The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-07-26
A Lucky Blacksmith.

A month or so ago Sebastian Haehn,
a blacksmith living in Mechanic street,
Titusville, was spading in his garden
after heavy rain. AS he turned up the
earth he noticed that little pools of crude
petroleum formed in the cavities make
by the spade. He dug pit four feet
deep. 1t filled up with oil to such an ex-
tent that he dipped out five barrels full.
The oil was of excellent quality, and
Haehn sold his five barrels to the Oc-
tave oil refinery. Week before last
Haehn dug another "well' in his garden.
1t responded with yield of two barrels
an hour. The we'll attracted great atten-
tion. 1t produced eighty barrels, and
then ceased to flow. The excitement
over the novel oil territory died out soon
afterward. Oh Monday last the news
spread through the city that Haehn had
opened another well in his garden, and
that it was yielding at the rate of thirty
six barrels day. Hundreds flocked to
the scene of the new oil operations.
The we'll was located in the southwest
corner of Haehn's potato patch. With
a large tin hand 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 Mr..
Haehn's son was taking oil at the rate
of twenty barrels day.
Immediately following this great strike
Of 1ralyxy h1oalxn,,,ffh N do
mand 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 we'll and strike the ''sand"
in half an hour. The right to dig on
four feet off mans garden became worth
five dollars bonus and one quarter of the
oil. For three days Mechanic and ada
cent streets have been thronged with ex-
cited spectators of the new operations in
oil production, and parties anxious to
get "a piece of territory" On Tuesday
night Theodore Avery, who has coal
yard adjoining Haehn's garden, put
down well. At the depth of four feet
he struck oil. The yield was a barrel
an hour. He has put down four more
wells since. The five wells were yester-
day yielding eight barrels an hour.
The success of the Haehn and Avery
ventures lead to wide extention of this
strange territory. A vacant lot on
Washington street, southeast from
Haehn's was yesterday the scene of
active operations. Three producing
wells were put down. The rest were
"dusters." Captain Pickering went to
'wildcatting" under shed near Buffalo,
Pittsburg and Warren railroad track,
south of Haehn's. He dug to depth of
eight feet, and got we'll good for ten
barrels day. Two wells were put down
on the ground of the Octave refinery.
AT five feet oil was found. One of the
wells is pumping twenty-five barrels a
day. The McKeown garden, east of the
refinery, was leased by J. p. Thomas,
William Mckenzie and j. M. Briton.
Thomas took the northern half of the
garden. He got two five.barrel wells of
excellent green oil.
Haehn has made trench all around
his garden and one through the centre.
Into them the oil collects rapidly. The
operator is putting up tanks to receive
his oil, as there is great scarcity in
barrels. Haehn's garden is now yield
ing one hundred barrels day. He
expects to increase 1t to two hundred.
The oil is worth at the refiner's $l.lO a
barrel. The price of one barrel defrays
all the expenses of putting down well.
Operations are carried on day and night.
That part of the city is lighted up all
night by the flaming torches of the men.
The weird scene is witnessed nightly by
hundreds Of people There are no indi-