The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-22
The Coquette Well.


Creek was the Hyde Il Eghert farm.
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
yielded enough under cultivation to pay
taxes In 1864 they struck oil on it.
They had several good wells, but none
that compared with the great gushers
that had spouted their 1000 and 5000
barrels day further down the creek.
Hyde & Egbert's superintendent had
a brother who lived in an Eastern town.
He was in love with young lady of the
place, who was noted in the neighbor-
hood as great coquette. One night in
the early Fall of 1864, troupe of In
dams gave an exhibition in the village.
The young man and the young lady in
question attended it together. After he
had escorted her home he seized an op-
portunity that offered and asked her to
become his wife. She refused him. He
went to bed disappointed and Respondent
He had long entertained the idea of
seeking his fortune in the oil regions,
and before he retired that night he had
determined on carrying out the idea
without 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 a
thicket and rushed toward him with his
tcmahavk raised. The dreamer was un-
armed. He tried to save himself by
flight, but he could not move. He had
resigned himself to his fate, when another
person appeared on the scene. 1t was
the coquette who had rejected his suit.
She had rifle. She quickly placed the
weapon in her Tilted lovers hands and
disappeared. The lover covered tie In
dian with the rifle and fred When the
smoke cleared away the Indian was gone.
Where he had stood there gushed from
the ground stream of oil OF great vol
ume. 1t flowed down over the land in
II miniature river.
The young man awoke from his dream.
1t made great impression upon him.
He interpreted it as a good omen for
him, not only in business matters, but
in his love affair He departed for Oil
Creek next day, and went first to the
farm where his brother. was working.
One day the superintendent was show
ing his visiting brother owe, the HYDE IL
Egbert farm. Suddenly the latter
stopped and looked about him with an
exclamation of surprise.
This is the very spot said he, chat
/ saw in my dream"
He then related his dream to his
brother. The spot was no. considered
a favorable one for striking oil, but the
dream of the young man SO impressed
the superintendent that he determined
to sink we'll there The result was
awaited with intense intesest by the two
brothers. The drill at the depth of 600
feet, struck literal river of oil. The
rich deposit spouted out of the earth at
the rate of 1000 barrels a day. The
well became famous at once. it was
given the name of the "Coquette," be-
cause of the coquettishness of the Young
lady that resulted in it's being drilled.
Thousands of persons flocked to the farm
to see 1t, and Zee OF ten cents head
was charged for sight at it, pouring it's
wealth into Dr. Egbert's tanks. 1t
flowed for fifteen months. DR.. Egbert
made an immense fortune from it, and
then sold one-twelfth interest in it for
$4,000. He gave $4,000 to the
young man whose dream led to the dis
covery of the Coquette well. With this
sum to start with, the fortunate dreamer
in few months made handsome for
tune. He returned to his native village.
Still loving the young lady who had re-
fused his hand, and learning that since
his departure she had ceased entirely to
60 into society, he proposed to her again.
This time he was accepted, and he inar
ried the former coquette. Shortly after
ward the well ceased to yield oil volun-
tarily, fell to small bumper" and then
became entirely exhausted. A few rot
ting timbers of the derrick that stood
above the once famous we'll is now all
that marks the spot where the river of
oil burst forth. w~
Don't play any tricks with collins. A
rofiroI par;o trodaemap who wo, mt