The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-15
A Sabbath-Keeping Oil Well.


of the oil regions began on Oil Creek,
that can not recall the interest excited
by the eccentricities Gas they were sup
posed to be them, of well on the
Buchanan farm, at Housewife. 1t was
the first flowing well ever struck in the
oil regions, and it developed q peculi-
arity of ceasing to flow at twelve
o'clock Saturday night and starting
again on Monday morning, that gave
it the name of the Sunday well.
1t was located on a lease ten rods
square, and the post-office building at
Housewife was afterwards put up on
the lease where the well was. Drilling
was done with spring pole. Drive
pipes were used.to reach the rock, for
which twenty-five dollars point was
paid. On January II, 1861, the well
had reached a depth of 19I feet and
was on top of the first sand. BY this
time there was dozen producing wells
in the vicinity, all pumping, and all
! drilled wet, as was Mr. Curtis also. A
hard shell was struck on the top of the
first sand, on which they drilled for
long time, the light tools of those days
making very little impression on it. At
last it was broken, when the oil sud-
denly began to flow, Not expecting a
flowing well, there was no tank up, but
the planks were on the ground for it.
In those days square tanks were built.
The well flowed strongly and q large
stream of oil ran down the creek.
Efforts were at once made to obtain
barrels, and the tank was pushed TO
completion as rapidly as possible.
To 40 oil until +hn fo,l-
up large hOgshead was obtained and
placed in the derrick. A plug was made
out of a scantlihg and driven into the
top OF the drive pipe. A hole was bored
through the center of the plug and a
lead pipe inserted in it, and bent over
into the hogshead. Men were then en-
ployed to dip the oil out of the hogs
head with pals and pour it into barrels
through the old-fashioned broad cider
tunnels. No one suggested that the
surface water be shut oil, and in those
days it was not thought of. The nov
city of a flowing well drew large crowds
to the spot, and for many weeks it was
the topic Of conversation among oil
men.
The well flowed into the hogshead
through the lead pipe without tubing in
it, for several weeks, or until tank
could be built. After the tank was up
one Joint of two and one-half inch
tubing was put into the drive pipe, and
extended up into the derrick through
the bottom of q common oil barrel
which was fastened there on q scaffOld-
ing. The single joint of tubing was all
that was ever put into the well. Old
clothes and waste were packed around
the tubing inside the drive pipe, and
braces put on them and against the
sides of the derrick, to prevent their be-
ing blown out. The owner estimated
the best days production of the well
at sixty barrels or possibly seventy-five
barrels, though others put it as high
as 100 barrels. Oil was sold from this
well in the month of January at ten
dollars q barrel.
After the well began flowing into the
barrel at the end of the tubing, pebbles
could frequently be heard rafting in it,
and one flow forced the head of the
brrrel out. When this was being mend
ed, it was discovered that the bottom of
the barrel was filled with pebbles which
had been thrown out to the depth OF
nearly foot.
After beng turned into the tank for
four or five days, the well began flow
ing with the greatest regularity. 1t
flowed four times a day, and so regular
that for number of days the flows did
not vary a minute. Its time of flowing
became so well known that men would
come with their watches to time it and
amuse themselves by regulating the
time of day by it. On the second OF
third Sabbath after being turned into
the tank it made no oil. This was re-
ported to Mr.. Curtis, the owner, and
. also the fact that on the next Sabbath
it made no flow. On the following
Monday morning, finding that the same
thing had occurred, Mr.. Curtis or
dered guage to be taken the next Sat.
urdaY night at twelve o'clock, and an-
other on Monday morning. This was
done and the guages showed that not q
drop of oil had been put in the tank.
This occurred each Sunday for a lone
time causing great interest and much
!, mystery in the minds of the people.
At that time there was considerable dis
cussion concerning the breaking of the
Sabbath on oil wells, and this well
served as a good text against Sabbath
breaking. After some study Mr.. Curtis
discovered that this eccentricity was
: due to natural cause. There were
many pumping wells surrounding the
Sunday well, all of which were shut
down each Saturday night at midnight
The surface water was not shut of anC
: this flooded the producing sand. On
Monday morning the pumping well,
were started again, and as soon as the
water was exhausted the Sunday wei
9 began flowing again with its accustomed
g regularity, only to close when Saturday
night came around.
t When the oil was exhausted in thu
= first sand, after the well had produced
three or four months, it was drilled by
4 steam power through the third sane
S depth of 500 feet. No oil was foun(
$ in either the second or third sand. anC
D it was abandonud Meanwhile. tn,
: price of oil had declined from the 81
5 point in January to twenty-five cents /;
I barrel-O1 city Derrjct.
e The shark does business on large
= scale -NeUmap independent So doe
t the coal merchant and hay dealer. Blu
4 | we do not wish tO be understood a