The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-01-11
Oil 'Mystcries.v


Times, writ ng from the oil regions on
the fabulous fortunes made and lost in
the petroleum speculation, says: The
country has again gone mad with oil on
the brain. But the great bull move
ment and advancing prices last week
received a setback by the striking of n
large well in new territory. The new
well is located in Forest County and is
owned by the Anchor Oil Company.
The first reports sent out frol it re-
ported it flowing at 1000 barrels per
dem. Since then, however, the best re-
ports rate the daily production of the well
at 800 barrels. 1t has been the custom
for several years back to board up the
derricks of wildcat test wells in inn
portant locations and place an armed
guard a ound them 70 prevent tres
passersf from gaining access, in order to
keep the result of the wells n secret from
the public until the owners have
had time to buy or sell ad dining
lands and prepare for the effect of
the well on the market. Such a well,
in oil region parlance, is termed
"mystery,N and the frequent occur
renee of mysteries has resulted in
the employment by leading brokers
and large producing firms OF men
thoroughly versed in all matters per-
tanning to the petroleum indu try, who
are aptly termed scouts, us il is their
duty to learn the condition of such wells
by strategy or force. This new well is
no exception to the rule. As soon as it
began flowing heavily the owners Sc
cur the ser ices Of fifty Swedes, en-
ployed in peeling hemock tan bark in
the vicin ty, and set them TO telling
trees around the well, which is located
i'll the midst of vast forest A plot
eight hundred feet square, was marked
out and the logs and brush cut were
piled upon the lines OF this square,
forming u high palisade around the
well, which was located in the center
of the square, and then the Swedes
were put on guard within the in
closure to prevent any one gaining
admittance. The scouts arrived in
due time, AMI began skirm shing
around outside the fort, trying to gain
an entrance, but while dayl ght lasted
they were unsuccessful. When the
friendly shades of night had fallen
though. three of the most daring ones
silently sealed the wall anl cautiously
crept through the trees and bushes, in
side the inclosure. to the tanks into
which the well was flowing. where they
remained several hours; listening to the
flows, and measuring the contents OF
the tanks, after which they silently
stole away again. While the three
were in the tanks, two others drilled a
hole in the pipe line laid 10 convey the
oil away from the well, and on which
pump was working, by which means
they learned that no oil was passing
through the pipe. On Satu day 'ght
they again gau ed the tanks, twentt-
four hours after the first measurement,
and as no oil was pumped away, they
knew the exact output of the well for
that day. Luckily, the scouts were not
detected at this work. or they would
have been roughly handled.
Pelhaps the most notable Of oil ''mys-
teries'' was the well on lot GAG, Cherry
Grove township, in Warren county,
which was drilled to the sand last
March. The well was rank "wildcat''
of great interest TO the trade, and as it
was generally understood it would be
made a mystery scouts were detailed TO
watch it some time before il reached
the oil-bearing level. None of them
succeeded in getting any reliable in or
nation from it, though, except one,
ssh Fughes. who ha made his way
through the picket line and lay under
the derrick floor for forty-nine
hours without food, in freezing
weather, and in position where
he was deluged with water
every time the sand pump was used
The result of the well, which started in
May with a production of 1000 barrels
a day, is well known. and Mr. Hughes
received from various parties $4,000
Tor the information he suffered such
hardships to gain. He also was given
an interest in the oil company, which
purchased lands adjacent to the well,
from which he realized handsome
sum. This company was the Anchor
Oil Company, which owns the new For
est County mystery. The scouts are
men chosen on account of their thor
ough knowledge of the oil business,
their activity, their daring and their
training to close observation of minute
details. They are not only employed to
watch mysteries" but also to COM
pile statistics of the production of the
oil fields and report the capacities OF
new wells which are not guarded. and
among them are found most of the oil
reporters 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 rokers and receive one
half the profits made on all transactions
made on the strength of their informa-
ton. Some of these have made snug
fortunes during the past two months.
Taken as class, they represent some of
the best intellects in the region.
SuppOsing a Case.
He said he didn't intend to stay a
.nai.,.aAn hnd s..nA d......,.nd In, 10, nnl. n