Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-03-10
NEW DISCOVERIES OF OIL.
GreRt Excitement In Mexican County, Penn.
syivanin...Capital Flowing In aud PctrO.
leum Out...LandOwners Getting Rich.

syivnnin. ..C Capital Flowing In aud Pctr0.
leum Out...LandOwners Getting Rich.
A special correspondent Of 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 excite
ment exceeding that of the early days of
petroleum discovery in this State. Nc
Kean county borders on the counties of
Allegany and Cattaraugus in New York
State, and lies northeast of the great
original oil territory. That portion of it
in which the new oil belt has been
pierced lies in the valley of tho lunung-
want creek, a tributary of the Allegheny
river. 1t is about two miles wide and
extends northeasterly into Cattaraugus
county, and the indications are that it
continues rs far as Cuba, in Allegany
county, then follows the Allegheny val
ley for miles westward. The "Tuua
valley, as they call it, has now nearly
four hundred producing wells, and hun
dreds of wells are in course of drilling.
Biologists have always insisted that the
strata of oil-bearing sand rock could not
be found in New York State, but that
theory has a most effective refutation in
the fact that at Limestone, Cattaraugus
county, the richest of veins have been
"struck."
Fourteen years ago Job Moses, who
had made q fortune in patent medicines,
came from Rochester into the valley,
and after prospecting along it's streams
became satisfied that they flowed through
rich oil district. He settled at Lime
stone, and obtaining control of large
tracts OF land, put down several wells.
He found indications OF oil, but no oil.
In spite of the derision of his neigh
bors, and the positive declarations OF
geologists and experts that he was vast
ing 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 capi-
talists tc investigate, and two years ago
the "sard" was found, and oil flowed in
abundance. Within the past sixteen
months not less than $40, 600 have
been invested within circuit of twenty
miles. Land that two years ago would
have been dear at any price now sells at
81, 900 an acre. Within a distance of
four miles three fourishing towns have
sprung into existence, and the town Of
Bradford, formerly consisting Of n lum-
berman's tavern and few scattered
farmhouses, now has $500 inhabitants.
It is 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. Out of the hundreds of
wells put down not half dozen have
proved failures. At Olean and other
points in Cattaraugus county, and as far
into Allegany as Cuba, wells are being
sunk. The oil of the Bradford district
is found at greater depth than i'll the
old region. Some wells are rs deep as
l, 400 feet, but the average depth is !, 100.
The "second sand of Bradford is the
third, or oil-bearing sand, of the lower
districts. Wells that were drilled by
the first operators i'll the valley to the
depth of the ''holes in the original ter
ritory, and then abandoned, have been
drilled deeper and the oil-rock found.
Another peculiarly of the Bradford wells
is that none of them are what they call
large producing, the average being about
ten barrels day. This fact, instead of
being detriment, as the people in the
lower regions affirm, is claimed to be an
advantage by the Bradford operators.
They argue that the territory being large
and the wells small the danger of ex-
haustion is much less than it is in the
lower territory, where the oil areas are
small and the wells large producers.
While much of the land in this valley
has been purchased outright by operat-
ors, majority of the wells are drilled
on leased lands, paying royalty to the
owners.
There are three pipe lines conn Getting
the wells with the Erie railway at Olean,
thirteen miles distant. A line is also to
be constructed to sixty miles distant. A
branch of the Erie railway runs the en-
tire length of the oil district, from Car
rolton, N. Y. The business on this
branch was few months since So, 500 a
month it is now $4,000. Capital is
still pouring into the valley, and every
available piece Of ground is seized upon
at once. The very dooryards are in
vaded by the derrick and drill.
The most noticeable case of sudden
wealth is that of an Irishman named
Mike Mccarthy, who until recently was
n switch tender in the employ of the
Erie railway, at Salamanca, and is ex-
tremely incorporate. His father, who
owned sixty acres of land at Limestone,
died few years ago and left the farm to
Mike. To pay the taxes on the property
was more than Mike could do, and it
could have been purchased at almost any
price. Two years ago he was offered
81, 500, when the oil fever was in its
stage, and Mixes wife shrewdly
would not let her husband sell. He is
now selling it off at 81 900 an acre, and
his royalties yield him 5000 week.
Trade.
The other day an agent for Chicago
,rocery house WAS looking around De-