Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1880-07-18
5000 barrels q day further down

VsVVV V1IH9i9 Vuy AuktueE uUWu'
| the creek.
Hyde 3 Egbert's superintendent
had q brother who lived In an
Eastern town. He was in love
with y young lady of the place,
who was noted in the neighbor-
hood AS y great coquette. One
night in the early Fall of 1854 q
troupe OF indiana gave an exhibi.
ton in the village. The young
man and the young lady in ques-
ton attended 1t together. After
he had escorted her home, he
seized the opportunity 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 re-
gions, and before he retired that
| night he had determined on carry
ing out the idea without further de-
lay. Before morning be had a
dream. He thought that he stood
in wild, mountainous place, alone
and friendless. Suddenly an In-
dian, hideous in war paint, sprang
from thicket and rushed toward
him with his tomahawk raised.
The dreamer was unarmed. He
tried to save himself by flight, but
he could not move. He had re.
signed himself to his fate. when
another person appeared on the
scene. 1t was the coquette who
had rejected his suit. She had a
rifle. She quickly placed the weap-
on 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. 1t
miniature river.
The young man awoke fro m his
dream. 1t made great impress
upon him. He interpreted it rs 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 WHARF his brother was work
ing. ORG day the superintendent
was showing his visiting brother
over the Hyde & Esbert farm.
Suddenly the latter stopped and
looked about him with an exclam-
alton of surprise.
is"This is the very spot,n said he,
| "that I saw in my dream.n
He then related his dream to his
brother. The spot was not consid-
cred O favorable one for striking
oil, bat the dream of the young man
SO impressed the superintendent
that he determined to sink well
there. The result was awaited
with intense interest 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 2, 600 bar
rels day. The we'll became fam
Gus at once. 1t was given the
name of the "J5quetts'V, because
of the coqyestishness of then young
lady--that resulted in its berSlg
'dTflled. Thousands of persons
flocked to the farm to see ir, and Il
fee of ten cent, head was charged
for sight at it, pouring its wealth
into DIR. Egbert's tanks. it flowed
for fifteen months. DR.. Egbert
made an immense fortune
from it, and then sold a one-twelfth
interest In it for S275,000 He gave
5000 to the young man whose
dream led to the discovery OF the
Coquette well. With this sum to
start with, the fortunate dreamer
in few months made a handsome
fortune. He returned to his native
village. sui loving the young
lady who had refused his hand,
and learning that since his DEPART
ure she bad ceased entirely to so
into society, be proposed To her
again. This time he was accepted,
and he married the former CO.
quette. Shortly afterward the we'll
ceased to yield voluntarily, fell 10
a small "pumper," end then be-
came entirely exhausted. A few
rotting timhers of the derrick that
stood above the once famous well
are now all that mark the spot
where the river of oil burst forth.