The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-12-05
THE DRIVE WELL SWlNDLE.
ROCKFORD, Mimi, Dec. :, Il


Editor Anti. Monopolist:
AS the drive we'll royalty IS
claiming considerable interest all
through the State, and as the matter
seems to be one of the Monopolies and
your paper being Anti-it is the
proper source for information and
facts on the subject. There are IN
some localities some individuals SO
terrified at the idea Of a visit of the
q. S. marshal that they send the
money called for by the James
Brothers if they have even thought OF
having a drive we'll, or whether the
well was driven ten years ago OF not.
The press generally and the paid
agents of James Brothers would have
US believe that the Green patent COW
ers all God s creation, and goes back
to the time Of Adam; let one thing be
remembered, that the Green patent
for driven wells was issued the 18th
day of January, 1858, and this is only
an Improvement or addition to other
patents of the drive we'll principle.
Now for individuals to be obliged to
pay 1880, or even $40 royalty to the
agents of the Green patent, when
the wells were driven and in use two
years before the Green patent vas
issued. seems to me to be the height
of folly and yet there are persons here
who have been using the driven well
since 1865, and are sending their
money to the James Brothers to avoid
a visit from the U. S. marshal and
the threatened attending expenses !!
In this village there are about thirty
drive wells, some of them have paid
the ten dollars. the remainder are
living in dread of having costs and
endless trouble. These troubled souls
seems to have the Infamous patent
law, the judges of the United States
courts, the whole judicial machinery
of the government, and the monopoly
and subsidized press against them
besides every pettifosger in the
country; there does not seem to be
any chance of escape but to pay the
whole demand. After they have
bought patented article two years
before Green ever thought of a drive
well, and paid three times what it was
worth because it was patented, five
dollars for the point and seventy-tive
cents per foot FOX the pipe; ana then
be obliged to pay again is rather too
much for any philosophy. What
about the Green patent. 1t was issued
as we said before on the l4th day OF
January 1868.
But that is not the first patent on
drive wells; on the 18th day of May,
1855, Il better patent was issued TO W,
3. & Il. S. Hunter, of Tioga county
n. Y. for just the same process; ths
Green gatent is only on improvement
hardly that.
On the 7th day of Novemb Der \. d.
1865, w. S. & r. 5. Hunter by thei
attorney, Erastus Adams. sold tn.
right under their patent of the above
date to NJ. W. & W. 5. Shutter o.
this village. for three hundred dollar:
to put down drive wells in Wright
county, for seventeen years from thu
10Th day Of May 1865. Most of tn,
wells in this village and other place.
in the county were put down in 1856
and 1867, but still they are payin,
royalty to the Green patent of 1868
Our Minneapolis friends should re
member that Messrs. Ball and Johr
E. Hurry purchased the Hunters
patent in November 1865, for Henne
pin county for four hundred dollar.
and that Ball and Hurry put down 8
large number of driven wells in 1856
and 1857, before the Green humbug
ever saw the light. These person:
who are SO anxious about sending
money TO the James Brother.
or to the Younger Brothers OF
any other swindle had better
look before they lose: but it is the
bugbear of [. :. marshal and thu
machinery of the emperial L. 5
district cour. that f.ighten them. Blu
the success of the drive well sw.ndl.
induced other swindlers 10 look up oil
patents,and we have within two week:
received circulars on all subject:
calling for royalty. the principal on,
on springs for buggies of all kinds; i
the patent laws are not repealed b,
the next congress or If this thing i
allowed to so on. 5,0O0. 900 DENIM,
Kearney's will come on the surface