Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-01

was kept closely guarded for two months.
The oil scouts had more trouble with
it than with this latest oil sensation, for
while the guards were fewer in number
they were more vigilant and hostile. just
before the we'll was finally opened to the
public, in September, it was watched by
twenty-five scouts, who took turns watch
ing it day and night. They made many
futile attempts to gain an entrance
through the picket lines. always being
very cautious, for the guards, if they
heard dry twig break in the darkness
of the night, did not hesitate to shoot in
the direction Of the sound, and the scouts
soon learned that their aim was not de-
ticient. One night, about midnight, one
of the scouts had stolen through the picket
lines and stood near the tanks, but not
satisfied with this he attempted to get
nearer, and in doing so stepped on dry
stick, which broke with snap. Instantly
the report of a rifle was heard from one of
the sentiners posts, and the scout heard
the bullet strike the tree against which he
was leaning. The tree saved his life. He
vacated his position as rapidly as he could
without making any further noise. An
other scout had his clothes and the skin cut
by rifle ball at the knee two nights later,
and in his anger drew his revolver and
poured hot voley in the direction of the
guardsman, who was heard scrambling be-
hind his sentry box. Sometime before
this, when the guards were not SO violent,
they captured a luckless scout inside the
lines. They thoroughly frightened him by
threats of dire vengeance, but finally con-
sented to let him go on promise never to
return and the payment of sufficient money
to treat the ssntinels splendidly.
Perhaps the most notable of oil ''mys-
teries'' was the we'll on lot GAG, Cherry
Grove township, in Warren county, which
was drilled to the sand last March. The
we'll was a rank ''wild-cat' of great inter
est to the trade, and as it was generally
understood it would be made a mystery
scouts were detailed to watch it some time
before it reached the oil bearing level
None of them succeeded in getting any
reliable information from it, though, ex.
cept one, "Si' Hughes, who had made his
way through the picket line, and lay under
the derrick floor for forty mine hours with.
out food, in freezing weather, and in po
sition where he was deluged with water ev.
result of tho we'll which started in May
WALL PAO0uCUAOA VI 4sOOO OdA ACAe
a day, is we'll known, and Mr.
Hughes received from various par.
ties $4,000 for the information he
suffered such hardship to. gain. He also
was given an interest in an oil company
which purchased lands adjacent to the
we'll, from which he realized handsome
sum. This company was the Anchor Oil
company, which owns the new Forest
county mystery. The scouts are men
chosen on account of their thorough knowl-
edge of the oil business, their activity
their daring and their training to close OBJ
servation of minute details. They are not
only employed to watch mysteries" but
also to compile statistics of the production
of the old fields and report the capacities
of new wells which are not guarded, and
among them are found most of the oil re-
porters of the oil region newspapers
Their. pay is various. Some of them work
for salaries ranging from 800 to 5000
per month and expenses, while others work
for brokers, and receive half the profits OF
all transactions made on the strength OF
their information. Some of these have
made snug fortunes during the past two
months. Taken as a class, they represent
some of the best intellects in the region.