent
discovery of petroleum as far north as
this town, in opposition to the stubborn
ly maintained theory of geologists and
experts, has been followed by an ex-
citement exceeding that ofthe early days
of petroleum discovery in this state.
Mexican county borders on the counties
of Alleghany and Cattaraugus in New
York state, and lies northeast of the
great original oil territory. That por-
ton of it in which the new oil belt has
been pierced lies in the valley of the
Tunungwant creek, tributary of the
Allegheny river. 1t is about two miles
wide and extends northeasterly into
Cattaraugus county, and the indications
are that it continues as far as Cuba, in
Allegany county, then follows the Allie
gheny valley for miles westward. The
'Tuna" valley, as they call it, has now
nearly four hundred producing wells,
and hundreds of wells are in course of
drilling. Geologists have always insisted
that the strata of oil-bearing sand rock
could not be found in New York State,
but that theory has most effective ref
utatiOn in tho fact that at Limestone,
Cattaraugus county, the richest of veins
have been ''strucl.'
Fourteen years ago Job Moses, who
had made n fortune in patent medicines,
came from Rochester into the valley,
and after prospecting along its streams
became satisfied that they flowed
through rich oil district. lie settled
at Limestone, and obtaining control OF
large tracts of land, put down several
wells. lie found indications ofoil, but
no oil. In spite of the dcriSion of his
neighbors, and the positive declaration
of geologists and experts that he was
wasting his money, he continued his
tests until his means were exhausted
His great faith in the existence of oil in
the region, however, had induced other
capitalists to investigate, and two years
ago the "sand" was found, and oil
flowed in abundance. Within the past
sixteen months not less than SIC, 100000
have been invested within Il circuit OF
twenty miles. Land that two years ago
would have been dear at any price now
sell at 81 900 all acre. Within dis.
tance of four miles three fiourishins
towns have sprung into existence, and
the town of Bradford, formerly consist.
ing of lumberman's tavern and few
scattered iarmhouses, now has $500 in.
habitants.
,, 1t Isl singular fact that while the early
operator in the Bradford region could
not strike anything but "dry holes,
the present drilling is followed by the
reverse, Ont of the hundreds of wells
put down not half dozen have proved
failures. AT Olean and other points il
CattaMugus county, and as far into AL
legany as Cuba, wells are being sunk
The oil of the Bradford district is founC
at greater depth than in the old region
Some wells are as deep rs 400 feet
but the average depth is l,lO0. The
"second sand" of Bradford is the third
or oil-bearing sand, of the lower dis
lricls. Wells that were drilled by tho
first operators in the valley to the dsptl
of The "holes" in the original territory
and then abandoned. have been drilled
deeper and the oil-rock found. Another
peculiarity of the Bradford wells is iha
none of them Gre what thay call large
producing, the average being about lei
barrels day. This fact, instead of be
ing detrimcnl. rs the people in th,
lower regions affirm, is claimed To be al
advantage by the Bradford operators
,, They argue thai the territory being larg
T. and the we'll, small the danger of OK
/, , hausiinn is much less than il is in tn
lower territory. where the oil areas ar
small and the wells large producers.
. While much of the land in this vale,
= has been purchased outright by operat
!, ors, a majority of the wells are drille,
+ OH leased lands, paying n royalty to tn
owners.
1 There arc three pipe lines oonnectin
c the wells with the Erie railway at Ole
u an, thirteen miles distant. A line is ais
/ TO be constructed to sixty mics distant
i A branch of the Erie railway runs tn
d entire length of the oil Ill .rict. froi
/ Carrollton, n. Y. The business on thi
v branch was few months since 80 800
i month; il is now $4,000. Capital
e still pouring into the valley, and ever
}, available piece of ground Is seized upo
@ ut once. The very looryards are invade
n by the derrick and drill.
i The most noticeable case of sudde
a wealth Is that of an lrishman name
l. Mike Mccarthy, who until recently wa
!, a switch tender In the employ of I'll
{, Erie railway, at Salamanca, and is @,
Al trcmely Incorporate. His father, wi
n owned sixty acres of land at Limestone
e died few years ago and left the Carr
TO Mike. TO pay the taxes on the pro-
d eriy was ilore than Mike could do, an
a il could have been purchased at almo
d, any price, Two years ago lie was ofiere
4 81 800, when the oil fever was in its y
cipient stage, and Mikes wife shrewd
n would not lei hor husband sell. lie
of now selling Il off at ~ 900 an acre, m