Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-07-23
A Discovery that Sent the Pros.
PectOrs 30 Potato Patches.
The Lucky Blacksmith Who Spades Up
Rn'inCOme Of 500 a Day.

RninCome Of 500 Day.
TITUsvILLE, Pa, July ia
month or so ago Sebastian Haehn, a
blacksmith living on Mechanic street,
this city, was spadiDg in his garden
after a heavy rain. AS he turned up
the earth he noticed that little pools
Of crude petroleum formed in the
cavities made by the spade. He dug
pit four feet deep. 1t filled up with
oil to such an extent that he dipped
out five barrels full. The oil was of
excellent quality, and Haehn sold his
FIVE barrels to the Octave Oil Refinery.
Week before last Haehn dug another
well in his garden. 1t responded
with yield of two barrels an hour.
The well attracted great attention. 1t
produced eighty barrels and then
ceased to flow. The excitement over
the novel oil territory died out soon
afterward. On Monday last the news
spread through the city that Haehn
had opened another well in his gar
den, and that it was yielding at the
rate Of thirty-six barrels day. Hun
dreds focked to the scene OF the new
oil operations. The we'll was located
in the Southwest corner of Haehn's
potato parch. With large tin pump
the owner was taking out of the
'hole" two barrels OF oil an hour
His previous well had also started
again. From that one Of Haehn's
sons was taking oil at the rate of TWEEN
ty barrels day.
Immediately following the strike Of
the lucky blacksmith, great demand
for leases of adjoining gardens arose.
Such an oil field had never been heard
of before. Without capital, and with :
no tools but shovel, an operator
could sink well andstrike the sand"
in half an hour. The right to dig on
four feet of a mans garden became
worth FIVE dollars bonus and one
quarter of the oil. For three days
Mechanic and adjacent streets have
been thFonged with spectators of the
new operation in oil production, and
parties anxious to get "a piece of the
new territory" On Tuesday night
Theodore Avery, who has a coal yard
adjoining Haehn's garden, put down
a we'll. At the depth Of four feet be
struck oil. The yield was barrel an
hour. He has put down four wells
since. The five wells were yesterday
yielding eight barrels an hour.
The success Of the Haehn and Ave
~ ventures led to a wide extension Of
this strange territory. A vacant lot
on Washington street, southeast from
Haehn's was yesterday the scene OF ae-
tive operations. Three producing
wells were put down. The rest was
busters" Capt. Pickering went to
"wildcatting under shed near the
Buffalo, Pittsburgh & Warren railroad
track, south OF Haehn's. He dug to a
depth Of eight feet, and got a well good
for ten barrels day. Two wells were
put down the ground of the Octave re
fnery. At Eve feet oil was found.
One of the wells is pumping twenty
Ave barrels p day. The McKeown
Garden, east Of the refinery, was leased
by j, P. Thomas, VIM. Mckenzie and
j. NJ. Brinton. Thomas took the
northern half Of the garden. He got
tive fve-barrel wells Of excellent green
oil. The other parties struck oil but il
was Of q red hue, and had the appear
snce Of being mixed with tar. In the
gardens along the east side Of Washing
ton street several wells came il" as
good producers, but the oil was Of an
inferior quality. All the property
along Oil Greek, between Washington
and Frankling streets, has been leased
by A, ], Krafert. He will develop
| it on large soale,
The original Haehn territory main.
tains its yield, and is being further de
veloped. Haehn has made a trench
all around his garden and one through
the center. Into these the oil collect,
rapidly. The operator is putting W
tanks to receive his oil, as there is ;
scarcity in barrels. HaehR's garasr
is now yielding 100 barrels a day
He expects to increase it TO 200 Thu
oil is worth at the refneries $l.10 {
barrel. The price Of one barrel de
trays all the expense Of putting dow
a veil. Operations are carried on ds,
and night. That part Of the city i
lighted up all night BY the flaming
torches OF the oil mel The Yeiri
scene is witnessed by hundreds 0
people. There are no indications o
any decline in the yield OF this oil
and Haehn, the lucky discoyerer o
the held, is laying away net less thar
500 day as clear profit.
There are many theories in regarC
I TO this unhesrd Of presence petroleum
10 large quantities so near the surface
| One is that the oil il The leakage 0.
tanks and pipe lines, which has sunk
into the earth until it reached th,
| eT4gellV deposit in which IL is nov
| ioupdfn pools Another is that thi
deposit has been forced up from th,
true petroleum sand stratum By sem
unknown agency, and caught and re
tanned in the stratum where it nov
lies.
Reeds Gilt Edge Tonic assists digestion