Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-02-09
"Shooting0 OIL Wells.

"Moonlighting" is peculiar industry
that owes its existence to the Patent
avs. The late Col. E. A. Roberts intro
duced the use of nitro glycerine torpe-
does in increasing the yield of oil wells.
When the great flowing wells of Oil
creek, after draining the petroleum pools
of the lower field for three years, had
exhausted the supply, as was supposed,
Col. Roberts experimental on an aban-
doned well with a quantity of nitro
glycerine, confined in tin shell and ex-
ploded by conclusion. The explosion
was followed by a flow of oil, and the
old well yielded thirty barrels day for
several years afterward. The nitro
glycerine had shattered the oil-bearing
rock and opened the parafine clogged
veins. While serving in the army, Col.
Roberts noticed that a bombshell explod-
ing beneath the water invariably spent
its force on the bottom of the stream,
throwing up mud and stones in great
quantities. This was due, he supposed,
to the solid fluid tamping above the ex-
plosive. It was this idea that led him
to try the experiment of nitro glycerine
at the bottom of oil wells, beneath hun
dreds of feet of fluid tamring-oil and
water collected in the well. He obtained
patents on his device. The validity of
the patents was questioned, and nitro
glycerine torpedoes were used by others
without paying royalty to Roberts. He
brought nearly 5000 suits to protect his
rights. One of these, as test, was car
RED through all the State courts and to
the United States Supreme Court Rob-
erts won In every court, and nearly 81
900, 900 in royalties was recovered.
The monopoly in nitro-glycerine tor
pedoes led to the illicit use of them in
wells. Men without fear of death
or regard for law went into the
business Of shooting" wells for pro-
ducers who did not care to pay tribute
to Roberts. ANY one has right to
manufacture nitro-glycerine and to place
torpedoes in wells. In the exploding of
them lies the liability to prosecution and
penalty. The moonlighter is always
ready to contract for the shooting of a
well. He carries his nitro glycerine in
wagons made especially for the purpose.
They are buckboards, with cush-
toned apartments under the seat, into
which the cans are placed. The roads
of the oil regions would scarcely be
called roads elsewhere. When not hub
deep with mud they are stretches. of
deep rut and gulleys and projecting
rocks. Drawn by powerful horses,
these wagons, loaded with sixty or a
hundred quarts of one OF the most des-
tructive explosives known, and which a
sudden jar is at any moment likely to
explode, are driven by their reckless
owners over these roads in the darkest
nights at the top of their horses speed.
The men work at night always. They
are called moonhghters, but the absence
of the moon does not prevent them from
undertaking a job. The Roberts COM
pany has wonderful detective system.
which is constantly employed in ferret
ing out the trespasses in the torpedo
patent. 1t frequently happens that a
moonlighter Is spotted as he starts out
on one of his nocturnal missions. The
moonlighter rarely fails to be aware of
the fact when he is followed by one of
Roberts men. Then it is race between
the two. Ii the mconlighter cannot
evade the detective and finish his Job, he
manages to secret his nitro lycerine
in the bushes, old buildings, barns, or
other outbuildings of farms, or in any
place where he is most likely to be able
to recover it for use on a more auspi-
cious occasion. Thus it happens that
these dangerous storehouses are liable
to be come upon at any time by people
passing through the woods or along the
streams, or by the farmers whose prem
ises have been utilized.
The cost of torpedoing well under
the Roberts patent averages $3.50. The
moonlighter will shoot 1t for less than
half of that. Thus the saving effected il
the work is not discovered is a great
! temptation to certain class of pro.
ducers. If detected, however, the pen
atty is heavy. The Roberts price for the
torpedoing must be paid, and whatever
damages may be assessed. II the vel
is an old one, and has been shot to in
crease its yield, the value OF the in
creased yield up to the time the damages
are assessed is added to the cost OF de
tectedillicit torpedoing. -Ncw York iS,oe