Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-09-09
Story of The COquette Well.
A Lovers Dream After He Had Been Jilt
ed, and the Happy Results That Came o
II.

A Lovers Dream After He Had Been Jilt.
ed, and the Happy Results That Came Of
1t.
A letter from Petroleum Centre, Pa,
to the New York Sun, says: One of the
most famous of the oil farms that were
developed in the early days OF the Pc
tro cum excitement on Oil Creek was
the Hyde & Egbert farm, near this place.
DR.. Egbert, of Franklin, and his partner
had between them $1,000, which they
paid for the farm. This was considered
an immense price for it, as it had not
yielaed enough under cultivation to pay
taxes. In 1854 they struck oil on it.
They bad several good wells, but none
that compared with the great gushers
that had spouted their 1900 and 5000
barrels day further down the
creek.
Hyde Sc Egbert's superintendent had a
brother who lived in an Eastern town.
He was in love with a young lady of the
place, who was noted in the neighbor-
hood as a great coquette. One night in
the early fall OF 1854 troupe of Indians
gave an exhibition in the village. The
young man and the young lady in ques-
ton attended it together. After he had
escorted her home, he seized an oppor-
tunity that offered and asked her to be-
come bis wife. She refused him. He
went to bed disappointed and despond-
ent. He had long entertained the idea of
seeking his fortune In the oil regions, and
before he retired that night he had de-
termined on carrying out his idea with
out further delay. Before morning he
had dream. He thought that he stood
in wild mountainous place, alone and
friendless. Suddenly an Indian, hideous
in war paint, sprang from thicket and
rushed toward him with his tomahawk
raised; the dreamer was unaImed. He
tried to save himself by flight, but he
could not move. He had resigned him
self to his fate, when another person ap-
peared upon the scene. 1t was the CO.
quette who rejected his suit. She had a
rifle. She quickly placed the weapon in
her Tilted lovers hands and disappeared.
The lover covered the Indian with the
rifle and fired. When the smoke cleared
away the Indian was gone. Where he
had stood there gushed from the ground
a stream OF oil of great volume. It flowed
down oveI the land in miniature river.
The young man awoke from his dream
It made great impression upon him.
He interpreted it as good omen for
him, not only in business matters but in
his love affair. He departed for Oil Creek
the next day and wen: first to the farm
where his brother was working. One day
the superintendent was showing his visit
ing brother over the Hyde & Egbert
farm. Suddenly the latter stopped and
looked about him with an exclamation
of surprise.
''This is the very spot that saw in my
dream!" he said.
He then related his dream to his broth
er. The spot was not considered favora-
BILE one for striking oil, but the dream of
the young man so impressed the superin-
tendent that ne determined to sink a
well there. The result was awaited with
intense interest by the two brothers. The
drill, at the depth OF 600 feet struck a
literal river of oil. The rich deposit
spouted out OF the earth at the rate of
1000 barrels of oil per day. The well
became famous at once. It was given
the name OF the "Coquette," because of
the coquettishness of the young lady that
resulted in its being drilled. Thousands
of persons focked to the farm to see it,
ard fee of ten cents head was charged
for a sight at it, pouring its wealth into
DR.. Egbert's tanks. It flowed for fifteen
months. DR.. Egbert made an immense
fortune by it, and then sold one-twelfth
interest In it for $275,OOO: He gave $780,
600 to the young man whose dream LED
to the discovery OF the Coquette we'll.
With this sum to start with, the fortune
dreamer in few months made hand
some fortune. He returned to his native
village. Still loving the young lady who
had refused his hand, and learning that
since his departtre she had ceased entire
ly to go into society, he proposed to her
again. This time he was accepted, and
he married the former coquette. Shortly
afterward the well ceased to yield volun.
tarily, fell to small "pumper," and
then became entirely exhausted. A few
rotton tlmbers of the derrick that stood
above the once famous well is now all
that marks the spot where the river o.
oil burst forth.